Autumn Feast

Autumn leaves at Tenkawa never let me down.

In a mountainous area lies a village of Tenkawa in Yoshino in southern part of Nara. It features mountain ranges starting from Mt. Yoshino to Omine mountain ranges in my previous post and a gorge with beautiful views of the emerald green water and surrounding foliage.

Emperor Temmu

Yoshino has also full of monuments of human history. Dating back

to 7th century, it was once a hiding place for Prince Oama, later

 he became Emperor Temmu (reign 673-686), who fought for a succession dispute against his nephew Prince Otomo at Jinshin War 

in 672.

Emperor Go-Daigo

Long after that in 14th century, Emperor Go-Daigo fled down toYoshino and set up the Southern Court among the mountain  of Yoshino in the hope for renewed lease on his reign  in Kyoto. That was a beginning of Nanboku-cho (Period of North and South Dynasties, 1336-1392). Hilly mountainous area made a natural fortress but this place led to the sea or the river to go around  in the south or in the east so that they could get the information with the help of Shugendo practitioners who were spreading nationwide. Here Tenkawa, there were warriors who were very supportive to the court. Though the emperor finished his life here longing for returning to Kyoto in vain.

There are many other historical events and figures involved the area in.

 From the gorge, we cimbed  観音峰 (mountain of Bodhisattva, Goddess of Mercy 1347m).  On the way up the top, there is a torii, where there used to be a shrine closely connected with Southern Court. You can see the fusion of Buddhism and ancient Shintoism here as well.

You can see the pointed rock mountain in the center of this picture over there? It is another peak of Mt. Inamura-ga-take called　Mt.Dainichi (right picture from my previous post) and on its left is Mt. Inamuragatake, which I climbed previous week, and then Mt. Sanjogatake.

It started  raining lightly and gray vapors were hovering among mountains. It is not so clear but you can see the houses of the village below at the forehead of this picture. It is Tenkawa village. The scenery looked quite different from colorful world  I saw on the way up here because of an overcast sky.

Climbing down  the mountain, gray vapors rose from the bottom and veiled the colorful mountains gently.

Tenkawa or Yoshino is my favorite place. I'd like to visit it again soon.

Nice To See You

I am Coo, 空　in Chinese character, an eight- month- old boy cat .

I didn’t remember at all but they say I was crying in a cardboard box on a rainy day. A kind person took me to the volunteer group who was protecting poor cats or dogs like me. I was hospitalized for a week and then waited with other mates in a temporal care taker's place for foster parents to adopt  me, where they came in.

Almost two weeks have passed since I came here. I have to say I am a fraidy-cat and a little too shy but as curious as a cat. At first I was so nervous and uneasy that I hid in any and every small space in a room such as  between sofa and walls or under the beds or at the back of boxes, wherever I could lurk. My soft fur gathered lots of dust from here and there. When I felt I was driven into a corner, I stood with my back arched, my ears tilted, hissing at them. It’s not that I didn’t like my new parents and their younger daughter who didn’t bother to come and see me when I first came here but just that it takes time for me to get used to a new surrounding. I just wanted them to leave me alone.

However, I couldn’t resist the lure of food. When I heard the familiar rustling sound of plastic bag of food torn open and my dinner served on my plate, I gave in and couldn’t help purring after all. Little by little I started smelling around to find out what my new house was like. One night I was caught stealing  open canned tuna my mom forgot to put in the refrigerator and bringing it to my room, on the way getting the floor dotted with juice from the can. She forgave me with a smile. Just for this once, I suppose. 

She told me that they had a cat who lived as long as 20 years. When he left this world three years ago, she found it so painful and suffered a wistful sense of loss afterwards. Since then she has decided not to have pets any more.

Three years are enough to ease her grief and things have changed. Thanks to one of her blog friend’s post she admired a lot, she began thinking of taking on life in need again. Maybe it was lucky for me.

This seemingly living creature stimulates my hunting instinct.

 Poor creature! Almost beyond the original features. 

I am catching it by the seemingly tail. Do I look cool?

I have to check weather forecast to prepare for the approaching typhoon

I gradually became friendly with my new parents and find it not so bad the way mom strokes and fondles me when I am sleepy. I have a good feeling I'll get along with them for the rest of my life.

                                           
                                   

Winter Fantasy

Since around the turn of the year, it’s been quite cold. In some region, an unexpected heavy snow stranded a lot of cars or people on their way to returning home and I understand an inconvenience and harm it causes us on our daily life. But you know, there’s always a bright side. It also has attracted by providing us with a beautiful piece of scenery.



Mt. Takami (1248m) is not so high mountain but very famous for its beautiful shape and its beautiful frosts on the trees. Actually 樹氷(soft rime) is not a work of art made of snow but white ice that water droplets in fogs form by freezing to the surface of trees usually with strong wind and air temperature under -5゜C.
(I used this picture from here)



Last Sunday, my husband and I went to see it for the first time in two years.

Starting from the entrance of the mountain. We walked up through these Japanese cedar trees.

menacing winter sky

approaching the top of Mt.Takami

Descending down on the north side of the mountain. The strong northwest wind made the characteristic shape of these rimes called “Tails of prawns”. Frosts were extending as long as 30cm to the windward. Strong cold wind blew off the fine ice on the trees and hit us on the face.



Still they really looked like cherry blossoms in full bloom in the mountain. If only there was no wind and those branches of trees shined reflecting sunshine! We had to wait another chance.

The course was 10km in all. It took more time than I had expected. Exhausted but I'm thinking of where I should go next.

 

Takami Ceder Tree estimated 700 years old