A final stop was a hike up the hill to see the Ogane (Great Bell) of Engakuji:
It is a pretty steep run up:
It includes supervision by local inhabitants:
The Bentendo, dedicted to Benzaiten, patroness of the arts, literature, and learning:
The Ogane. Cast in A.D. 1301, it is 2.6 m/8.5 ft tall and is one of the largest temple bells in Japan.
The view from the top was incredible:
Is it permitted to 'ring' the bell, or is that a special occasion kind of thing? I can imagine American tourists showing their behinds for a selfie, wouldn't much be appreciated by the locals..?
ReplyDeleteAnon - That is totally a part of worship/special occasion kind of thing. You are absolutely right that tourists (likely Americans) would try to make a purely selfie moment of it.
DeleteLike many things, I am sure such thoughts would not even occur to the Japanese. Sadly, selfie culture is yet another "great contribution" from America to the world.
I tend to like such places that are guarded by a big exertion of effort to get to such as climbing all those stairs. It cuts down on the amount of people willing to expend the energy to see it.
ReplyDeleteEd, it certainly does cut down on the traffic.
DeleteIt does make me concerned for my future though; my knee is already a bit gamey so these things could become harder at some point.