Minobu-san

I think I'm really starting to get used to my job, despite the some classes or days that make me wonder why I stick with it, and I'm having fun interacting with all of the teachers and students at the school.  I am still looking forward to summer vacation however.  The teachers do not get allotted time off, but when classes are not in session we are able to take vacation days.  I'll be volunteering at the Tokyo Orientation for new JETs in Tokyo for half a week, and then I'll be going to Thailand and Cambodia.  I have one more week of classes before I go to the Tokyo orientation.

This past weekend was a lot of fun.
On Friday evening I went to see the newest and last Harry Potter movie in the theaters.  We reserved tickets on the Internet, and went straight after school.  We only had the option to see it in 3D, but I still thought it was pretty good.  I wouldn't suggest it to people who haven't seen the other seven movies however, and I would still recommend the books over the movies.


Saturday and Monday (it was a three-day weekend) were spent lazily, but we went to Mount. Minobu on Sunday.  It's quite a ways down the prefecture from Isawa.  It took about 10 minutes to get to Kofu just to transfer trains, then another hour and a half to the Minobu train station.  Then we had to take a bus to the mountainside, and then walk to the shrine.  This shine is significant because it's where Nichiren, a famous Buddhist monk, went to retire and teach about his findings.  The temple Kuon-ji was erected in roughly 1274.  I think the temple is most famous for its 287 stairway entrance, known as the steps to enlightenment.

Here are some photos from our trip!

Pathway of Cedar trees

287 steps to enlightenment

Dragon decorations

The two main buildings

Pagoda