Temple camping in Japan at Wakayama’s Daitaiji【Photos】

https://ift.tt/3o6ZF0P Casey Baseel

A lot of temples in Japan offer dormitory rooms, but this one has an even cooler option.

When travelling in Japan, one of the most unique forms of accommodation is a shukubo, or temple dormitory. Though they don’t provide all the cushy amenities of a hotel, shukubo offer a memorable way to experience Japan’s traditional and local culture, and are generally open to guests of all faiths.

Daitaiji, a picturesque riverside temple in the town of Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama Prefecture, has a shukubo, but as we recently discovered, it also has a campground!

Temple camping is something we’d never tried before, but eager to change that, our Japanese-language reporter Saya Togashi rolled up to Daitaiji on a late November afternoon. The campground is down a short embankment from the temple’s hondo, or main hall, and is bordered by a grove of bamboo and trees

The side closest to the forest is for tent campers, while the other side of the clearing is for people spending the night in RVs or motorhomes, like Saya was.

▼ The RV/camper side has electrical hookups.

On check-in you’re given bags into which to sort your garbage, and you can leave them with the temple staff when you check out. There’s also water and bathroom facilities, leftovers from the on-site nursery school that the temple used to run.

So far this is all pretty standard campground stuff, but at one end of the clearing you’ll spot this structure…

…and if you peek inside, you’ll see that it’s a zazen-do, or Zen meditation hall.

Zen meditation is just one of many activities available to campers, along with learning to make choshuku, the rice porridge traditionally eaten for breakfast by temple monks in Japan, a descriptive tour of the temple’s historical Buddhist statuary, and transcribing sutras. On the other hand, if you’re after pure relaxation, there’s also a riverside sauna tent.

For her first activity, Saya decided to try her hand, literally, at transcribing sutras (fees vary by activity; for this it’s 1,000 yen [US$8.70]).

Don’t worry if your penmanship isn’t the best, or even if you’ve never written anything in Japanese before. You’re given a translucent sheet of paper to write on, and you can trace the example, or at least use it as a guide, as you form each character. The session lasts about an hour, with the ostensible benefit being that having an activity to focus your physical and mental attention on will keep you from dwelling on past regrets or future worries.

By this time, it was getting close to sundown, and next Saya got to take part in one of the free activities offered to guests: ringing the temple bell!

The bell is located on a raised portion of the grounds, and as the sun dips toward the horizon, the temple’s abbot leads participants up to it to sound the end-of-the-day signal (at 5 p.m. in the winter and 6 p.m. in the summer).

As Saya swung the log and struck the bell, the sound reverberated out into the chilled evening air, echoing in a way that somehow both cleared her head and stirred a certain nostalgic, bittersweet sensation in her heart.

Then it was time for dinner. Campground guests are allowed to barbeque or cook on their campfires. Saya, though, had left her grill at home, so she instead dined on a vacuum-pouch hamburger steak and some freshy cooked rice from her one-person rice cooker. Daitaiji doesn’t sell cooking supplies, so you’ll want to bring any pre-made meals, ingredients, or snacks you want with you.

After gazing up at the beautiful stars of the countryside night sky for a while, Saya hit the sack and got up bright and early the next morning for her Zen meditation session.

Since Zen meditation requires sitting stilly with the same posture for extended periods of time, she was thankful for the thickly padded mats and cushions. These aren’t just for the comfort of Zen newbies, though, as the temple also serves as an evacuation shelter during natural disasters, and at such times the mats are used as bedding for those unable to return home that night.

As she meditated, Saya experienced something unusual, though she didn’t notice until after her session was done. We’re already into the part of the year where Japan’s weather is decidedly chilly in the morning, and when Saya had gotten up, one of her first thoughts was that she wished she’d packed some thermal underwear. As she meditated, though, that sense of cold completely evaporated, but not because the temperature was getting warmer. Once the session was over, she immediately noticed the cold again, given her a newfound appreciation for the effects of Zen.

▼ As mentioned above, the temple also has a shukubo dormitory, the common-use room of which is seen here.

With check-out at noon, Saya had time to relax and soak up the relaxing nature vibes for a bit longer before she needed to get packed up. Reflecting on her stay, she was surprised by just how relaxed, friendly, and cheerful the whole place felt, since she admits to having had a preconception that temple accommodations would come with a more austere atmosphere.

With a total of just nine slots (four for tent/car campers and five for RVs/motorhomes), Daitaiji’s campground definitely has a relaxed, local feel to it, and at 3,000 yen (US$26) a night, it’s extremely affordable too. The campground even has an English website, showing that they’re happy to welcome travelers of various religions and nationalities.

Location information
Daitaiji / 大泰寺
Address: Wakayama-ken, Higashimuro-gun, Nachikatsuura-cho, Shimowada 775
和歌山県東牟婁郡那智勝浦町下和田775
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Top 5 Super Nintendo World souvenirs for winter 2021 according to staff

https://ift.tt/31hiFk2 Master Blaster

Park-goers’ Nintendo tastes have become more refined.

Back when Super Nintendo World opened last March, we reported on the five most popular souvenirs at its 1-UP Factory gift shop.

But now that it’s been fully open for several months we thought we’d check back in and ask the staff what items most guests have been having their eyes on and wallets open for.

#5. Princess Peach / Boo Hats

Probably one of the most common sights around this section of USJ is people wearing the iconic Mario and Luigi plumber caps. So naturally, there is no shortage of these at the shop.

But their success has spawned some spin-off gear such as Princess Peach tiaras for those who like to flaunt their feminine side. 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the metaphysical tracks, caps in the shape of Boos are the hot sellers recently.

They do look like they’d keep your head warm during the winter months.

#4. Question Block Cookie Tins

This is the only item that survived from the first list earlier this year, and it’s easy to see why. These cookie tins continue to be a big seller in part due to variety of cookies inside, most notably the vibrantly colored power-up item cookies.

But it’s undoubtedly the chance to own your very own question block that makes these a must-have Super Nintendo World souvenir.

#3. Block Cushions

Speaking of a chance to have your very own block, why not have a whole row of them for a comfy neck pillow? Not only that but they heard you like cushions, so they went and put even more cushions in your cushion so you can cushion while you cushion!

It’s perfect when you need a little extra life or invincibility, which brings us too…

#2. Star T-Shirt

Take on all the Goombas who stand in the way of your daily life by carrying an invincibility star with you everywhere you go. This is also one of those reversible sequin T-shirts and you can turn your star multi-colored with a swipe of the hand.

I would have bought one myself, but I already have “Catch me! Get Power” tattooed on my chest.

#1. Limited Edition Dolls Set

It’s probably no surprise that this collection of all the small plush characters is a highly sought after souvenir. All the favorites are there, from Shy Guy to Luigi, and displayed on a plush pedestal.

Oh wait, actually it is a huge surprise when you look at the price.

▼ 48,000 yen ($424)!!!

Now, you’re probably thinking, “Great! I’ll take five,” but hang on! The fine print below says there’s a limit of only three per customer. That’s certainly an effort to curb resellers from hoarding these attractive items. In fact, USJ recently struck a deal with Japan’s largest online flea market to block the sale of their souvenirs there.

When it comes to what merch is best, I can’t argue with the masses, but a cool item is really in the eyes of the beholder. Personally, there were more than a few other things that struck me as especially neat, so let’s do one more round my personal top 5 Super Nintendo World Souvenirs.

My #5. Chef Kinopio Figure

Back in the food ranking, you might recall my taking a fancy to a little mushroom person flipping burgers in the window. That’s Chef Kinopio and there’s a figure of it for sale!

▼ Just in case you missed it, let’s watch it again

Ah yeah… that’s better than Xanax. Anyway, in addition to his soothing soul, Chef Kinopio is also a USJ-exclusive character, making goods bearing his likeness just that much more collectable.

My #4. Dancing Piranha Plant

This is just a Super-Mario-fied version of those old novelty dancing flowers that wiggle around when you clap or play loud music. However, I was really impressed with the advances made in dancing flower technology. Look at this guy go!

Now just imagine what dancing flowers will be like in the year 2055….

My #3. Bowser Jackets

Mario clothing is undoubtedly the best-selling of the bunch, and with good reason, but I’m always drawn to the bad boys and this rack had it all. Probably the king of the hill in this area was the Bowser sukajan jacket.

If I were sporting one of these, then maybe those turtles at the park would finally stop pushing me around.

My #2. Metallic Nano Puzzle Castles

These seemed pretty neat. They’re kind of like a cross between a paper craft and a puzzle to put together a fairly detailed castle belonging to either Princess Peach or Bowser.

My only qualm is that they’re rather tiny for 2,500 yen ($22) each. Hopefully they can make a non-nano version too sometime down the road.

My #1. Mario Watch

Oh yeah, now you’re playing with power! Can you imagine walking into the club with Bowser on your back and this beauty around your wrist?

Its 10,000 yen ($88) price tag made me remark to P.K. that I wondered if it was real gold. He just laughed at me… and rightfully so in hindsight. Still, it is a nice watch as far as Mario watches go.

The fact that we have two different top 5 lists just goes to show that there’s probably something for everyone at the 1-UP Factory, now more than ever.

And no matter what you buy, you’ll be sure to come out a winner. That’s because you’ll get one of these cool receipts.

Be sure to join us next time we find out what Nintendo fashions are tearing up the scene. I have a good feeling that Chain Chomps will make a big splash in Spring/Summer 2022.

Photos: ©SoraNews24
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We got our first “rail seal stamp” and an extra splash of happiness at a train station in Fukuoka

https://ift.tt/31eflGv Krista Rogers

This stop is undoubtedly the first of many in our new countrywide, railway-hopping quest to stamp ’em all.

Goshuin, or seal stamps, can be purchased at various shrines and temples in Japan and stored in a small seal collection book (goshuincho) as a record of your visit. Usually featuring beautiful calligraphy and other artistic elements, the seals have become popular and inexpensive souvenirs over the past several years for anyone traveling to new places around the country.

It seems that other industries have taken inspiration from this practice as well because in summer 2020 a new railway-themed version of the seal collection book, called a tetsuincho, was released with cooperation from 40 local railway companies and stations offering individual seals. As rail enthusiasts who also love to “catch ’em all,” this premise sounded perfectly up our alley–so we set out to purchase our rail seal collection book and capture our first seal.

This first station we visited was Kanada Station in Fukuoka Prefecture, which is served by two rail lines that are both operated by the local Heisei Chikuho Railway (or Heichiku for short). Our timing wasn’t the greatest, however, since we arrived after 8 p.m. and the station attendant window was closed…but then we discovered something special in the waiting area.

It was a pair of rail seal-dispensing machines! We never would have guessed that our very first rail seal would come from a machine–but this method came with its own fun, too.

You could purchase a regular seal for 300 yen (US$2.65) or a collaboration seal for 500 yen. We decided to go all out and purchase the more colorful, expensive version on the right.

We inserted five 100-yen coins into the slot…

…and something landed at the bottom with a thud.

It was a little box containing our seal! However, we were still missing the critical rail seal collection book and didn’t have anywhere to affix our seal on to. Since a sign said that the station office was staffed on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., it looked like another visit the following day would be necessary.

That’s why we found ourselves back at Kanada Station the next day in a little more sunlight.

Without wasting any time, we bought the very official-looking rail seal book for 2,200 yen. It definitely felt good supporting local transportation with the purchase as well.

When the rail seal books were first sold last year, they immediately sold out. By November 2021, there were supposedly already more than a few adventurers who had already collected all 40 stamps. With a completed book, you can apply for a “railway master card,” which definitely evokes a Pokémon trainer-like sense of excitement in us.

Each of the individual seals has its own unique flavor. This first Heichiku seal that we received had a “400 series Nanohana (rapeseed flowers) train car” as its main motif along with Heichiku mascot Chikumaru.

In case you’re wondering why the more expensive seal option that we chose is called the collaboration version, it’s a limited-time offering by 15 of the participating rail companies. In particular, each collaboration version features a colorful depiction of a local train car is printed near the top of the seal.

If you collect all of the collaboration versions, the cars will appear to be linked at the top of your collection book’s consecutive pages. The individual railway mascots and the stations’ names are also prominently noted, adding a further local touch.

By the way, we also received a “rail card” at the time of our rail seal purchase. You can receive one of these at all of the participating train stations and they’re an added incentive to collect ’em all (yep, the Pokémon theme is definitely strong here).

On a final note, we couldn’t leave Kanada Station without seeing Heichiku’s famous “Super Happy” train. The design pf this train was completed by professional artist Kensuke Miyazaki along with the children of Fukuchi City, Fukuoka Prefecture (indeed, the “fuku” in both “Fukuchi” and “Fukuoka” means “lucky”). It’s said that anyone who sees this train will become happy.

With that last item of business crossed off and our happiness amplified, we’ll now turn our attention back to collecting the rail seals. Where will we end up next? Maybe we’ll combine getting our second rail seal with a trip to check out some of the newest Pokéfuta to check off two collection boxes at the same time.

Reference: Heisei Chikuho Railway
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