Shortly after Sunrise, the shrill beeping noises from my alarm clock shattered the still of my apartment. Slowly waking from my peaceful slumber and already craving that first cup of coffee, I got ready to head out on a one day adventure - exploring the ancient town of Takayama in Gifu.

Using the special “Otoku na Joshaken”, which is a special ticket to save you some money when you visit Hida-Takayama, I had booked the bus for 7:30am that morning, so there wasn’t much time to get ready. A very quick shave, shimmy to the bathroom, and a shower later, I found myself walking eagerly towards the nearest subway station. Do I have all my gear? Yes. All batteries (for camera,
phone, etc.) charged? -Mostly. Did I lock the front door? -probably. Did I remember to bring enough cash? -Well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Arriving at Meitetsu Nagoya Bus Station, I checked in with about 20 minutes to spare. A quick trip to the convenience store for that much deserved Caffeine infusion, and then it was off to the bus, which had just pulled in.

The ride to Takayama from Nagoya Meitetsu Bus Centre, though long, was quite relaxing, with beautiful scenery all around.

After a brief stop at a Rest Area, we arrived promptly around 10:20 at Takayama Station. My first stop of the day took me to Zenkoji Temple, which is both a temple as well as a hotel, featuring a few very nice and elegant rooms, a common area,

and a garden. Interesting indeed! When I do go back to Takayama sometime, I will definitely stay here!

Just inside the main temple entrance, I was greeted by Yukiko Sekimukai, the very nice person in charge of the temple stay experience. After a quick introduction, she ushered me into the impressive main hall.

The sizable altar in the center is adorned with various religious ornaments and artifacts.
Anyone can enter the the main hall for prayer and/or to receive a “Goshuin”, which is a special stamp with the name of the temple.

Facing your fears in the dark

Just to the right of the main altar is a staircase leading into a deep, dark unknown. It is called “Kaidanmeguri” and is actually a Buddhist ritual to purify your sins. If you can traverse the pitch-black, winding tunnel and find a hidden lock without any helping light, all of your sins will be purified.

I’ve never had a problem with dark places, so determined, I descended into the engulfing blackness of the tunnel.

It is a strange feeling, not being able to rely on your sight to find your way, but there comes a certain moment, an “aha” moment, when you cast aside your doubts and worries and just trust your senses (with a bit of help from your outstretched and always scanning arms and hands) to navigate. Very carefully, I inched my way through the tunnel until eventually, I did feel something in the darkness. There was indeed an intricate metal “something” on the wall. Feeling accomplished, I found my way out of the darkness and back to the relieving light at the staircase.

The clothes make the man (Picking out and wearing a Yukata)

After getting back to the main hall from the tunnel, Yukiko invited me to pick and try on a traditional Yukata. We went to a separate room where quite a few elegant and colorful Kimono and Yukata are kept.

The person in charge of this area of the temple helped me pick out one in my size (featuring a cool-looking “Sumo Hand” - as in the actual handprint of a Sumo Wrestler), and the two ladies explained how to wear and enjoy the Yukata in Japan.

Ready to explore the town in my new garb, we headed outside to take a few photos before I headed out to the old town. A few photos, and numerous exclamations of “Kakoii” from the enthusiastic ladies later, I felt ready to make my way over to the historical district.

Before that, there was one more important task to accomplish....

Shakyo (Tracing the Sutras)

Yukiko invited me back to the main hall and presented me with a piece of paper featuring an ancient Buddhist Sutra (prayer) written on it. The characters were outlined in grayscale, she handed me a calligraphy brush and said to trace the characters as best as I could.

“The important thing is mindfulness and to relax”.

Putting the brush to the paper and tracing the first character, I could feel a certain “Zen-like” feeling of relaxation. Focusing all your concentration on one thing is definitely meditative, and a stark contrast to the fast-paced technology- enhanced communication culture we’ve become part of over the last few years. It was really nice not multitasking, actually being in the moment, and feeling the weight of the brush in your hands. You had to actively think about how much pressure to apply to get that artistic “swish”, and after a short time, I could feel a certain rhythm
starting to take hold.

As much as I don’t like copying something, but this was actually quite enlightening and dare I say lots of fun.

When I had finished the entire page, she put the temple’s stamp on it, and asked if I wanted to take it with me, or have one of the priests / monks burn it in an upcoming ceremony. Going with the buddhist principle of impermanence, I opted for the later (after taking a photo, of course).

And here’s the finished result:

All sins absolved through finding the lock in the dark, wearing a traditional Yukata, and feeling completely relaxed, I was now ready to head to the old town and explore some of the ancient houses, stores, and try some famous Hida-Takayama beef.

Wrapping up

Even though I only spent a short time there, the experiences I had at Zenkoji were quite interesting, memorable, and added to the authenticity of spending a day exploring Japan’s history and traditions. Should I ever be in the area again (hopefully for longer next time), I will definitely stay at Zenkoji for its proximity to both the station as well as the ease of access to the historic old-town area, the beautiful rooms, the friendliness of the staff, the “cool factor” of staying in an actual temple, and the overall experience. Big thanks to Yukiko and the Temple’s
staff for giving me such a memorable experience! Great times!

Links for more information

Zenkoji Temple Stay

https://takayamazenkoji.jp

Nohi Bus

https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/