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World heritage: Fujiwara, Kasuga

 My summer vacation ran from August 8th to the 16th this year, but since we were mostly tied up with household matters and couldn't really go anywhere, we drove yesterday (the 15th) to visit the "Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara" sites, which were recently designated as a World Heritage site . (Our son stayed home to study for his entrance exams.) MAP The first place we visited was the Fujiwara Palace Site. It was surprisingly close to our home; taking the expressway, we arrived in an hour and ten minutes. Next, we headed to the Asuka area. Our first stop was Asuka-dera Temple. I had visited once before, over twenty years ago; I remember touring several sightseeing spots—likely by rental bicycle—during the sweltering summer heat. Back then, the area felt relatively untouched, and I recall quite liking that quality. This time, however, the impression was vastly different; the surrounding area had been beautifully landscaped, and the temple itself appeared much neater...
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Domyoji Tenmangu, osaka

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On January 2nd, we stopped by Domyoji Tenmangu in Fujiidera City while running some errands. We'd originally decided to stop by a coffee shop on the way back to Taishi-cho, and my wife happened to find one near Domyoji Tenmangu. As it was New Year's Day, the shrine was overflowing with visitors, so we parked our car in a temporary parking lot on the riverbank before heading to the coffee shop. I'd never heard of Domyoji Tenmangu before, but apparently, it's a shrine with over 1,400 years of history dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, Amenohohi no Mikoto, and Sugawara no Michizane's aunt, Kakujuni. While sipping coffee at the coffee shop " En to Yukari ", I was researching Domyoji Tenmangu and discovered that it's also connected to the currently popular movie "Kokuhou". When I first heard of Domyoji, I was reminded of a Kabuki play, but on closer consideration, I realised I had mistaken it for the "Dojoji" from "Kyokanoko Musum...
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Zizouin, Kyoto

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On August 16th, we visited Jizo-in Temple, also known as Takedera Temple, located in Katsura. I had wanted to explore three places in the Katsura area: Moss Temple, Suzumushi Temple, and Takedera Temple, and this time I focused on Takedera Temple. This temple is not as well-known as the other two (I didn't know about it initially either), and when I arrived, I found that there were hardly any visitors. The temple grounds are very well maintained, and the overall beauty of the temple captivated me. I truly enjoyed my visit.
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