What you cannot miss in Nagano -- Early-Morning Service at Zenko-ji temple, Nagano

Zenko-ji Temple is the pride of Nagano -- even the pride of Japan.

It attracts more than 6,000,000 people annually.

However, many people miss the greatest part of their visits.

To fully enjoy its serene solemn atmosphere, stay at one of its 39 shukubo ( inns to serve for pilgrims run by temples affiliated to Zenko-ji), and join the morning service performed by both Zenkoji 'top priest' and

'top priestess' along with those shukubo monks!

 We started our tour here at the 'Deva King Gate' in the crisp air. You will see only some people in early morning.

Before joining the morning ritual, we received a blessing from the top priest, which is very special and impressive that you cannot experience anywhere else in Japan.

Daihongan--the temple of the top priestess 

Purified ourselves with the smoke from the insence burner.

Shaka-do

Temple Bell Tower

Photo from a couple of months ago -- during the grand festival 'Go-Kaicho', people waited for a long time to touch the pillar called Eko-bashira, which features in the festival.

 

Now you can touch it anytime to your heart's content.

The main approach is also calm.

Bonsai artist in Suzaka, Nagano

Just on the outskirts of Nagano city, in the city named Suzaka is this Bonsai shop.

It looks nothing more than an ordinary Bonsai place

we have here and there in Nagano or in Japan.

BUT

The owner of this Bonsai shop is something special --

She is the only female Bonsai art teacher certified by the Japan Bonsai Association.

Ms Chiyako Yamamoto is a vivacious woman like her works.

Her family has raised Bonsai for more than 100 years and she is the fourth generation.

This is a page from a Bonsai book.

This is her work that won the first award in the Bonsai contest in Japan.

If you find Bonsai too expensive or somewhat too much, try this!

It is the combination of young cheaper Bonsai trees with some other objects.

My photos are not good, but they are actually much better and lovely.

Here is a quiz from her --

You see three tiny Bonsai trees in pots in the photo above.

They are all the same kind of tree, pine, but their sizes differ a little

as well as the sizes of their pots.

One of the following photos shows the process

how young trees are grown into bonsai by skillful bonsai artists.

Which do you think is the proper order?

A

B

Answer: B They are meant to be grown smaller!

It is fall now in Nagano, and the harvest season is coming soon!

I saw a nice old couple working on a vegetable field.

Apples grow and grow -- still literally green!

Rice is almost ready to be harvested.

You can see the roofs of M-WAVE, the speed skating arena from the 1998 Nagano Olympics.

crape myrtles in their full bloom