Sasayuri (Lily) Found at Mount Nijou

This weekend, I headed towards Nara. On Saturday, I climbed Mount Nijou, and on Sunday, I did a quick morning climb of Mount Miwa. The rainy season has already begun today. As I walked during this season, I thought it's about time for the Sasayuri (lilies) to start blooming. I found such a delicate Sasayuri quietly blooming in front of the thirteen-tiered stone pagoda at the ruins of Rokutannji Temple. This place is the ruins of a rock-cut temple made by carving out tuff, built during the Nara period. 

This thirteen-tiered stone pagoda was carved from a single rock around the 8th century. It's not particularly well-preserved and feels somewhat neglected, but it still stands majestically. It's amazing. It's said that the only genuine rock-cut temples dating back to the Nara period can be found at the base of Mount Nijou.

In front of it, the lily was blooming gently and warmly. The white ones are nice, but this pale pink lily is very beautiful. The next day, when I went to Mount Miwa, I took a quick look at the Sasayuri garden inside the Omiwa Shrine, but it seemed that the blooming would be a bit later, and I couldn't see any flowers. It's a pity. 

Mount Miwa had been closed for a long time due to COVID, and it was my first climb in a while. This time, many people were visiting. Since it's the sacred mountain of Omiwa Shrine, there were a few people climbing barefoot as a form of worship. I've never climbed barefoot, but the trails are well-maintained, so it might be nice to feel the earth with the soles of your feet. However, I wonder if they don't get hurt by something sharp.

In Osaka, there's an event called the Diamond Trail competition, where participants walk 40 kilometers from Taima Temple through Mount Nijou, Mount Katsuragi, Mount Kongō, and Kimi Pass. It's quite challenging with many stairs, and by the time you reach the goal, you're exhausted. Every time I think I won't participate again, but maybe I tend to forget the pain quickly since I've joined three times. For now, I think three times is enough.

There are some tough people out there, and some even run the 40 kilometers barefoot. Their soles seem to be well-trained, and they said with a smile, "It feels good." The power of humans is amazing.

From now on, it's a fun season where you can also enjoy flower-viewing hikes. I was looking at a camellia picture book on my bookshelf, and I noticed "Hitori Shizuka" (also known as Yoshino Shizuka). Have you ever seen it? I haven't encountered it yet, so I'd like to see it once. It's a small flower, so it might be easy to overlook. It's an early spring flower, and its name, which means "one person's quietness," is said to be named after the serene Shizuka Gozen. I want to go looking for it again next spring.