Our Last Day in Japan, Narita-san Shinsho-ji Temple

Dec 17, 2005

Jason and I got up early and got dressed up for the flight out of Japan, but we didn't plan on going straight to the airport. Heath was taking us in to the city early so that we could visit another beautiful Temple.

The Narita-san Shinsho-ji Temple was founded in 940. The legend has it that a Goma rite dedicated to the image of Fudomyoo, which had originally been enshrined at Takaosan Jingoji Temple in Kyoto, help to miraculously suppress a revolt against Emperor Suzaku. An oracle proclaimed that the image, which had been transported from Kyoto to Narita, should stay where it was to relieve the locals from suffering. Emperor Suzaku then ordered the creation of the Narita-san temple to enshrine the Fudomyoo image.

There were some of the most beautiful gardens surrounding the temple grounds and buildings, but Heath and Jason both assured me that they were even beautiful in the springtime when the flowers were blooming. A few highschool students were out jogging the garden trails, and Heath told us that in the summertime they were a more common sight.

We stayed for a couple of hours, wandering the garden and temple grounds before we had to get back in the truck and head to the airport. We thought we had plenty of time before our flight, so we had McDonalds with Heath while we waited. It wasn't until we were standing in a HUGE line for customs that we discovered we'd made a mistake. We noticed several Japanese girls talking to people in the lines, and when they reached Jason we discovered that they were actually looking for us! Our plane was about to leave, and we weren't on it!

Surrounded by Japanese girls on radios we were suddenly on a mad race through the airport to make our plane. They held the transport buses until we could get there, and broke the crowds ahead of us, all the time telling us that they were really sorry and that there was no way they could get us there in time.

To our surprise and shock they actually held the plane for us, much to the dismay and fury of our fellow passengers. We got hordes of dirty looks as we made our way to our seats and sat down. Thankfully we slept most of the flight home, and Jason admitted that he would be glad to sleep in his own bed again. I was a little less pleased to be on my way home, if I had my wish I would have stayed another week!