点评:Jorakuji is the head temple of Kitamuki Kannon Temple. We visited both on the same day.
Jorakuji Temple is atop a very steep hill. At the apex of the hill there’s a broad view of the mountains running along the spine of Japan. There’s a giant glass panel set up with the outline of the mountainscape etched or painted on it, plus very tiny identifications of each mountain. If you’re just the right height, you can probably easily register the outline with reality and learn what’s what - we’re both too short. Further along there’s a standard photo billboard with the names clearly written in Japanese.
We finally descend a bit to an intersection where we can go either to Jorakuji or to Bessho Jinja or perhaps to the little restaurant right at the intersection.
We take the turn for Jorakuji Temple and have to climb a steep staircase to the temple grounds. In places along the stairs and path there are lanterns, small stone pagodas, and statues wearing red bibs.
The hondo here is large with an impressive thatched roof. The brown and white of the building blend in well with the natural surroundings and the building sits nicely against the trees.
We are fascinated by and spend a lot of time photographing a marvelous ancient and contorted pine tree spread out broadly on the ground. There is also a pond with an interesting lantern and a stone boat.
Behind the temple we climbed into a tall and cool forest of evergreens with a quiet graveyard with mossy tombstones. Here too is the moss-covered two-tiered stone pagoda or Tahoto with its tall spire that is an important national cultural property. Kitamuki Kannon is said to have appeared here in this sacred place.
We walk back down to the fork in the road which allowed us to head off, again through tall trees, this time to Bessho Jinja.
翻译:常乐寺是北向观音寺的总寺院。我们在同一天参观了两座寺院。
常乐寺位于一座非常陡峭的山顶上。山顶上,可以看到日本山脊上连绵不断的群山。山上有一块巨大的玻璃板,上面刻着或画着山景的轮廓,还有每座山的微小标识。如果你身高合适,你很可能很容易就能把轮廓与现实联系起来,知道山峰是什么——我们两个都太矮了。再往前走,有一个标准的照片广告牌,上面清楚地用日语写着名字。
我们终于下降了一点,来到一个十字路口,在那里我们可以去常乐寺或别所神社,或者去十字路口的小餐馆。
我们拐弯去了常乐寺,必须爬上陡峭的楼梯才能到达寺庙。沿着楼梯和小路走,可以看到灯笼、小石塔和穿着红色围兜的雕像。
这里的本堂很大,有一个令人印象深刻的茅草屋顶。建筑的棕色和白色与自然环境融为一体,与树木相映成趣。
我们被一棵古老而扭曲的松树迷住了,花了很多时间拍照,这棵松树宽阔地铺在地上。还有一个池塘,上面有一盏有趣的灯笼和一艘石船。
在寺庙后面,我们爬进一片高大凉爽的常青树林,那里有一片安静的墓地,墓碑上长满了青苔。这里还有一座青苔覆盖的两层石塔,也就是多宝塔,它的尖顶很高,是重要的国家文化遗产。据说北向观音就出现在这个神圣的地方。
我们走回岔路口,再次穿过高大的树林,这次是去别所神社。