2019-04-19: Okunoin night tour

Last night I went on the Okunoin night tour. I learned all kinds of interesting facts and really enjoyed it.

The Okunoin is the largest graveyard in Japan and very sacred. There are over 200,000 graves above ground and they don’t know how many below ground.

The trees are a protected forest and all have a number tag on them.

See if you can see the tag on the trees.

I learned that in the newest part many companies have a tomb where workers can come and pray for their ancesters or fellow deceased co-workers.

There is one for a coffee supplier. See the UCC coffee cups.

There is one for Nissan.

There is one with pictures of some of the employees.

There is one with stickers on it. Looks like they might have been a cartoonist.

Then there was one with a rocket which we were told on the tour was for a Japanese space company.

Some had Buddhas and some we’re interesting but not sure what the company was.

I was impressed at the Ekoin temple (where the tour started) they had an electric car charging station.

In the morning I was up early and went to the 6 am morning ceremony.

Since I was up early I walked to the temple and waited by the Kobo Daishi tomb. As I said there a little old man (hunched over) wearing a black robe arrived to light a candle and say a prayer. For a minute I thought Kobo Daishi had come to join me.

After the morning ceremony I walked back to where I was staying for my 8 am breakfast.