I leave at 5:30, having barely slept.
While the train that will take me towards Tokyo and then on to Chiba speeds through
the countryside, still immersed in a sacred silence, I let the gentle background music in
my ears relax me just enough to keep my mind off heartache.
However, once the clouds have cleared and the sun starts to peek out over the world
I`m already at the gates of Hama-Kanaya Station (浜金谷駅).

From Hama-Kanaya Station there are two ways to reach the place I’m heading to: by a
ropeway that cuts through the middle of Mount Nokogiri (鋸山, literally “Saw
Mountain”), or on foot, skirting around it through dimly lit tunnels with no sidewalks
(because normal people would take the ropeway).

Finally, after about 45 minutes, a sign tells me the entrance is near: Nihonji (日本寺) is
just a few steps away from where I stand.
To my right, the imposing calm and sacred zeal of the colossal stone Daibutsu (大仏)
leave me speechless, sitting twice higher than Kamakura Buddha.
This Buddhist temple is located on the western side of Mount Nokogiri, which itself
spans three provinces in Chiba Prefecture, on the opposite side of Tokyo Bay.

Article by : Simone