In this video I take you to the Shiofune Kannonji temple and its amazing azalea garden said to be one of the most beautiful in Japan. The temple was founded 1,400 years ago by a mysterious Buddhist nun Yao Bikuni. It is said she enshrined a tiny wooden statue of Kannon, the goddess of Forgiveness and Compassion in the valley where the temple is located. This statue is still in possession of the temple and is enshrined in the main hall. The shape of the valley is said to have given the temple its name – in the 8th century a resident monk thought it resembled a salt boat used at the time (in Japanese Shiofune means salt boat.) Just in this case, the ‘boat’ was the Buddha’s boat saving the souls of people from earthly suffering. Shiofune Kannonji temple belongs to the Shingon school of Buddhism and holds several events typical for the school, with some of them being the Goma Fire Purification ritual as well as fire walking. Both can be observed at the first days of may when the temple’s famous azalea festival is held.
The view from the foot of the hill surrounding the valley looking up at the statue of Kannon presiding over a sea of blooming azaleas is just spectacular. As is the view from the top of the hill from where you can see also the temple buildings nestled in the cedar forest and decorated by the colorful banners typical for the Shingon school. The quiet of the valley is broken only by birdsongs and the reverberating sound of the temple bell, providing a deep and somber background to the colorful environs.
The best time to visit the azalea garden is during the last week of April and first week of may. The temple also has a beautiful hydrangea garden that can be seen blooming after the middle of June.
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ABOUT THE SPIRIT OF JAPAN TOURS:
In Japanese, the character WA (和) means harmony and equilibrium. The concept of WA can be observed in every aspect of life in Japan: from the way society functions to the harmonious way the elements of a Japanese garden are combined and the elegant, precise movements of a master performing a tea ceremony – all of that is WA and all aim to achieve perfect harmony.
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