Utsunomiy is known for its gyoza. That's the pasta wrapped dumpling that the Japanese fry up. Well, we never got to a gyoza restaurant. I wanted to go see the Monkey waiters at a restaurant. So, we took the day to go up.
Well, we got lost. Well, the GPS took us an unfortunate way. We ended up in a tunnel under most of Tokyo. So much for letting LoriAnne sight-see! We knew we were 'in the area' but couldn't find this freakin' place. We asked directions at a convenience mart, looked at a road map for the area in a park, and where we stopped for lunch. FINALLY we made it!
I have seen the Ohya Stone Museum on tours before. A part of it is a huge quarry that is underground. You are in a vast room that was a quarry. They've used it for movies. Well...
Even though this sign says it isn't closed until 12/23, it was...
So, we took pictures from the road. We told the kids the earthquake had made it unstable. If I could read the sign, I would know. I just want you to know that the English website had not been updated!
Here's the road.
I thought this side of the entrance looked like an indian head. With 4 kids in the car, it felt like we drove all the way to the Dakotas....
Just around the corner was this wonderful monument area.
Stone is common here. This stone is a green tuff, which was formed by a volcanic eruption 20 million years ago. It is easy to cut.
The shop on the left was fun. The ladies gave freebies to the kids. We had ice cream there. They sold everything from stone (they had the walls done with the different textures available) to souvenirs. They kept giving the kids kleenex to wipe their noses! We'd been running outside, and they were runny!
This is one of the Gods. It might be wind, but how his sash is blowing. He is on one side of the entrance to the temple.
William and Dougie washing their hands to purify themselves. We'd really need to dunk the whole body and pour water down their throats, but this'll do. There's video of them doing this and ringing the bell.
Monkey see, monkey do!
Here's the video!
The temple is built into the rock wall. You see the roof to the bottom left.
And here's the temple from below.
It was cool looking!
A shot with the tree in it.
William and Stefan.
little stone buddhas.
Wm in the shrine area.
They said no pictures inside. I thought they meant in front of the wooden shrine's goddess. Nope.
They also meant in this room, where buddhas are cut into the rock.
We got to go into a tiny museum where this man's remains were. I don't know the story. It's that whole reading Japanese thing. I am illiterate!
A pretty little pond with some ice on it. It sure was cold!
They revere their old trees. I loved this pine!
The bridge.
I thought she was beautiful
Always little shrine things on the other sides of bridges, it seems!
LoriAnne and Ian.
I couldn't decide which one I liked better.
Nor could this buddha decide.
Pagoda!
Going through a quarried portion of the area.
The closed room inside would have been HUGE compared to this small place, but it is representative how the stone slabs just come out. That inside place has 20,000 square meters in one room of space. Sure would have liked to have seen it.
Heiwakannon- Goddess of Peace. She was carved after WWII.
Supposedly she is carved out of the wall of the opening of the mine of Ohya stone. It's been awhile... She is 27 meters tall.
It's all about the Buddhas here!
More quarried areas near.
And more... maybe I don't miss having had to walk 60 meters underground to see the other one, after-all!
William is in the orange coat up by her left arm.
The back-light on this natural grass here was beautiful.
Spun around, and here's the Goddess from afar.
More quarry pics.
And more....
Below, you see one of the 'cute' things about Japan. It's a roadside work barrier holder! Tee hee! If only they'd make some darned SIGNS to let people know where to go. Maybe it's that illiteracy thing again...
