JAPAN 2019 - TravelLight Photos

Minoh area – walk to the falls

So we started our first full day in Osaka with a walk to Minoh falls…the walk was full of new experiences.

Along the way, many vendors were selling fried maple leaves, a new treat for me. I actually had never heard of deep fried maple leaves. I was reminded by my guide not to buy from a vendor where the oil smells, as it was not fresh oil.

The leaves that are being fried are from the previous year. They are collected and preserved in salt. I couldn’t taste the salt, so they must have a way of cleaning them very thoroughly.

On the way to the falls we came upon this statue…which was lovely…until I found out it was a reminder for children to take care of their elderly mothers…then I thought the statue was FANTASTIC!

Walk to Minoh falls

Walk to Minoh falls

Walk to Minoh falls

Pictures of the walk to the falls…the area had suffered a typhoon last year. Japan has more than 25 typhoons a year and they are named not numbered….on the way we happened upon a Buddhist fire ceremony. What a treat!

Walk to Minoh falls

Walk to Minoh falls

Walk to Minoh falls

We didn’t know the ceremony was taking place but as we hiked to the waterfall we kept hearing drums, the Shankha (conch shell) other instruments, so we veered off the path to investigate. This particular fire ceremony occurs twice a year…these are monks in training. In preparing for the burning, different monks approach the fire pit to drive away evil spirits. First was the archer that released a bow in every direction.

Walk to Minoh falls

Walk to Minoh falls

Walk to Minoh falls

Far left: Wrapped prayers that will be fed to the fire, so the smoke can deliver them to heaven.

A woman near where I was shooting, above the ceremony, retrieved one of the arrows. I was shooting through an evergreen hedge, so in some photos pieces of the shrub made its way into the photos.

After the archer came two other monks dispelling evil spirits with other weapons, a knife and a long handle “hatchet”, it looked too long to be an ax but I cannot think of what else it might be called. Each of the monks walked first to the red umbrella and bowed to a monk under the umbrella ,then walked around the mound of greenery and used the tools in each direction.