Ah, Japan....In October, my mom and I spent two weeks in the beautiful land of Japan, the land of our ancestors. This is a photo of me, Kazuka (our friend from Japan) and my mom outside a sumo wrestling training stable. We traveled to Tokyo, Kyoto, Kamakura, Hakone, Hiroshima, Miyajima, and Mt. Koya. The expereince was life changing. Getting a glimpse of the homeland of my ancestors, feeling the same air, drinking the same water and walkng on the same ground charged me with the very life force that I had been searching for. Also the time spent with my mother was priceless, the laughter we shared, the places we visted and the company we offered each other has elevated my sprit to a higher level. I hope to retrun to this very ancient yet adapatable culture in the near future to further explore my roots and my connections. The culture of respect that resides in the people of Japan has greatly touched my heart and I hope to live my life with reverance for all of my experiences, all of the people I encounter and all of the challenges that come my way. Please enjoy some of the pictures that I took on our journey.
Inside the sumo stable we watched wrestlers training. They stretched and warmed up for almost 2 hours but then they proceded to engage in several rounds of wrestling matches. It was a ¨King of the Ring¨ style bout in which the winner of the match would get to stay in and defend his victory by going against other challengers. This was a particularly good bout.
We visited Kamakura to see the Daibutsu (Great Buddha) and also visit other temples. This giant statue of bronze is 13.35 meters high and was once enclosed in a temple. The temple was destroied by natural disasters but the great figure remained standing. What a great feat of ingenunity to create such a long lasting structure.
In Haknoe, my mom and I walked along part of the renound Tokaido Road which was the footpath taken by travelers from Edo(Tokyo) to Kyoto. This vital route system served as the passage for the Shogun and public officials, as well as commoners, travelers and artists.
This is part of the gardens at Nijo Castle in Kyoto. Can you imagine that this is part of an old military fortress? The Japanese have such great taste in creating beautiful and contemplative atmospheres using the elements of nature.
If you are ever in Kyoto, head over to Myoshinji Temple and ask around for a restaurant in the area called Raku Raku. There you will find a small bar style seating area that faces a small kitchen. The place is cozy and comfortable and you will have a great time with Akira, the chef and owner of the place. He loves reggae music and can cook any style of food that you like. If you are lucky he will bring out his guitar and other instruments and you can jam with him and anyone else who happens to be around that are musically inclined. I promised him that I will one day return to his place to do a mural on the outside wall of the entrance. Thanks Akira for the great times!
This structure is known as a Torii gate. There are many of these, big and small found in Japan. They are usually synonomous with Shintoism, the native religion to Japan but are also found in Buddhist temples and places of worship. This torii gate stands in front of Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima Island and is a way of welcoming visitors and letting them know that they are entering into a sacred area. At low tide you can walk up to the structure, but when the tide rises, it creates a beautiful reflection in the water.
Luckily this picture came out well enough to see. It was one of the coolest paintings that I saw during our trip. A man wrestling with a tiger. Looking at this, I can feel the primal energy that almost makes the two figures look like they are about to roll off of the canvas.
The final destination of our trip was Mt. Koya or Koyasan as most people call it. We stayed at Rengejoin temple, where an essoteric form of Buddhism founded by Kukai is practiced. Every morning we would rise at 6 a.m. to participate in the morning chanting and in the afternoon we would practice zazen (meditation).
Inside the temple there is a garden that the abbot rakes every week. The same symbol is written into the gravel. This photo was taken from the opposite side, so in essence it is upside down but the symbol is the sanskrit sybol for hirh, which symbolizes both the white lotus a pond and Amitabha Buddha who keeps eternal mediation on the lotus. 
