The weeping cherry trees in full bloom at Kuonji Temple on Mt. Minobu were breathtaking!

The weeping cherry trees in full bloom at Kuonji Temple on Mt. Minobu were breathtaking!

Hello everyone. Today, I came to Minobu-san Kuon-ji Temple where weeping cherry trees are in full bloom. Today is March 31, 2024. It is 5:30 in the morning, 5 minutes before. Nice chirping of wild birds echoing in the early morning stillness.

A large bell weighing approximately 6 tons, donated by Ieyasu’s wife, Oman no Kata. The bell is about to be rung, and the acrobatics of the monk are a must-see. The bell is rung daily at 5:00 (5:30 in winter) and 5:00 pm. After this, the morning service begins.

Minobu-san Kuon-ji Temple is the head temple of Nichiren Shu. Today, I would like to give an “easy to understand” explanation about Nichiren Shu while viewing weeping cherry trees in full bloom.

I am not a believer of Nichiren Shu, so I may be wrong in some areas, and “easy to understand” means “not accurate” to begin with😅 Please be tolerant and listen to my explanation. Monks chanting the mantra “Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo.” They say that everyone can become a Buddha if they chant this theme.

Nichiren Shu is one of the sects of Japanese Buddhism, founded by Nichiren Shonin during the Kamakura period (1185-1333). At Mt. Minobu, even crows seem sacred. We have come to Nichiren Shonin’s grave (mausoleum).

Nichiren Shonin was exiled due to the oppression of the Kamakura Shogunate, and spent the next nine years of his life here at Mount Minobu until his death. Nishidani is also where Nichiren Shonin actually lived. The ruins of Gosoan (a Buddhist hermitage) come into view. This is where Nichiren Shonin actually lived.

It is getting light, so let’s go for the weeping cherry tree in the precincts of the temple! Today, we saw the bell tolling at 5:30 am in the precincts, stopped by Nichiren Shonin’s grave in Nishidani on the way, and now we are at the main gate.

We are now going to take the opposite route to the precincts of the temple. The Dharma Lord passed away earlier this year, so the sign is standing. On the gate, it says Kaiekan (開关关). I could not read it and did not know what it meant.

Meaning, “All people become Buddhas through the Lotus Sutra.” They say that entering this gate indicates entering the world of the Buddha. The Lotus Sutra is a Buddhist scripture. Nichiren Shu values the Lotus Sutra the most.

They say that anyone can become a Buddha by chanting the mantra “Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo,” which means to leave it to the Lotus Sutra. Free parking available. During the cherry blossom season, traffic restrictions prevent cars from entering from 9:00 am. I recommend parking in this free parking lot, although you will have to walk 2 km.

Paid parking near the temple grounds is full by 8:00 AM this time of year. If you walk, you can see these beautiful cherry blossoms along the river. I wanted to see the morning bell ringing, so I parked in the parking lot near the temple grounds.

It might be a good idea to come by car by around 7:00, see the cherry blossoms in the precincts, and leave quickly. The summit of Mt. Minobu can be seen in the front. A ropeway will take you there in 7 minutes, but it is not my plan to go there today.

Today’s route is from the main gate to the temple grounds via Sanmon (3 gates) and Nishidani. There is also an inner sanctuary at the top, but we will not go there today. Pretty 😊

Most of the people who come during the cherry blossom season are ordinary visitors, but usually, there are still many believers, so besides the bun store, there is also a Buddhist altar store. The gate town on the approach to the temple is about 1 km long, so it is fun to walk around.

Soon it will be Sanmon (three gates). There are beautiful weeping cherry trees in front of the Sanmon (three gates) to look forward to. There are so many cars, I just wish the traffic control time would be from 8:00 a.m. instead of 9:00 a.m.😱 You can see many weeping cherry trees like this today.

This magnificent gate is one of Japan’s three most important sanmon (three gates). It is my favorite gate and I can say that I come here every year to see this gate. Minobu-san Kuon-ji Temple has been repeatedly destroyed by fire and rebuilt, but this gate was rebuilt in 1907.

Weeping cherry blossoms and sanmon (three gates), nice 😊 There is another sign here announcing Dharma Lord’s funeral, isn’t there? It looks like the funeral is May 8 and the ceremony for the new Dharma Lord is May 7. Dharma Lord is like the Pope in Christianity.

I can imagine that many believers will come that day. These are sandals and shoes offered in gratitude by those who visited the temple. Sanmon (three gates) enshrines a statue of Nio, the “god of good walkers”. At the end of the san-mon (three gates), there is a bodai-tei (enlightenment stairway).

Bodai-tei (enlightenment stairway) means “stairway to enlightenment,” referring to the main hall at the top as Nirvana (enlightenment). The number of stairways is 287, but each stairway is 30 cm long, making it a very tough stairway.

By the way, 287 steps is exactly the number of steps you can climb if you chant “Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo” 41 times. I have climbed the Bodai-Tei (enlightenment stairway) several times, but today we will climb it while viewing the cherry blossoms in Nishidani!

If you are feeling energetic, you may want to climb up the Bodai-Tei (enlightenment stairway), which has a solemn atmosphere, and after seeing the cherry blossoms on the temple grounds, you may want to come back down to see the cherry blossoms on Nishidani.

If you don’t like hills, you can go through Nishidani both on the way there and on the way back. If you are going up when it is not cherry blossom season, I recommend Otokozaka (Gentleman’s Slope) or Onnazaka (Lady’s Slope), which are gentler than Bodai-tei (Enlightenment Stairway).

Otokozaka and Onnazaka are now in sight, and Onnazaka is the one across the red bridge. It is a more gentle slope. The stairway to nirvana (enlightenment) is really tough 😱 It says, “Please use Onnazaka or Otokozaka if you are elderly, have a weak heart, or are not in good physical condition.

Let’s go back! There are three gates at the temple gate, based on the Buddhist teaching that one must pass through three liberation gates to reach nirvana (enlightenment). The red bokeh is blooming beautifully😊 It is now 8:00. Stores have opened. This path will take you to the temple grounds.

I don’t know why, but there were a lot of rabbits. Nichiren Shonin’s grave can be reached by entering this path. From here, walk for about 5 minutes. I really wish they would have traffic control earlier in the day.

I’m a little scared because everyone is speeding, perhaps because they want to get there early. It’s a traffic jam waiting for parking. Let’s take one road in from here to see the cherry blossoms. There are many cherry blossoms and shukubo (lodging houses) in this area.

In the past, shukubo used to have the image of believers staying there, but now many of them are accepting tourists. It would be nice to stay in a shukubo and experience different things. Chanting mantras, copying sutras, and then indulging in vegetarian food. Rates are also surprisingly inexpensive.

However, please note that the bathrooms and toilets are shared and the bedrooms are not completely private. I think it would be fun to go with a group. Cherry blossoms and shukubo follow. This is the Nishidani area.

First the cherry trees in Nishidani will be in full bloom, then the cherry trees in the precinct will be in full bloom. Usually, either the cherry blossoms at Nishidani or the temple grounds are not in full bloom, but this year, both cherry blossoms are in full bloom just as they should be.

This year, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom about a week later than usual. One week after the weeping cherry trees at Kuonji are in full bloom, the Someiyoshino will be in full bloom, but this year, because the weather has warmed up quickly, the Someiyoshino will be in full bloom earlier.

The weather will not be good for a while, so I am worried if we will be able to see Someiyoshino in full bloom. I feel like I’ve used up all my luck with the best weeping cherry trees today 😱 How are the cherry blossoms in the Nishidani area?

Don’t you think it’s a waste to just see the cherry blossoms in the precincts and go home? I like the yellow and pink against the white of the weeping cherry trees. Not as steep as Bodai-tei (enlightenment stairway), but quite steep. Heavy traffic waiting for parking.

There is a parking lot at the end of the bridge. At the end of the Nishidani area, stop at the Hongyobo on the left. There you will find a beautiful gate and a viewing platform. Nice atmosphere😊 Good job! A bush warbler! We are at the viewing platform.

Weeping cherry trees in Nishidani area, the best 😊 Free diagonal elevator connecting the parking lot to the grounds. I’ve walked a long way already, so I’m very thankful🙏 Thank you for your patience. Finally, weeping cherry trees in the Kuonji precincts. Before that, here is the Nishidani area from above.

Blue sky and weeping cherry blossoms just in full bloom😊 Nishikigoi in a slightly muddy pond. Soshido and 400 year old weeping cherry trees. Soshido is the hall where Nichiren Shonin’s soul resides. Now, we will end with the uncut edit from here Kanro-mon gate to the main hall.

The uncut version is about 8 minutes long, but I’ll try to keep the explanation to a minimum so that you can focus on the cherry blossoms😅 The five-story pagoda was restored in 2009! It was built in the traditional way, without using a single nail.

Had I known that, I would have taken a serious look at the construction that was going on😅 Nice colors. Bodai-tei (enlightenment stairway) is “the stairway to enlightenment”. After climbing the Bodai-Tei (enlightenment stairway), one can go to the main hall of Nirvana (enlightenment). Thank you again for watching the video to the end.

If you like it, please give us a like, comment and subscribe to our channel😊🧡🗾 See you in the next video!

I have been to Minobu-san Kuon-ji many times to see weeping cherry trees, and this year was the best one yet.
Today’s walking route took us through the main gate, Monzen Town, Sanmon (three gates), and Nishidani to the Kuon-ji temple grounds.
The route is about 3 km long, with weeping cherry trees in full bloom.
Before the cherry blossom viewing, we saw the morning bell ringing and visited the grave of Nichiren Shonin.

00:00 Opening
00:52 Morning Bell Ringing – Chanting the mantra (Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo) and going to morning service
03:32 Gobyo-sho (mausoleum), Goso-an-ato (hermitage site)
04:47 Main gate
09:18 Guide map of Minobu-san
09:45 Monzen Town – Sanmon (three gates) – bodai-tei (enlightenment stairway)
20:37 Weeping cherry trees in Nishidani area
33:24 Oblique elevator
34:28 Kuonji Temple precincts – 400 year old weeping cherry trees

Minobu-san Kuon-ji Temple official website https://www.kuonji.jp/

Date taken : March 31, 2024
Camera : SONY ZV-E10
Lens : SELP1650
Resolution : 4K

*Using Google Translate. Therefore, please be aware that there may be typos or omissions.
*Please note that the information in the video may not be 100% accurate.

Subscribe to our channel here.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEIyK0qlofzDykYBKGrwi5Q?sub_confirmation=1

Thank you for always watching!

#kuonji #minobu #cherryblossoms #weepingcherryblossoms #asmr #japan #travel #vlog #japantravelwalk