Temples and Shrines Ideal for Rainy Days

Ririka：Lately, it's been raining so much, and it puts me in a bad mood. The laundry won't dry, and my suit smells bad when it gets wet.

Maiko：Oh, really? Nowadays, there are detergents specifically for drying indoors, so there's no musty smell!
I actually quite like rainy days. Watching movies while munching on potato chips is the best!

Ririka：I feel unwell if I stay indoors too much. If I just sit in the corner of the room, I feel like I'm going to grow mold on my butt!

Maiko：That's an exaggeration. If you want, I can recommend plenty of interesting movies.

Ririka：In that case, how about introducing me to a nice guy!

Maiko：Impossible (she responds instantly).

Ririka：Oh well, guess it can't be helped. Then, tell me about perfect outing spots on rainy days!

Maiko：If that's what you want, I've got a great idea. How about Izu? When you hear Izu, what comes to mind?

Ririka：A sudden word association game? Let's see... the sea, hot springs, and wasabi?

Maiko：Wasabi?! That's a unique one. Hey, I was hoping you'd say "The Dancing Girl of Izu"!

Ririka：Isn't that a hundred times more unique!?

Maiko：Remember the beginning of "The Dancing Girl of Izu." When the road gets twisty, the rain gets heavier!

Ririka：Even if you say that... I haven't read it!

Maiko：Seriously! I thought experiencing "The Dancing Girl of Izu" would be romantic, but if you don't have any attachment to it, the crossing of the Amagi Pass is just plain tough.

Maiko：Pull yourself together. How about visiting Hie Shrine, which is right next to Shuzenji Temple?

Ririka：Is it okay to visit a shrine on a rainy day?

Maiko：There are indeed theories that rainy days are not favorable. In the spiritual world, everything is classified into "yang" and "yin," and rain falls under "yin." Therefore, it is believed that good energy isn't flowing much on rainy days.
However, it is also said that rainy days can wash away bad things.

Ririka：That sounds a bit opportunism, doesn't it?

Maiko：I think " there is no time like the present." I believe the gods will welcome us even on rainy days!

Ririka：That makes sense!

Maiko：Hie Shrine is said to have been established by Kobo Daishi (Kukai), and it stands at the 'demon's gate' of Shuzenji Temple. Inside the shrine grounds, there's a more than 800-year-old "Married Cedar Tree" whose roots are connected. It is famous for praying for children.

Ririka：Wow! Feeling the power of trees on a rainy day sounds mystical!

Minami：Kiyomizu Temple, Kinkakuji Temple, Ginkakuji Temple. Ryoanji Temple, Nanzenji Temple, Daitokuji. Heian Jingu Shrine, Byodoin Phoenix Hall. Blah blah...

Maiko：What are you mumbling about?

Minami：I feel like I've been to most of Kyoto's famous tourist spots. I wonder if there's anywhere I still need to visit. And today, it's rainy...

Maiko：You're right. Then how about going to a power spot unique to rainy days?

Minami：Huh? Is there such a place? Like a temple with a dragon painted on the ceiling? By the way, I've already been to Myoshinji Temple, Kenninji Temple, Tenryuji Temple, and Shokokuji Temple.

Maiko：Okay. Let's go to a place that will surely impress a history buff like you!

☂... The two head to Shijo Omiya ...☂

Minami：I'm not too familiar with Shijo Omiya.

Maiko：You can go there without changing trains, even to Osaka Umeda. It's also convenient for Arashiyama and the central part of Kyoto. By the way, the place we're going today is Mibu Temple!

Minami：Mibu Temple! It's related to the Shinsengumi, right?

Maiko：As expected of a history buff! Mibu Temple is indeed associated with the Shinsengumi.

Minami：I loved the NHK Taiga drama "Shinsengumi!" To this day, my image of Toshizo Hijikata is still Koji Yamamoto! When I saw Koji Yamamoto as Toshizo Hijikata again in the morning drama "Asa ga Kita," I was thrilled!

Maiko：He played the role perfectly. Masato Sakai as Keisuke Yamanami and Tatsuya Fujiwara as Soji Okita were also impressive.

Minami：My grandpa didn't like them because they didn't look like typical samurai from period dramas.

Maiko：Mibu-dera Temple is a temple of the Ritsu School. You might not be familiar with the Ritsu School, but it's a Buddhist denomination founded by Jianzhen from Tang China. You know Jianzhen, right?

Minami：Of course! He's the Tang Dynasty monk who came to Japan even though he was blind, right?

Maiko：That's right. Mibu-dera Temple is the head temple of the Ritsu School, and the Jizo Bodhisattva is the main deity. There are so many Jizo statues on the temple grounds. Do you see that tower-like structure next to the main hall? It's called the "Sentai Butto," a tower made with a thousand Jizo statues. They were collected during the city planning of Kyoto.

Minami：Indeed, as you walk around Kyoto, you'll find a Jizo statue in every city block. They've collected the Jizo statues that lost their places.

Maiko：That's right. There are also other attractions like the "Mizukake Jizo", a type of Jizo statue that people pour water over in order to have one wish granted, the "Yonaki Jizo" that is said to bring blessings for curing illnesses and stopping babies' night crying, and the "Ichiya Tenjin-do," a place where it is believed you can gain wisdom overnight.

Minami：There are so many interesting things to see!

Maiko：For Shinsengumi fans, the Amidado Hall is a must-see. In its basement, there's a historical materials room displaying Shinsengumi-related exhibits. There's also the Mibuzuka, which features a bust of Isami Kondo and a tower that contains his preserved hair.

• 
  Former Mibuzuka - Free Life Pond
• 
  Isami Kondo Bust

Minami：Mm, mm, mm. I definitely have to see those.

Maiko：There's also the grave of Kamo Serizawa, a Shinsengumi member, and nearby is the Yagi Residence, so if we have time, let's visit there too.

Minami：The Yagi Residence?! Is it the place where Serizawa Kamo was supposedly assassinated?

Maiko：Exactly! Serizawa Kamo was said to be brutally murdered in a torrential rain.

Minami：I see! So, Mibu-dera Temple is perfect for a rainy day! I get it now!

Rie：It's unfortunate that the weather forecast for this weekend shows rain. We're supposed to be on a girls' trip, and I wonder if we'll be able to see Mount Yufu clearly.

Maiko：Remember when we went to Mount Aso and couldn't see anything because of the fog?

Rie：Yeah, at Daikanbo. It was all white just a few meters ahead of us. And it's usually such a scenic spot.

Maiko：There was that car that had fallen into the ditch, and they had to call the police, remember?

Rie：Oh, right! That young couple was stranded.

Maiko：Yes, the guy looked so distressed. But we should be fine in Yufuin, there are no places for such slips.

Rie：But it's hard if the ground is slippery. Wherever we go, there are mostly street shops.

Maiko：It might be less crowded than when it's sunny, don't you think?

Rie：We'll get wet in the rain, won't we?

Maiko：I get it. Then, let's try to come up with an itinerary that keeps us from getting too wet.

Rie：Can you even do that?

Maiko：Trust me! Let's go see the scenery that's unique to rainy days! But you'll have to wake up very early.

Rie：I don't mind going to the temple, but isn't this a bit too early?

Maiko：Not at all. I plan to do zazen today!

Rie：Zazen? I've never done that before!

Maiko：You said you didn't want to get wet in the rain, didn't you? A rainy day is perfect for doing zazen at a temple! The best combination!

Rie： I'm a beginner, and I'm a bit worried. What if I can't concentrate and get hit with a stick?

Maiko：If you bow and request it, they might hit you with a stick, but it's optional. So don't worry.

Rie：On rainy days, the greenery looks even richer, doesn't it?

Maiko：They call it "blessing rain."

Rie：Temples still have an elegant atmosphere even when it rains. Being surrounded by bamboo groves adds to the serene beauty.

Maiko：Oh, my. I think you've broadened your horizons by doing zazen, haven't you?

Rie：Maybe! Oh, by the way, I wonder why thatched roofs don't leak when it rains. Thatched roofs are made of pampas grass, right?

Maiko：I heard it's because they have a steep slope. Also, the grass is bundled, so the water only flows on the surface.

Rie：Wow, that's amazing! It's the wisdom of people from the past!

Rie：Look, look! There's a torii gate in the middle of the lake. Could it be the torii gate of Tenso shrine behind it?

Maiko：Hmm, this torii gate was originally from Bussanji Temple, it seems.

Rie：What?! A temple with a torii gate? Why is that?

Maiko：It might be a remnant of Shinbutsu-shugo (syncretism between Shinto and Buddhism) or the aftermath of Haibutsu kishaku (anti-Buddhist movements). Do you know about Shinbutsu-shugo?

Rie： I think I learned about it in a Japanese history class long ago...

Maiko：I definitely learned about it before (firmly). Oh, by the way, I wrote a column recently about Shinbutsu-shugo and Haibutsu kishaku. You might want to read it!

Rie：Oh, reading it, I somehow recall a little!

Maiko：Bussanji Temple is currently a Rinzai School temple, but originally, it was a Tendai School temple. It has long been revered as a place for mountain worship.
In Japan, there is a belief that gods reside in all things of nature, right? Because there was compatibility between Buddhism and mountain worship, the Shinbutsu-shugo was widely accepted and established, I suppose.

Rie：It's a unique culture that was cultivated.

Maiko：During the Meiji era, when the Shinbutsu Hanzenrei (the Order of Separation of Shinto and Buddhism) was enacted, the torii gate at Lake Kinrin was moved from Bussanji Temple as a way to escape the Haibutsu kishaku.

Rie：So, is it placed inside the pond, making it difficult to approach easily?

• 
  Lake Kinrin
• 
  Torii gate floating on the lake.

Maiko：It's surprising to think that even in such a remote countryside, the storm of the Haibutsu kishaku reached. Not many people know, but after the Shinbutsu Hanzenrei decree, there was also a prohibition of Shugendo (mountain asceticism).
To the Meiji government, Shugendo with various Buddhist doctrines was probably an undesirable presence.

Rie：I see. But the people living in this area came together to protect their culture through their collective wisdom.

Maiko：From that perspective, it can be seen as a pioneering movement in respecting diversity.

Rie：Lake Kinrin is famous for its morning fog, isn't it?

Maiko：Yes, water and hot springs gush from the lake bottom, raising the water temperature, which causes the mist to rise during early mornings in autumn and winter. I've seen it once, and it's very enchanting.

Rie：I'd love to see it. Even on rainy days, I can feel the presence of the gods here.