Shrine, Shrine Every Where a Shrine

Wednesday morning and Jackie is off to work. This is my third day on "my own" and it has been great. Yesterday, Jackie's freind Yoko and her husband Morrie took me to to the island of Hirayama Ikuo. It is two islands kind of west of here. The city we visited was called Setoda.
The prime attraction is it's temple complex which my rough guide disliked. Kosan-Ji is the creation of a steel tube manufacturer who made his money apparently from the arm's trade. Kanemoto Kozo was a devoted son who used some of his funds to build his mother a holiday retreat in the city. When she died, the bereft Kanemoto decided to build a temple in her honour and bought the priesthood from Nishi-Hongan-ji temple in Kyoto. He took over the name of a minor temple Kosan-ji in Niigata. He quit his job and build the ever expanding temples which now which includes 10 halls, three towers, four gates, an underground cave, and an enormous statue of Kannon, The goddess of Mercy. They are all recreations of originals throughout Japan and although smaller it is said that no intricated detail is left out. My roughguide book says that since 1936 it has opened to millions of paying visitors. And since it is recognized as a temple all this income is tax free.
The intriguing spectacle was the Cave of a Thousand Buddhas and the valley of hell. The rock was brought from Mount Fuji and apparently formed into this cave with Buddhas enshrined into the rock, in statues and pictures. There is art on the wall showing the horrors of damnation and the raptures of heavenly host of Buddha. You emerge from the cave and are standing under the 15 meter tall statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy.
From here you walk up The Hill of Hope which is a modern marble structure /shrine/ statues. It is hard to say what it is, but it is white and marble. It is a modern design and well gives a beautiful view of the inner harbour of Setoda.
Next to this Shrine is a museum of art by the living Hirayam Ikuo. He is one of the most famous Japanese artists I was told. He was a junior high school student during the atom bomb on Hiroshima and his works tend to be dark. He uses ancient painting techniques and there for has to produce the huge wall canvasses quite quickly. The nice thing about an art museum is that it usually knows no language.
Yoko and Morrie then treated me to ice cream at famous Gelato place on the island. I had lemon and salty blue (whatever that was). It was great. The weather has been plus 18 or there abouts. It is just right for ice cream, but then for me any time is just right for ice cream.

It is a day later now. Jackie's internet connection is not very reliable. I went to Fukyama on my own yesterday in search of Starbuck's. God bless them as I could smell where they were from the station. I was almost in heaven by the time I stretched my Grande misto for one and one half hours.
Today, Yoko has invited me to her lovely home. She is going to teach me how to make a wonderful Japanese dish which Jackie and I had last week and i quite thoroughly enjoyed. I can't remember what it is called, but I am looking forward to it. More later on food.
Yoko is also a teacher of "dressing up people in Kimonos" and giving the tea ceremony. She has invited her teacher over and the two of them are going to dress me up in her kimono. Pictures will be taken. She keeps repeatedly saying she is much smaller than me, but it will work. Should I worry?
Jackie will come for supper. So I am off to be dressed this afternoon. Oi.
Well I am doing Jackie's laundry this morning and hear the washer is done. That means I should go and "hang up" the laundry. God that has brought back memories of mom hanging laundry in 40 below. Hanging laundry? Who knew i knew how to do it?
Love to all
WKH