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Day 17 – 108 Buddahs & First Class
May 1, Sendai
I can’t believe it. It feels both like we’ve been here forever, and also like we just got here. We started the day bright early from our capsule hotel and man while I did have some crazy dreams, (Probably the fault of the previous night’s pizza) I really got a good sleep in there.
This morning was early so we could get some breakfast and make the trip across the country to Sendai….about 220 miles north of Tokyo. Which sounds like a lot but really isn’t when there’s Shinkansen. We boarded our train and viewed the countryside as we sped along. Only 90 minutes later did we arrive at our next stop. This one was a local train which was the creakiest, noisiest, swayingest train I’ve ever been on. But it has some beautiful scenery. The others fell asleep while I blogged, looking out of the window into the forests, farmland and mountainsides. At one point we went over a gorge that was exceedingly high. No pictures, just moments – by the time I realized what I looked at, it was gone.
Soon we reached a tiny station within a tiny town
I was attempting to spend all the cash, so the boys had nothing left on their Suica (travel cards), locking us into the gate. The stationmaster was patient and showed us where we could go to refill it, which we did barely with a little bit of cash that we had left, and then it went through to our next location.
The town is small, so I wasn’t sure if we would even be able to find an ATM. We would worry about it later. Our final tour was of Yamadera, a huge Buddist complex nestled high in the mountains. We met Masako a local of the area in a cute tea shop. After introductions, we headed to the complex. Masako . She answered our questions, and was quite patient with our mannerisms.
1,015 steps.
That’s how many steps it would take for us to get to the top. But there was plenty to see. The oaks and cedars in the forest were absolutely massive… Way bigger than what we have in Colorado springs. They stretched the sky and we’re so wide, I couldn’t get my arms around them. It’s crazy to think that other places actually have trees. As we went about, we passed several shrines, lots of little statues, and other markers to honor the dead. About a quarter of way up. I can hear a bunch of boisterous laughter. It turns out that a Japanese school had their field trip for that day, so over a hundred uniformed students poured onto the trail. Thankfully they were young and excited and were more into speed up the mountain so a lot of them passed by our leisurely pace.
Once we reached one of the most photographed spots, we paused on the overlook to look out over the Town. There was an odd, huge bowl in the middle of the square, across from the post office. Apparently, every September, the bowl is used to make soup for 10,000 people. Absolutely huge. It’s like the area’s form of thanksgiving.
600 steps remaining. We kept heading up, dodging the excited school children and learning more about the customs of Buddism and Shinto that both sat on the site. We aren’t sure we were going to make it. It was such a tall climb. Finally, after about an hour, we made it to the top. On it sat a huge Temple, and next to that smaller Temple which has a 5m golden Buddha statue. Obviously, we weren’t allowed to take pictures so you won’t see any here. It was a good day. The sun is warm and the air was crisp. Masako commented on how nice it was, it was clear so we could see for miles.
After visiting, we headed back down. Nate and Masako talked philosophy and religion, the boy ran a head because ….he’s 12? (yikes, 13) and Juli and I slowly went down with our broken hips and knees and recapped the trip thus far. It was crazy that it was so close to being over. It was crazy that we’ve already been in Japan for so long.
We made it to the bottom and had tea and brownies at the shop.
The shopkeeper I believe was from Australia and returned to her native home. Elijah and I went out to get more cash from the ATM (Masako found one!) and then got recommendations for lunch. The shopkeep insisted soba was the specialty in the area, and that an elderly couple owned the best shop just across the street.
Sold. We went over and the shop was cute, sold-school Japanese and the couple – adorable. We picked what to order and in a little while, began eating. Absolutely delished. I got a soba set (which was a mistake, because it was A LOT of food), Juli got curry and Nate and the boy got it in soups. Everything was delicious and filling.
But we were running out of time. The train only ran once an hour. So we hustled back to the train station with only a minute to spare. We ran through the gate to go up…well. They did. Now MY Suica card was empty. I looked in desparation to the exit, but the station master was thoroughly annoyed and waved me through. I thanked him profusely in my most formal Japanese and lowest bow before running up to join the others.
Good ol’ creakity-train-san. The movement and noise lulled the others to sleep while I peeked through the trees. I just couldn’t believe how beautiful and scenic it was out here.
Soon, we arrived in Sendai station. Now we’d be going on a series of busses to get to the colossus. It was going to be just a quick trip. I wanted to see it because it absolutely looks fake in every picture I’ve seen. I needed to confirm or deny its existence. So we went to find a bus.
Juli’s card wouldn’t load, and she was empty. We couldn’t believe it. All this talk about emptying our cards – which we do – only to need them later. Between us all, we had enough cash and got Juli’s bus fare. After plenty of walking and wrong buses and more walking and another bus, we made it to the
Dai Kannon
Yup. Was there. Standing before me. Still looks fake. Super fake. Like someone photoshopped it. Is it open? I suppose we can go inside. We paid our cash to the smiling ladies of the front desk before we were ushered to go around and up the elevator to the top. There were several statues inside…the generals, the angry looking guardians of the Buddha (thanks, for teaching me, Masako!) the statues usually are in pairs and sit on either side of the gate, but this place had DOZENS of them. All around. It was overwhelming. They were all different and beautifully carved, and I wished I stopped long enough to translate each of their signs besides their names. Once we made it around once, we went up the elevator.
“Home to 108 buddahs.” Not sure what that meant, but we followed the signs anyway. It was like something out of Indiana Jones. In the center of the building, surrounded by a open, spiral staircase, stood several buddahs in glass cases. The whole Dai Kannon was hollow, and from the 12th floor, we could look down as far as we dared to lean over. Buddahs lined in perfect array all around the center pillar. About 8 each level. Absolutely crazy and beautiful. Upon later study, I found that this goddess statue was finished in 1991, and at that time was the tallest statue in the world (100meters)
Juli and I went down the first two levels and then bailed on the 10th. Was just too much for my knees. The boys continued down while Juli and I went outside to gaze upon the statue (or have it gaze upon us) and sit in the sun.
Once they came back down, we headed to our bus station. Well. We tried. Several times. The signs around us said one thing. Google said another. We saw the bus we wanted departing from a third….
Its fine. Except Juli still can’t get her card to load. I only have large bills now, so the bus won’t take them. We put our phone’s translate app to see if we can even afford the bus we’re about to ride. I scrambled through my pockets and the child’s pockets thinking…man. Never thought I’d be back to scramble searching loose change for bus fare. But we had it.
We make it. We get back to Sendai. On the way, Juli’s card magically starts to work again and she gets it loaded. We search the station to find guytan (cow tongue, a Sendai specialty) and finally find guytan alley…a whole long aisle of shops selling the specialty. We found one and collapsed. It was a nice little shop with windows overlooking the halls of the station and the passersby. The meal was DELICIOUS. We have had cow tongue before (lengua tacos!) but it was new for Juli. She ordered curry to hide in within a flavor she liked. Absolutely Delicious.
Now, it was time for our 1st class shinkansen!
We went inside the, soft, plush area that was sound proofed and so nice. We sat in the seats and our mouths dropped open. So soft. Nate had legroom for days. The seats reclined so far back, we had personal lights and slippers! We got comfy and the train pulled from the station. We had our own car attend who served us tea and light snacks. It was so nice and perfect and sad cause we’ll never see first class again 😞 so we took it all in and enjoyed every bit of it. We were so sad when the announcement for our stop came. We begrudgingly got off, and started to the trek to the limosine bus to the airport.
Done.
What do you mean done? Done for the day.
So, we are out of cash, there’s no ATM in sight, and we are stuck in the station. So after a bit of back and forth and some arguing (were tired, ok?) we found a route to get us to a closer station. We get there and this train had different rules…can’t buy with credit cards. So Nate and I leave to find a konbini nearby and return with cash. We find another train, but I get the floor wrong. So up down up down but we finally ask the station master who tells us to stay where we are. The problem I was having is that the looped announcements, the signs, everything was saying we were in the wrong place. So we stayed where we were and got on the local train. Google says we’re going the right way, the announcements said we were going the right way and after an hour, we arrive at the airport.
From there, I knew where we were going, and though my travel companions had no more faith in me, I led us to the shuttle where we boarded to our hotel.
Finally. We got there with no problems. (Um…no further problems) Our luggage was there in the lobby waiting for us and we got into our room easily. A kind of disappointing and frustrating end to an otherwise fantastical last day.
~Dannie
Japan 2025
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