What's waiting up here? - Sakura Diaries 👹🍣🎎 Wonderful Japan

On my tours through our region, I always like to let myself drift and often leave the main road, which would take me to my destination more quickly. But faster is not always better, and I have also learned over time that every now and then it can be worth taking a detour. When you leave the beaten track, you will often find a lot to see and discover, especially if you don't ignore your curiosity and give into it from time to time.

This is exactly how I have come across so many interesting places in recent years, which I have explored a little more closely when time has allowed. Sometimes I didn't get to the heart of the matter, but since I knew where to go, I often came back later and took a closer and more detailed look. And time and again I came across cherry trees, which can be found scattered all over Japan in all sorts of places and locations. For most of the year they are rather inconspicuous, but I think I now have a little bit of an eye for being able to tell, that even when the tree is covered in green leaves, that it could be a cherry tree. As you probably know by now, everything in Japan, especially in spring, revolves around Sakura, as the cherry blossom is called in Japanese.

And that's what I'm actually trying to tell you. The many cherry trees I've seen over the course of the year always make me a little curious about what it might look like here at the time of the cherry blossom, which is a real highlight in Japan and hard to beat. And that's why I've made a note of a few places where I know there are some interesting cherry trees and which I really want to see when they are in bloom.

That's why I visited this particular shrine, which was a little hidden in the mountains. It's actually almost right next to a main road, but you have to climb up a small hill to really see what's going on there. And since my curiosity had already lured me up there once, I already knew what there was to see and that there are some cherry trees that I absolutely have to see at sakura time.

And that's exactly what we're doing today, and I invite you to join me on a little trip to Horide-jinja 堀出神社...

The Horide shrine is located in an area where about a hundred years ago oil was discovered and exploited, and where the local "oil baron" became quite wealthy.
We also owe this shrine to him, which has probably seen better and busier times in the past.

To get there, you first have to pass through a large toori and then climb a staircase framed by large stone lanterns. Already the ascent wakes your desire for more and the warm spring weather was perfect for a walk here at the edge of the forest.

Once at the top, you are immediately greeted by a glow emanating from the cherry trees, which stood in a clearing a little down the path. And to get there we first passed the covered water basin, where people do the ritual of rinsing their hands.

But we came here to see the cherry blossom, which was now drawing us in magically and soon got us under its spell. It was already clear that they would appear to look magnificent in this slightly enchanted shrine.

Especially if you combine the sight in front of you and include something like a tooro. These lanterns made from stone can be found in most shrines and temples throughout Japan and also in many gardens and parks, where they blend in wonderfully with the landscape.

And now, with the cherry blossom in the background, they look quite photogenic, although it is actually Queen Sakura who should be playing the leading role at this time.

The Horide Shrine also had a few kamo-inu, as the stony lion dogs are called, which are supposed to keep evil and danger away from this place and its visitors. But on this day, the Koma-Inu was probably busy enjoying the sight of the cherry blossom himself. Who can blame him!

The first look back shows a really charming and enchanting scenery, and I was already very happy to have come up here to this little shrine. My intuition had not been wrong, and the blossoming cherry trees transformed this place into something really special.

On my first visit, I must have overlooked this handsome and majestic lion, which we really couldn't miss this time. I guess he's the one who's really in charge up here and we politely introduced ourselves and showed him our respect.

We then went on a short stroll around the shrine building and through the grounds and enjoyed the wonderful sight of the beautifully blossoming cherry trees. The residents in the neighborhood certainly know about this great place here, but most people driving along the main road below have no idea what a highlight is hidden up here in the grounds of Horide Shrine. And I can truly recommend a visit to this shrine not only during the sakura season, but also at other times of the year.

On the way back, I had to keep turning back to take another look at the spectacle that we were offered here. As I have often mentioned before, the sakura season has a very special feel to it. It is a very distinctive, bitter-sweet, cheerful but also melancholy atmosphere, which shows us again and again that the cherry blossom is so fleeting and ephemeral and will only last for a short time.

And that's why I was so glad that we took the opportunity this time to stop off here at Horide Shrine and meet the Cherry Blossom Queen. Our rendezvous may not have been very long, but it was extremely intense and impressive. It is precisely these moments and experiences that show me every time anew how great and wonderful this country here in the Far East can be.

Japan really has something to offer and I am far from finished searching and discovering. Hopefully I'll have many more opportunities to stop and look around in places like this and then report on them later. If you've also become curious, please check back here soon for new pictures and impressions from the Land of the Rising Sun.

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