Return to Atago Shrine

aka. Back to Beginnings: The Déjà Vu.

Yeah, I went back to the shrine I visited my first day here, but this time under rather different circumstances. For one, this time we were a trio of European ladies making our way through unkown terretories by train.

Subway selfie

Not knowing where the hell to go is pretty much standard procedure by now though, so we had no problems. 

Fukuoka has a lot of bridges! You remember? HASHI!

It's also always nice to see a new part of the city. Japan always has something interesting to offer. Such as Queen Kong hanging of a building in a bikini. Just as an example.

Bummer.

But anyway. We made our way off the main road and walked up the hillside. The streets grew all narrow and charming and stuff.

I have such a thing for narrow streets.

Modelling.

I mean, I probably have some sort of deep rooted complex fetish for narrow streets as a result of being born and raised in wide-street wind-central. "Yes wide streets in Trondheim are such a good idea because it will let the light in when it's so dark. Oh, and who cares that it will be raining horizontally. Pish posh tish tosh we like being cold and wet"

BUT I DIGRESS.

I dunno what deity this is, but someone has  given
him tangerines and he is mighty pleased by it.

We climbed through the residential area and entered the large park that covered the top of the hill. The last time I was here we drove a car through this part, but now we walked through what really did feel like a forest. 

A winding road through a bunch of trees on a hill... I felt right at home, really. Except that the plants were all unfamiliar, and the birds even more so. I mean really, I would never actually expect to see fat-ass goddamn herons just chilling out in the treetops, but whaddayaknow.

"I'm holding out for a heron 'till the end of the night"

This is like, literally, 20min from the school.

Nature selfie!

Knock on bamboo and it sounds just like if you know on my head; like there's nothing inside!
(I'm joking of course. The bamboo has some sap and shit.)

After a short but sweet walk through heron bamboo forest, we found the stairs up to the temple. It looked just like this. However this time I actually had the presence of mind to get a photo of the front of the thing!

Yay! Finally! I bet you were all just waiting for this!

The view was no worse than the last time, but the weather was way better. Look at me all rockin' the sunglasses!

This... actually looks a little bit like a green screen. But it is not!
I am actually in Japan, I swear!

See? I have witnesses!

After templeing I took my companions to the eatery I went to last time, because quite honestly all mochi I've had since has been vaguely disappointing. I mean really. The mochi this place makes is insanelicious.

Eagerly avaiting mochi.

Okay, let me just express that in the just slightly chilly spring air, this hot bean soup and perfect mochi was the best. thing. evurr.

Ah, YUM! Yummy yummy yum! Also, déjà vu much?

This close-up of a mochi makes me want to go back and eat mochi.

YuuuuuuuuuuuuMMM!

Green tea under the cherry tree. Approved by me.

After a yummy delicious and relaxing meal, we massaged life back into our still-not-quite-used-to-sitting-Japanese-style legs and decided to do some more exploring. The rule is, if you see a tiny staircase leading into a forest and you truly believe that it will not lead to you getting murdered, you should check out where it will take you.

First, it took us to this awsome tree.

It looks like it might murder me, but probably possibly only after dark.

Then, I got another one of the nice contrast shots of nature/city that I like so much. I like this one even better because it has me in it.

The path eventually led us through a couple of tori-gates

I am not standing in front of a mirror.

to a much smaller shrine dedicated to fox-spirits.

Foxes like sake. Didn't you know?

This was really kind of hidden away. I mean, the place had a tree going through it.

Hello, tree

Ahhh... and that was it really. It's getting late as all hells and I how no idea how to end this post... I'll just let my two companions wave you goodbye,

and leave you with the remainder that I am, in fact, Big in Japan.