Buddhist Temples and Shrines

Happy Halloween everyone! Our Halloween wasn't spooky or frightful in the slightest. We spent the morning roaming the Buddhist temples that were all over the southern part of Osaka. We saw many gorgeous, peaceful temples with monks gardening and sweeping the walkways. We found some graveyards and shrines, silent and yet serene. The temples all had ornate and traditional entrances, high gates and curved roofs with statues and gargoyles keeping watch. Each one was stunning yet simple. We were very happy we got the chance to quietly and respectfully explore so many sacred spaces.



We rounded out our "temple tour" with the Ikutama Shrine, which dates back to the 1500s. There we saw larger gardens, more prayer bells, a pleasant koi pond and some monks and children in traditional kimonos. It was most enjoyable to sit in the gardens for some time and just breathe in the peacefulness that was almost infused in the air. We watched the sun filter through the trees and the ferns and listen to the trickle of the waterfalls as they fell down into the koi pond. It was such a departure from the intensely modern hustling momentum of the rest of Osaka. We are very glad we got the chance to witness such calm and beauty before leaving Japan.


We left the temples and the shrine and had another fantastic meal before heading to the airport. We ate some salmon and tuna sashimi on top of a salad, a Japanese style steak, and more of the fried things that we don't really know what they have inside of them. All delicious and a good parting meal. We walked back through town to get to the train for the airport, stopping for a Halloween sundae at the Japanese Baskin Robins and took our afternoon flight home to Seoul.



We are home safely and happy to be back. Korea is truly home to us now. We missed our "kamsahamida's" and bulgogi, our little apartment and our happy little suburb. Hwajung is our home and we are happy to be here :) But it was a wonderful experience in Japan, and we are so ecstatic that we got the chance to visit! Arigato, Osaka!