Trip to the Tsukuba-san

As you may know from my recent posts, the weather in Japan can easily wear a person out. Fortunately, there are also better days - when it is not too warm or rainy. I took this opportunity to go on a little trip. Unfortunately, due to the prevailing state of Covid-19 emergency, traveling around Japan was not an option. I had to postpone visiting popular spots. Also, many of them were just closed due to the emergency state. Outdoor activities seemed like the only option. I opened a map and started surveying the area. My choice quickly fell on Tsukuba-san. It is a mountain located near the town of the same name - Tsukuba. Most importantly, it was very easy to get there, with the bus stopping just at the foot of the mountain. I started my climb at the giant red tori gate. As you can see below, it was a landmark which would be hard to miss :)

It is said that the tori gate is separating the material world from the spiritual one.... It means that we are entering the temple grounds.

Before the hike, I first headed to a nearby temple, which bears the name of the mountain - Tsukubasan Jinja (tsukuba-san temple, 筑波山神社). The characteristic temple buildings are very impressive - everything is built of wood. And while the main building was built around 1875 (to replace a previous temple), the temple complex itself is said to date back to ancient times. However I didn't found and data on that...

When I was approaching the temple, I began to hear the sound of clapping. "What is this all about?" - I thought. Once I moved closer to the temple, I found an explanation. The clapping turned out to be the part of the prayer. So, how do you pray properly in Japanese temple?

Firstly - one must cleanse oneself with water... After cleansing, you can approach the temple. In front of the temple there is an offering box. I was wondering, how much money do people offer? Apparently, not a lot - due to a reason! The most common amount is 5円. Coins of such value are considered to bring good luck. Using 10 円 coins, on the other hand, is considered to bring bad luck. Interesting, isn't it? Coming back to the prayer... Once you approach the temple, you need to bow twice. Next, you should clap twice, and then you can offer a prayer. Finally, one should bow one more time. The whole thing takes only a few seconds... What is even more interesting - there is no fixed prayer text. Everyone can come up with their own words and wishes.

After visiting the temple, I began to hike up the mountain. However... It turns out that not everyone was up for such an effort. Just behind the temple, I found a cable car, going all the way to the top. I decided to ignore it and, continued marching along the trail... I wasn't expecting a challenge. Tsukuba-san is only 877 metres high, and most of the route is inside a forest. However, I forgot one very important detail. Japanese forests are very humid... Maybe some trees provided me with a pleasant cool shade but, all it took was a bit of sunshine, and the humidity to started to evaporate. Once again, I began to feel like in a sauna. Fortunately, having learnt from previous experiences, I took loads of isotonic with me...
During my hike, I often passed other people who were already returning from the summit. The hiking culture in Japan is very similar to Poland - if you pass someone, you usually greet them with "Hello". However, at first I couldn't understand what all those people were saying to me. The first group passing me greeted me with a "...jiaaaaaa..." sound. I began to frantically think what this could mean. The next people passing me spoke in exactly the same way. I began to worry that my "konnichiwa" was out of place here. What is "jiaaa"? Only halfway through the approach, it became clear to me. An old man passing by threw out "konnichiWAAA". Then I understood. It wasn't "dziaaa" at all! They were just saying "konnichiwa", except that they either omitted the first part of the greeting altogether or said it very quietly. But how did "WA" change to "jia"? A matter of accent I guess.

View of the Kanto plain

After climbing to the summit, I had the opportunity to admire the landscape of the Kanto plain and had a chance to eat ramen at small stall near the top. However, the approach did not end there. After all, Tsukuba-san has two peaks. One of them is associated with the feminine and the other with the masculine deities.

Because began my ascent very late, so I had to hurry up to be in time for the departing bus. Therefore, I decided to take the privilege of going down with cable car. Unfortunately, I didn't realized that there are two of those! I took the wrong one and ended at the opposite side of the mountain! Luckily, the foot of the mountain was relatively flat and well connected. I had to hurry, but ultimately I managed to catch the last bus home. Maybe that was luck, or maybe mountain spirits listened to my prayers :)

Cable car was full... but I managed to be on time

The hike on Tsukuba-san was really pleasant, if you ever end up in Ibaraki prefecture, I recommend giving it a shot!