At any time when I uncover that there’s a sizeable Buddha or Kannon statue in a city or metropolis that I’m about to go to, I discover it troublesome to withstand making house for it in my schedule.
With restricted time on the northern tip of Japan’s most southern principal island, my unique plan did NOT embrace the 17-meter-tall white goddess statue positioned about six kilometres south of a Shinkansen (bullet prepare) station. Nevertheless, after I managed to do the whole lot I’d deliberate to do forward of schedule I made a decision to squeeze in a go to to Washimineyama Heiwa Kannon which is positioned on the outskirts of EcoPlay Park Tenbodai in Kitakyushu.
Sadly, the bus I took arrived later than anticipated and after a transparent morning, drizzle steadily turned extra noticeable on the home windows. Not lengthy after disembarking, the rain turned heavier. The statue was not seen from the roadside and there was nothing in the best way of signage indicating its whereabouts. Confronted with a reasonably grim scenario, and needing to get again to Kokura station, I really determined to simply get an imminent bus again as they have been solely hourly and the following one wouldn’t depart me an excessive amount of time forward of the two:00 pm kickoff.
Nevertheless, I’m nonetheless not fairly accomplished with looking for out a little bit of journey (regardless of my advancing years!) so I modified my thoughts once more. I’d come this far and at worst it wouldn’t harm if I needed to miss the beginning of the soccer. After a false flip or two I lastly discovered a path which started ascending the 137-meter-high mountain however I nonetheless had completely no thought if it could take me to what I needed to see.
On my method up just one or two outdated males handed by me getting in the wrong way however there have been supposedly different types of life as indicators did warn of vipers and wild boars that had been sighted within the space. I’m all the time fairly blase about such indicators although and didn’t take it too critically.
If the rain wasn’t sufficient then the sweat additionally added to my lack of comfortability however after about 20 minutes of strolling up the mild paved slope, I used to be relieved to see the Peace Kannon statue within the distance that I’d made the trouble to see.
As with every different statue, it little doubt seems a bit higher within the sunshine when the sky is blue, notably through the cherry blossom season in Spring. Sadly, this was a reasonably gray and dreary day in Fukuoka Prefecture.
The Kannon statue faces the city and was accomplished in 1966 as a memorial for civilians killed in air raids through the conflict, a time when the mountaintop was the location of a navy anti-aircraft gun place.
Unaware of the peak of the statue beforehand I assume I used to be anticipating it to be a bit taller however I did have all of it to myself (because of the opposed climate circumstances) which was good. I had time to kill and will’ve stayed longer however with solely a small umbrella for cover from the weather I made a decision to go again to the bus cease the place shelter was close by. Catastrophe was lurking simply not far away although.
A brief stroll down the hill was a tiny bathroom hut that I made a decision to make use of. I had simply put my kannon away when my smartphone fell out of my jacket pocket. It was really the second time it had occurred on this present day, and I actually ought to’ve realized my lesson. This time it fell into some soiled bathroom paper lodged to the aspect on the high. By no means has my hand moved so fast to retrieve it and wipe it clear. It was solely then that I actually observed how fortunate I had been.
As this was the countryside, it was really a pit-drop bathroom that means that my cellphone may have and doubtless ought to have fallen deep down into the underground. I actually hate to assume what I’d’ve accomplished had it dropped all the best way down into the abyss as there wasn’t a soul in sight and it’s not precisely the sort of factor a stranger would need to assist with! Even now I shudder on the considered all of it! It actually was a fortunate escape!
- Washimineyama Heiwa Kannon is positioned at 5-8 Kumagai, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka-ken. It’s open 24 hours a day.
Bonus: The bus from the Kannon statue was heading again in direction of Kokura station however I made a decision that I’d have a fast picture cease at Kokura-jo Citadel as I don’t know if I’ll ever be again within the space. I in some way missed the supposed bus cease so then needed to run a bit from the following one to catch the briefest glimpses of the fort initially constructed within the early seventeenth century.
After a few fires within the nineteenth century, the preserve was reconstructed in 1959 and absolutely restored in 1990. The outside was fairly spectacular, and I’d have appreciated to discover the encompassing space extra however I needed to get to the fashionable soccer stadium positioned proper by the ocean.
En-route to the stadium I did see this attention-grabbing trying constructing which is an occasion venue.
Fortunately, I managed to reach at Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu simply in time for the regional derby’s kick-off.
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