It had been several years since I had really been back to Japan during the season of autumn leaves; I wanted to take this opportunity to do sightseeing. I visited Danzan Shrine near Asuka Village, Hase Temple, and also Nara City. The scenery with fall colors were much more beautiful than I had expected.
I have always loved visiting historic architectures including Japanese shrines and temples as my hobby, but there is a lot I do not know about the Asuka-Nara period and its earlier history. In fact, some of these traditional established religions are vague on the basics, such as where their beliefs came from and what they were originally like. They may have changed in this country over the years. When seen through such eyes, the country of Japan is surrounded by unique wonder and mysteries.
Anyway, living abroad for many years, I am constantly reminded of what a beautiful cultural heritage Japan has! I walked through the waka poem inscriptions in this area, passed through the torii gates, walked along the corridors and ascents, and was moved by the beauty of the formations, all the while imagining the meaning of each of them.
紅葉の季節に日本に帰るのは本当に数年ぶりで、せっかくなので、この機会に観光名所を見て回りたいと思いました。今回は明日香村近くの談山神社、長谷寺、また奈良市を見て回りました。紅葉の景色は想像以上に美しかったです。
日本の神社仏閣巡りを含め、歴史的な建築物観光は趣味として以前から好きだったのですが、飛鳥奈良時代、またそれ以前の歴史について、知らないことも多いものです。実際、これらの伝統的な既成の宗教も、その信仰はどこから来たのか、もとはどういうものであったか、そのような基本的なことも、あやふやなものもあります。それらがこの国で根付き、変化していったのかもしれません。そういった目で見ていくと、日本という国は独特な不思議なもので包まれています。
ともあれ、海外に長く住んでつくづく思うことですが、日本はなんて美しい文化遺産をもっていることでしょう！この地域で歌われた和歌の碑を読んだり、鳥居をくぐったり、回廊や登廊を歩いたり、その造形の美しさに感動しつつ、その一つ一つの意味に想像を巡らしながら、歩いてみました。
奈良 談山神社 Danzan Shrine, Nara
奈良市東大寺 Todaiji Temple, Nara-city, Nara
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