About 4 times a week I walk up the mountain while reading my book (just finished The Corrections by Franzen) . Here are some of the lovely things I see.
Daffodils at my school.
These flowers at the neighbors'.
Jizo statues.
There are a few cemeteries scattered about.
Soon I feel the air get cooler and I know I've come to the little stream and this mini-shrine. Power spot!
The houses and their topiary look like this.
There's an old guy who tinkers on his bonsai in his little makeshift greenhouse. Cute elderly couples head up into the mountains, maybe to collect mountain vegetables.
Rice paddies.
A cute resting area.
The High School. Every day of the week uniformed teenagers come and go along this road.
Sakura (ok, only for these 2 weeks or so).
Another little neighborhood mini shrine.
Sometimes I loop back through Akimiya Shrine.
I like to see this little pond there.
It's about an hour walk up and back - perfect for some exercise and fresh air. People from this area can be a little standoffish; maybe it's the mountains factor. Not many people initiate a greeting with me but if I say "konnichiwa" they're obligated to respond in return. I force a lot of people into interacting with me in this way - I play on their politeness :)
Psst - these are the good parts of my mountain walk. See Part 2 for the bad bits.
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