The hot spring in the mountain which deer had told us (Kakeyu Onsen / 鹿教湯温泉)

It is getting cold where I live and was 6℃ (42.8F) in this morning.
In 3 month ago, it was 39℃ (102.2F) around here. The changes of season is amazing.
The snow will cover around here in a month or so.

In these cold days, I like going to Onsen, the hot spring.

The hot sprin where I went was Kakeyu (鹿教湯) Onsen.
"鹿" means "deer", "教" means "teach" or "tell", and  "湯" means "hot water".




The reason why this place has the name is like this.

Long time ago, there was a huntsman.
He was godly person, never hunt too, much and prayed god a lot.

One day, he couldn't find any animal at all.
He went deep and deep in the mountain, and finally found a deer.

He shot an arrow and it hit the deer.

The deer run away with an arrow in his back. The deer seemed injured, but hunts man couldn't find him in that day.

Next day, the huntsman went into same mountain to find the deer.
He walked all day, and went into the deep place in the mountain again.

About the time he resigned himself to go home, he found the deer.
The deer was in a pond.

He looked painful at first, but soon become fine, and jumped out the pond.

The huntsman felt strange and went near the pond.
It wasn't a pond. It was a hot spring.

Suddenly, Bosatsu, a Buddhist saint, came out.
The name of saint is "Monjyu".

Monjyu said like this.
"You prayed a lot, so I lead you here using a deer. This hot spring can heal sickness and injury. Tell the people about this place to use as healing."

It is said that this story was about 1200 years ago.
Still people is coming to this place.

I found some signs of the deer here.
This is the cover of manhole. Isn't it cute?

I heard that there are a temple named "Monjyu-do (文殊堂)". It means a house which enshrine Monjyu. I decided to go there.

I reached a river which have wooden bridge.
It was covered with red, yellow and orange leaves and so beautiful.

I found Jizou (地蔵), also a Buddhist saint.

He was wearing red clothes.
It is cold place, so someone in this village made it for him.

Crossing the bridge, and I reached a stairway.

Climbing this stairway, there was a temple.

This is the Monjyu-dou.

There were a picture of dragon, and cute birds on the ceiling of this temple.

Is this statue made as Monjyu?

It seemed little different from usual Buddhist statue.

Next to the Monjyu-dou, there where one more old temple.

As the roof was made of old thatch, the weed were growing.
Take a closer look, it seems like this.

As the building will get collapsed, there were information said that will soon fixed to wooden roof.
I was lucky that I could see the original roof before fixed.

Before leaving here, I saw a small, but beautiful Japanese garden.

This place is quite far from the city, and only way to come is using a car.
In the information, it said it will take 50 minutes using a bus from Matsumoto station.
At Sunday, there are no bus to here.

It maybe expensive but better to use a taxi.

If you are asking to going this place, say Kakeyu Onsen, or show this text, 鹿教湯温泉.

Thank you for reading.
One more day to go for week end!

Have a good night!

鹿教湯温泉, 文殊堂, 松本, 秋, 紅葉

Ancient tomb become beautiful Autumn red hill (Koubou mountain / 弘法山, Matsumoto / 松本)

Today, Japan was national holiday and I went to a hill named "Koubou mountain (弘法山)" near the Mastumoto city this morning.

As it's has word "mountain" in the name, but it is ancient tomb.
This tomb is said that it is made 1700 years ago.
It is huge tomb that people in Matsumoto can see it from several places in the city.




From quite far place, the mountain can see like this.

Going more closer to the mountain.
The building in front the mountain is shoes shop.

Going little more closer, I could see the red leaves in the trees.

I went into inside and climbed up.

At first, it was world of red, but soon become a filed of grass.

It was rainy yesterday, but the weather become well today.

On the top of the hill, I could see all around the city.

Going inside of the woods again.
And there were some people where coming for a walk like I do.

The carpet of the leaves.

It's getting cold, but I think I can enjoy autumn scenery for few more weeks!

Thank you for reading!
Good night!

松本市, 弘法山, 古墳, 秋

Legend of a boy, who flew with dragon (Tatsuno ko Taro / 竜の子太郎 , Ohmachi dam / 大町ダム)

There are statue of a family in the mountain, northern part of Nagano prefecture.
Here comes a folk story again.

The family is not a normal.
The mother is dragon, and her son is human.

The boy's name is Taro.
He is said as "Tatsuno ko Taro (竜の子太郎)", the meaning is "Taro, the son of dragon".

At first I reached the place, the sky was filled with the clouds.
But lucky I was, the sunlight came down through the gap of clouds

I will explain the folk story in short using a picture which settled near the statue.

As Taro was born human, mother dragon thought that it is better raised up by human also.
She brought baby Taro to a village and left him.
A farmer found him, and raised him.

The village where Taro had grown up was boggy filed and was not good land because of the water. A huge rock was damming the river, and water spread all over the places.

One day, when he grown up, he heard step parents talking.
"If we can get rid of the rock, we can cultivate more crops and eat more."

Taro decided to find his mother, and ask her to help him and step parents.

He found her at the upper stream of the river.
Mother dragon accepted Taro's request, and fly up in the sky with Taro in her back.

She soon reached to the huge rock which stopping the river.
She dashed herself again and again, and broke up the rock at last.

The legend tells us that the river is running through Niigata prefecture, and reaches sea now.
The statue was made to pass down the tradition to the future.

The dragon seems little scary, but she is gentle and friendly to human.

In the sunshine and autumn leaves, the dragon and Taro seems like as if they are about time to fly up in the sky.

One more step, she will fly up to the sky.

The clouds went away.
Maybe they brow the clouds away.

Now, the village become town.
The river become a dam, again. This time, human had stopped the river to make electricity.

The pictures of Taro was set here.
Statue is placed a little higher hill from here.

Taro and his mother may get surprised if they see this architectures.
Maybe they thinks this is bad things, and try to break again.

It is only my guess, but the person who made the statue may wished the family to feel at ease, people made the dam to live well in this world.

In the way home, I found other small statue on the bridge.

The people who lives near the dam still loves Taro and dragon.
I wish they realize and see the statues from somewhere.

Thank you for reading!
Have a nice weekend!!

大町ダム, 泉小太郎, 竜の子太郎, 紅葉