Taking Mum and Dad around Sendai

I will do a post about our hikes around Fuji Five Lakes, but the photos are on John's computer and I haven't got round to getting them off yet! So, for the time being, here is a selection of photos from when Mum and Dad came to Sendai. I'll do some individual posts too of the new things we did, but for the time being, here is a selection of photos of repeat trips to some of our favourite places! 

Mum enjoying the sunshine at Rinnoji Temple

Dad tying his fortune with all the others at Osaki Hachimangu Shrine

Walking towards Yamadera

Whale Rock

Mum and Dad relaxing on a stone

Paths cut into the rock, alongside crystal clear water, with gorgeous greenery on every side. It's not surprising that this was Mum and Dad's favourite day trip from Sendai.

Dad pretending to be the Little Mermaid. Like everything with my Dad, it's probably best not to ask! 

So so lovely! 

At the top of Yamadera

Apparently it is (just about) possible to feed 4 people in a tiny 1K apartment! 

They must have drained Ayashi Reservoir recently, it's a lot emptier than last time I was there!

A Kokeshi doll statue in Sendai's Nishi Park

Mum and Dad having their first ever paddle in the Pacific! 

Matsushima Bay from on high! 

Mum, like many other visitors to Japan, was a little obsessed with taking photos of all the pretty drain covers! These frogs in Yamoto were some of her favourites! 

It's finally time for the rice harvest. But hasn't it been a gorgeous summer?!

Matsushima and Yamadera, revisited in the sunshine

I've posted before about previous trips to Matsushima and Yamadera, but when we revisited with John's parents, the weather was a bit sunnier, especially at Yamadera. At Matsushima, we did a couple of different things to last time: we took a boat trip round the islands and watched a bit of the "Miyagi International Hero Summit" (don't ask) that we happened upon. 

Although the boat trip is supposed to all about the pretty islands, it's really about feeding the seagulls that flock around the boat! 

Everyone got very excited at this particular island. No idea why.

Nothing says Miyagi Summertime like ice-creams decorated as Date Masamune. 

Date Masamujohn.

I love sunshine through the trees

He's a bit sunnier than last time we met! 

Miyagi International Hero's Summit. Don't ask me what it was for or why. It baffled my brain too.

Crocodiles with platform shoes, scary fish men and a power ranger wielding a large phallic object. What more do you want from a Sunday day trip?!

View from the top of Yamadera in the sunshine. Gorgeous!

Very hot, but we made it!

Quintessential Yamadera shot

Yamadera

So our hike led us to Yamadera. The name in Japanese is 山寺, mountain temple, and so, unsurprisingly, it's a series of temples on a mountain. According to the sign at the bottom, it was founded in 860 by the Tendai Buddhist Sect. A seminary was set up alongside it, and when it reached it's peak in the Kamakura Era (1185-1382), more than 300 monks and 1500 devotees lived on and around the mountain. Since then, it's gone through ups and downs, and now there are 40 buildings over 115 hectares. The area you can walk over is much smaller than that, but there are some lovely corners to explore, and views to admire. 

That's all the interesting information the board had, so it's just photos from here! 

Happy Buddhas are the best!

Starting up the mountain

There were a lot of toys around this shrine, so I assume it's for children. My guess is the scary demons are to scare away evil spirits.

Strange rocks

View from the top

Lovely lovely mountains.

The shot that's on all the advertising for Yamadera! 

I'm glad I'm not the postman who has to collect from here, about 800 steps up!

Lots of money left in cracks in the rock

Heading Towards Yamadera

On Monday we managed to cross another thing off my 'To do before leaving Japan' list, and finally made a visit to Yamadera. It's a temple on the side of mountain, and more information about it in my next post, but first, the hike we did to get there. 

You can get the train straight from Sendai, via our house, to Yamadera, but if you get off one stop earlier, at Omoshiroyamakogen, you can hike the remaining 8km. The first half is along a river, secluded and gorgeous. The second half is along a road through pine forests and past rice fields. Slightly less secluded, but just as lovely. The whole walk took us about 2 hours, and we still had enough energy to climb the 1,000,000 1000 steps to the top temple at Yamadera (after we'd eaten our delicious bentos).

Enough rambling, time for photos! 

View of our hike from the train station

About all there is to Omoshiroyamakogen!

Down we go!

Relaxing on the bridge

The water is so so blue and clear! 

Bridge not made for fat foreigners!

Ridiculous path cut out of sheer rock

The most life we saw on the whole path.

I need somewhere like this to come whenever I feel stressed out.

Off the path and onto the road. 

Heading towards Yamadera

Rice fields.

If you want to do the hike yourself it's really easy. At Omoshiroyamakoen, cross over the road bridge over the station and the river, and on the far side of the bridge follow the sign on the left marked ハイキングコース. After that, it's just a case of following the path. You could barely get lost if you tried. Definitely a recommended extension to a trip to Yamadera!