The beautiful garden in Shiga, Seiganji

 It is often said that, when you are traveling in Shiga pref., it is easy to go by JR to the station, but when you want to reach a certain place a little away from the station, the access is not good.

It is, in a sense, true.

However, as for Seiganji temple, the access is very good.

It is located near Maihara( Maibara ) station, which Shinkansen bullet train stops.

Just 5 min walk leads you to the temple.

What is good here is the garden. It is rare to see the garden in Soto sect of Zen school. We can enjoy dry-gardens in Rinzai zen temples but not in Soto zen temple.

This is an exception.

The set of rocks in the center shows Fudaraku mountain, which is said that Kannon ( one of the bodhisattvas) lives in.

And more, when it rains, the rain water comes up in the lower area  surrounding rocks, and changes the scene.

In the building, we enjoy the maccha cappuccino and cake seeing the garden.

A Happy New Year

 

We celebrate the beginning of the new year with this, Otoso.
It is a kind of Japanese sake and sweet sake called mirin with Chinese herb. 

This is called Osechi, New Year cuisine.
Sea weed called Kobu is a symbol of Happiness, yorokobu in Japanese, As you can see, kobu is a part of the pronunciation of the word.

Shrimps are eaten to live long. When cooked, it becomes bent, which looks like elderly .

Fish eggs have a lot of small eggs. To wish to have many children, which means the prosperity of the family

Black beans are called mame. to work mame means to work diligently. which means business prosperity.

In this way, each items have a certain meanings.

But my mon used to say, in the past, on New Year holidays, all the shops were closed and we needed to prepare food for three holidays. To preserve longer, all were cooked very well.

Nowadays, we have supermarkets and it is no need to do that.

Still I want to keep this tradition.

These lacquer wares are for soup and mochi ( rice cakes ) called Ozoni.

This becomes topics of New Years because it differs depending on each region.

I was born and raised in Kyoto. 

In Kyoto, we have white miso soup and round mochi.

However, my mon was from Osaka, and my grandma was from Kyushu. So I don't know about the origin of my style of Ozoni. 
Mine is soup taken from bonito flakes and kobu seaweed and mochi.

It is a good opportunity to feel our tradition.