Nagano vol.2

Nagano of Japan is landlocked prefecture. It's consist of mountains and basins. Nagano city which extends in front of Zenkoji Buddhist temple is located in a basin area.
Although there is no deference between the country life and the city's in Nagano nowadays, the lives might be deferent each other before. Forty years ago, in my view Nagano was quite big city compare to my father's home village in the mountain. Traffic was heavy enough. I saw department stores, a university campus and a local TV station buildings. The good balance of town and country made me in childhood happy. Then with full of satisfaction, I stopped by the Zenkoji temple at the end of stay in Nagano. I ate a famous Soba noodle and got on the train which was called "Myoko Express" for going back home. It's a long long time before Shinkansen, super express, train starting the service from Tokyo.

Forty years have passed. Nagano got big change, especially after the Winter Olympic Games in 1998. Outskirts area was reconstructed. The name of Nagano was known by the tourist form other countries. However the change in forty years is so tiny compare to the change in fourteen hundred year history of the Zenkoji temple.
After long absence I looked over the city from the hill side behind the temple. There are many low roof houses of old city below my eyes. I can see a solemn roof of main temple among them. A stories pagoda sticking up from lower roofs is museum, I heard. The antique town looks smaller than I thought in my childhood.
Let's stop by the main temple. The precinct yard is not crowded. Foreign tourists are taking picture. I pray in the temple. Beside me, here is a bronze statue of "Binzuru-sama", who was a disciple of Buddha. It's said patting the same part of the figure as you actually ill on your body make you being cure. I pat it.
I return to the entrance path. A poster on the wall says "Year 2015, Zenkoji Gokaicho, Special unveiling of the principal image's duplicate" The original principal image of Zenkoji is basically closed. Yet once every seven years, Omaedachi-zo, the dupe is unveiled. April thru May, 2015 is the chance to pray. If you missed it, then you have to wait another seven years.
Zenkoji has it's own calendar, time or cycle in a day, a year and even seven years. You, a visitor, must be surprised when you see the neighbors suddenly get start preparation for some event. But for them it's not special, everything is scheduled by the calendar of Zenkoji.

I walk through the main gate and down to the commercial area of the city. There is an entrance of shopping arcade on my left side. A signboard above says "Gondo Shopping Arcade" A Cafe, boutique, and "game center", all looks so good old day style. A master of used books store wearing beret is explaining something to his customer with enthusiasm. Oh, there is an old fashioned movie theater which is not cinema complex. The Gondo arcade is crowded by the people ... no, not so many. I like the sleepy air of the shopping arcade in early afternoon. As Zenkoji going on their own clock, the Gondo Shopping Arcade is going on the Gondo's. As writing like this, local shop keepers may say they never want to have the sleepy clock. Well, nowadays Japan's local economy is so exhausted. Here isn't exception, I guess.

But from the tourist's point of view, Nagano is quite attractive destination. There are many touristic places after Zenkoji. Some towns are fully restored in antique local style for tourism. Camping at highland in summer, snow boarding and skiing in winter. Remember is the winter Olympic game held city, paradise of winter sports. There are dozens of hot springs. Local food is very fresh and delicious. Forty years ago I stopped by a soba noodle restaurant at random. But now you can look up good one with Internet. It's just two hour trip from Tokyo by Shinkansen train. So why not spend a couple of days in Nagano in next holidays.