Another Day In Japan: Osu Kannon Temple

I finally made it to a nearby temple that I’ve been meaning to go to for a while now.  Osu Kannon Temple is right outside the subway exit for Osu Kannon city.  Although the sky was filled with clouds, the weather was perfect for a trip around the city.

Within the temple grounds, there is not a lot other than gravel and a few statues that seemed to be isolated from the rest of the temple.

The border of the temple grounds is lined with trees and gates, seemingly to separate the temple from the surrounding city.

When I approached the temple, I was most intrigued by the size and the colors.

As you can see in most temples, there is a large lantern that hangs before the entrance to the temple itself.  Also, there is a plaque which labels the temple, above the temple doors.

After I said my prayers, I went on to explore the shopping district that is literally connected to the temple grounds.  But before I left, I caught a glimpse of something colorful hanging from an entrance into the grounds.

Anyway, on to the shopping district!  Even from the entrance you can see how long it extends.  But once you reach the end, you can proceed on to the next district that seems to continue on forever.

I stopped in on a few shops to check out the merchandise they were selling.  Less populated shops were prime areas for me to practice my Japanese with the shop owners.  It was fun seeing the look on their face when I spoke to them in Japanese.  Since the area is populated heavily with foreigners, it is easier for people to assume a person with white skin will have little or no ability towards speaking Japanese.  Sometimes I just wait to see if they will try to explain everything in English.  It’s like asking an American from the Midwest to explain something in Spanish.

Something that may be unique to foreigners that come to this area is the way people are dressed.  It is said to be more popular for “otaku” type personalities.  Otaku, refers to people that like manga, anime, or have video game related interests.  They tend to dress differently than the rest of the population.  Akihabara in Tokyo is most famously known for this.  Amongst the otaku’s are other fashions and styles.

I also managed to find a rather large “Maneki Neko”.  They are said to bring luck or fortune depending on which arm is raised in the air.

Around 6:30pm things began to get a little dull in the district and shop owners prepared to close for the day.  In other words, it was a fun and successful day in Osu Kannon.