The Light at the End of the Tunnel

A couple of months ago, I was sent an email on the local JET mailing list looking for volunteers for the AJET Peer Support Group, a service run by JETs offering confidential listening and referrals for anyone currently on the JET Programme. It caught my attention mostly because of personal experience with fair weather friends and knowing what it feels like to stare into the depths of a downward spiral, unable to look up. Listening without judgement is an important skill, and one that can save lives; it saved mine a long time ago when I had no one left to turn to. A little voice inside told me I had to do this, because I couldn't let anyone else self-destruct on my watch. If it sounds like I'm full of it, let me say that it takes first hand experience of the grief that survivors of personal tragedy go through to change your outlook on things like this.

As a result of the Recontracting Conference being kindly cancelled due to restructuring in the organizations taking care of the JET Programme, the training I was to have received then was diverted to Nagano, a couple of prefectures west of Tokyo. Yes, this is the same place where they had the 1998 Winter Olympics. Though it's probably best known for that, the city of Nagano is also home to Zenkouji, a very popular Buddhist temple just north of the city centre. I decided to take the opportunity to go there a day early (since AJET was paying for my travel expenses) to have a look around a different city.

Now that I've been to a few cities in Japan, it strikes me that every place has its own vibe. Nagano is certainly more lively and worldly than say Koriyama, but still laid back and relaxed compared to the hive of never-ending activity that is Tokyo. It's also full of bars ^^




Zenkouji is a short bus ride from the station, and seems a little quieter compared to places like Asakusa and the Meiji Shrine, but still has its charms. The Inner Sanctuary holds several impressive bronze statues of various Buddhist divinities, all kept shiny no doubt by the temple attendants, though I can't imagine how they manage to get to the ones high up on the walls.

The highlight of the place was an underground passage at the back of the inner chambers which is pitch black and not for the claustrophobic (or taller than average) tourist. Fun stuff; I went in twice. ^^ The passage is supposedly represents death and rebirth, and along the right wall, somewhere near the end of the tunnel, is a heavy, movable metallic object that some claim to be the key to salvation. Visitors are not supposed to bring any sources of light into the tunnel, but you can get an idea of the shape of the thing from touch. I could draw you a picture, but that would be spoiling the fun, wouldn't it?

No major temple is complete without a shopping street on the way in or out, because in the old days, this was the place devotees would get small tokens of their visit to give to those in their home villages as thanks for helping fund their journey. Souvenir giving is still big here in Japan of course, and the Nakamise-dori or inner shopping street of Zenkouji was filled with shops selling prayer items, trinkets and food. Being a sucker for souvenirs, naturally I found myself lured by all the shiny goodies and ended up wandering the short stretch for quite a while. I'm so weak. I ended up buying a temari, or hand woven ball, one of Nagano prefecture's specialties, and had a nice conversation with the store owner and another Japanese lady who came from Vancouver and spoke really good English. All sorts in this world, I tell ya.

More to come in a bit.