To get simple solutions, ask the instructor in your mind

Everybody has their problem.
I have some, and you must have some, too.
Sometimes we can't find any solution to our problem.
If we have somebody to ask, that is good.
However we don't always have friends or people whom we can rely on.

If you want simple solutions to your problem, there is one thing you can do.
To ask yourself and answer yourself.
Sometimes we think our situation is more complicated than actually it is.
From others, we may look like struggling with a simple thing.
We need to see ourselves as other people see us.
If we can do that, we will get what we can do for our problem.

I show you an example for how to ask ourselves.
Maybe I have a problem about the relationship with someone.
The someone got angry with my words and I don't know how to make friends again with him or her.
So, I ask myself.
"How can I make friends again with her?"
"Apologize to her. That's all."
"But I don't think I was wrong."
"I don't care neither you were wrong nor right. If you want to make friends again with her, just apologize to her."
"Well, OK."
That's quick.

Let's try one more.
This time I am suffering for a money trouble.
I need some money as soon as possible but I don't know how I can earn the extra money.
So, I ask myself.
"I need money."
"Good. Start a side business."
"But I am busy already."
"Don't you have any day off?"
"Well, I have Sunday."
"Spend the Sunday for your side business."
"I have to take a rest on Sunday. It is my only day off!"
"Then forget about the money. Take a rest."
"I need money."
"Get extra money or rest. Choose."
"OK...I will work on Sunday too."

Like that.
You ask yourself and answer yourself.
It is like asking a logical and strict instructor who living in your mind.
This asking technique will work to make your problem simple.
If you can't decide what you should do on your problem, try this asking.
But don't forget to do it in your mind.
Please don't ask and answer yourself aloud.
If you do it aloud, maybe it will cause another problem for you.

A beautiful scenic spot the Satta-touge pass had historical events

The Satta-touge pass is a must-see place for Mt. Fuji lovers.

The place is located in Yui town, Shizuoka.

The pass is on the road at the coastal Mt. Satta near Suruga Bay. 

You can enjoy the spectacular view of Mt. Fuji over Suruga Bay from Satta-touge.

Also the pass have been a important traffic point.

Satta-touge was on Toukaido route (the route between Edo to Kyoto).

To travel between Kansai and Kanto region, people often went through the pass.

Even army corps at the medieval times used this route in military action.

Moreover, battles have happened on the pass by them.

The first battle of Satta-touge happened in 1351, by Ashikaga Takauji and Ashikaga Naoyoshi.

Ashikaga Takauji, the first shogun of Muromachi shogunate, was confronted by his own brother Naoyoshi at the time.

Takuji encamped on the pass to fight against army of Naoyoshi.

In opposite, Naoyoshi surrounded the mountain.

At first the strength of Takauji's army was far lower than Naoyoshi's one.

However his allies from Kanto region fought well, then finally Takauji could defeat Naoyoshi.

The second battle of Satta-touge happened in 1568.

At this time, two daimyo Imagawa Ujizane and Takeda Shingen fought with each other.

Takeda Shingen of Kai province (current Yamanashi) started a military action to invade Imagawa Ujizane's Suruga province (current Shizuoka) and led his army to Suruga.

Satta-touge was located on the only route to Suruga from Kai, so Ujizane deployed his army there and stayed Seiken-ji temple, near the pass.

Their armies had the battle at the pass.

Ujizane fought well, however Shingen communicated to warlords of Ujizane secretly.

After Ujizane noticed the fact he felt danger and left to Sunpu (the capital of Suruga) from Seiken-ji.

As soon as his army know Ujizane's evacuation, the army collapsed.

A lot of soldiers must have died the pass with the battles, but today, we can hardly imagine the fact when we walk on the pass.

It is a beautiful place.

Now Satta-pass has observation place and trekking route which easy to walk.

From the observation place, Mt. Fuji looks so big and beautiful.

Kudara-ou shrine was where the royal family of Beakje remained

At the battle of Hakusukinoe (the battle of Baekgang) in Korean peninsula in 663, Japan and Baekje (one of the three kingdoms of ancient Korea) fought against Silla (another one of three kingdoms of ancient Korea) and the Tang dynasty of China.
As a result, Japan and Beakje were defeated and Baekje kingdom was ruined.

After the battle of Hakusukinoe, survived member of the royal family of Baekje exiled to Japan.
The prince Zenkou was in them.
He was given the family name "Kudara-ou (the king of Beakje)" by the imperial court as a vassal.
Also he was given a domain in Naniwa (an seaside area in current Osaka), and he lived there with his clan.

At the times of Kudara-ou Kyoufuku, the grandson of Zenkou, they obtained a rank and given another domain at Kawachi province (the eastern part of current Osaka) for paying golds to the imperial court.
They migrated to the domain of Kawachi from Naniwa.
Later, Kudara-ou clan founded Kudara-ji temple and Kudara-ou shirine the place.

Unfortunately Kudara-ji temple have burned down and buildings are not remained today.
We can see only the site of the temple.
However still there is Kudara-ou shirine.
The shrine and the site of Kudara-ji are located in Hirakata city, Osaka.
According to legend, the family of the priest of the shrine is a descendant of Kudara-ou clan.

A ordinary shrine in Japan is relating to an ancient Korean kingdom.
It is interesting, isn't it?

The first official Buddhist temple in Japan, Shitenno-ji

Shitenno-ji temple is located in Tennoji ward, Osaka city.
The temple founded in 593 by the founder of Japanese Buddhism Prince Shotoku, as the first official Buddhist temple in Japan.
"Shitenno" means the Four Heavenly Kings who support Buddhism.

According to legend, while Prince Shotoku had conflicts with Mononobe clan, he wished to win and promised to found a temple of Shitenno for salvation of people in all over Japan if he could win.
After the victory over the conflicts, he founded Shitenno-ji temple as he had promised before.

As first temple of the kind, Shitenno-ji is a very unique one among Japanese temples.

The style of layout of the temple called "Shitenno-ji garan haichi (the Shitenno-ji building layout)" and it is oldest one of styles of Japanese temple layout.
Nowadays you rarely see the style in Japanese temples except Shitenno-ji.
Also the temple ground of Shitenno-ji is huge, so you can see interesting Buddhist buildings there.

In addition, they have a religious ceremony of Bugaku (the traditional dance with music came from Western Asia in ancient times) in April 23 (the death anniversary of Prince Shotoku).
Still we can see the traditional culture of ancient times in it.
The ceremony shows us how Prince Shotoku have been connected strongly to foreign cultures.

There are many sightseeing spots around Shitenno-ji such us the Tennoji park, Namba city or Tsuruhashi town.
You can visit all of them at one day, so I recommend you to tour around Shitenno-ji.

Kouka-ryu Ninjutsu Yashiki, the residence of the lord of ninja

Kouka city, Shiga, is famous for their history of ninja as well as Iga city, Mie.

Ninja in Kouka got their popularity at the battle of "Magari no Jin" in 1487.
At the war, Shougun Ashikaga Yoshihisa took a military expedition against the hostile daimyo Rokkaku Takayori, however Takayori used Kouka ninjas who belonged to him effectively.
As a result, Takayori achieved successful defense, and he and his ninjas got a fame for the battle.
After that, thanks to the fame, Kouka ninjas have been employed by many daimyo as a mercenary.

Even though trails of ninja are hard to find nowadays, there are some clues.
Still today, a residence of the lord of Kouka ninja remains in Kouka.
It is called "Kouka-ryu Ninjutsu Yashiki (Kouka style ninjutsu residence)".

It is located in a residential quarter in paddy fields.
The residence was built at the Edo period for the one of Kouka ninja lord Mochizuki Izumonokami.
It looks ordinary traditional Japanese residence from outside, but you can find many interesting points inside.

It has secret windows, a secret door and hiding places inside attic and under the floor.
You can tour inside the residence with explanation by staffs.
Also you can see exhibitions of tools of ninja there.
Besides that, they serve you a cup of medicinal tea (it have been sold by Mochizuki family in hundreds of years) for free, and if you pay extra money, you can experience to throw shuriken (a throwing-knife) to targets or you can disguise a ninja.
When I have been to there, I tried to throw the shuriken.
In throwing that, I was not so bad as a ninja.

Mochiduki family has made medicine in peaceful times for their living.
They could get ingredients of medicine from a nature-rich surroundings such as Mt. Ibuki.
I hope you can enjoy history and nature of Kouka and Shiga.

The temple for mothers, Jison-in

The Jison-in temple is located in Kudoyama, Wakayama.
The temple is on the pilgrimage route to Mt. Koya, the sacred place for Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism.
The temple was founded in 816 by Kukai (the founder of the Shingon sect).

According to legend, when the mother of Kukai came a long way to Mt. Koya to meet her son, she couldn't enter Mt. Koya.
In that times, women couldn't enter religious sacred places like Mt. Koya for the "Nyonin-kinsei (No women admitted)" rule.
Even a mother of the founder couldn't enter the mountain.

So she stayed Jison-in.
Kukai visited his mother at the temple 9 times in a month from Mt. Koya, so the area around the temple was named "Kudo-yama (the mountain of 9 times)".
They met there.
In addition, while she stayed the temple she worshiped Miroku Bosatsu (a Buddhist saint).
The word "Jison" of the temple's name is another word for the Miroku Bosatsu.
The temple is also called "Nyonin-Koya (Mt. Koya for women)" because of the mother of Kukai have spent her religious life and met his son Kukai at the temple.
While the ages women couldn't visit Mt. Koya, they have visited Jison-in instead.

Even though women can enter Mt. Koya as well as men today, still Jison-in is worshiped by women as a temple of mothers.
As the mother of Kukai came a long way to visit his son with her great motherly affection, many women visit Jison-in to worship Miroku Bosatsu and the mother of Kukai.

Inside the temple there are so many women's breast shaped models.
You may feel it a little funny.
However, the models have been dedicated by mothers to wish their abundant produce of milk.
If you have a chance to visit the temple, please don't forget that you are in a sacred place for women.

Yamanaka "Shikanosuke" Yukimori, the medieval samurai who was dedicated his life for his master

There was a great samurai in Chugoku region in Japanese medieval history.
Yamanaka "Shikanosuke" Yukimori (1545-1578) was a warlord of daimyo Amako family in Izumo province (the east part of current Shimane prefecture).

His origin and the first half of his life was not confirmed, but according to legends, he had joined military action since he was very young, and he have defeated enemies.
Shikanosuke succeeded in battles he joined, however in 1567, Amako family was ruined by daimyo Mouri family of Aki province (the western part of current Hiroshima).
The head of Amako family Amako Yoshihisa was captured and kept under Mouri family as a guest.
Shikanosuke lost his master, and became a ronin (unemployed samurai).

However, Shikanosuke didn't give up his fight against Mouri family.
He went to Kyoto and contacted Amako Katsuhisa, who was one of Amako clan.
Katsuhisa had been left Izumo before the corruption of his family, and was a monk that time in Kyoto.
Shikanosuke made Katsuhisa as his new master, and took Katsuhisa with him to fight against Mouri.

They went back to Chugoku region and started their military action.
Shikanosuke succeeded in a series of battles against Mouri family.
He was not only skillful in hand-to-hand combat but also good at strategy.
He made local samurais to join his side one by one.
Moreover he kept contact with enemies of Mouri such as Otomo (the daimyo of north parts of Kyushu region) and Yamana (the daimyo of Chugoku region) family and tried to attack Mouri with them.
Temporary, even he took most of area of Izumo back to his hand.

It was unfortunate that Yamana left their side and made an agreement with Mouri.
The event broke the military balance in Chugoku and Shikanosuke lost his power.
He left Chugoku temporary, then joined the family of Oda Nobunaga in Kyoto.
Since after that he and his master Katsuhisa have fought as warlords of Oda family.

They stayed in Kozuki castle in Harima province (the western part of current Hyogo).
They battled in siege to Mouri, but finally they had to surrender to their long time enemy.
Shikanosuke and Katsuhisa were captured.
Katsuhisa chose Harakiri (a traditional way of suicide) soon after their lost.
After the death of his master, Shikanosuke was murdered by Mouri.
His long-standing battle was finally over.
He dedicated his whole life for the family of his masters.
The spirit of Shikanosuke has been respected by many people.

Here is one more curious fact.
According to Kounoike family, the famous wealthy merchant in Osaka at the Edo period, their ancestor was Shikanosuke.
Kounoike family have succeeded in business and got a huge prosperity.
Even nowadays, we can see the name of Kounoike in many Japanese companies.