Month completed: May 2009

A trip this month to Japan to visit great mate Andy allowed me to complete this goal.

While there, we took a trip to Koyasan, a mountain region a few hours from Osaka, and the birthplace and spirital home of Shingon Buddhism, a Japanese form of buddhism formed by Kobo Daishi in the 9th century.

In Koyasan there are lots of different Buddhist temples to stay in, giving visitors the full experience of what Buddhist life is like.

Andy and I spent a night in a temple called Sekishouin, and had a great time.

We wore the Buddhist robes, ate Shojin (an array of different vegetarian food, including seaweed, tofu and bean curd), slept on the floor, drank Japanese tea, and got up at 6.30am for morning prayers. One interesting thing was that the temple had a 9pm curfew, which we only just got back in time for (we went for a quick wander to an ancient graveyard next door).

One thing I didn’t get a chance to do there (but did a few days later) was to wash in an onsen. There were no showers or baths at the temple, so the onsen was the only way to keep clean, and involved washing naked in the presence of other men, in a big communal bath. Andy did it though, and said it wasn’t too pleasant*.

The monks seemed very content with their lives, but for me, one night was enough, and I appreciated the meat dish I had for dinner the following night!

*My experience of an onsen later in the trip was pleasant though, after the initial bizarreness of sharing a bath with naked Japanese men. If you ever go to Japan, I would recommend doing one, because it is a very popular Japanese pastime.