Asuka 2011, 4, 16 樫原神宮から飛鳥迄

I went to see cherry trees at Ishibutai Kofun, which is located at the southrn part of Nara prefecture Japan. I walk with a walking map for the exercise.

Asuka is an ancient capital from about 6 - 8 century, so there are many old temple, ruins and Buddha statues etc. Right now the clean up the ancient road along the rice pad, so that tourist can walk around or ride rental bikes (which you can rent at Kashiwara Jingu and Asuka stations) around the area.

Even it was still cold during April, I felt good to walk around the vast area of the country side of Nara.

I will add the link of Asuka period as a reference of the history of Asuka area.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asuka_period

Taking pictures from the bus that I got on at Kashiwara Zingumae station.
樫原神宮前駅からバスに揺られて。

A Japanese tea cafe near Asuka temple. 飛鳥寺近くの茶屋

There are a lots of cheery trees at Ishibutai Kofun (burial mound). Ishibutai means stone stage. The stone hole used to be ancient king's grave. There are many history lovers as well as tourists and neighbors who enjoy cherry flowers.
石舞台古墳でお花見。

You can compare the size of stone with these people.
A guy on the right looking a hole underneath inside.

Somebody put flower for the ancient grave.
The flowers seemed to look new.

A side view. There were people inside. It has hight than you think.

The line in the middle on the ground is a ditch. That suggest of their technology of  irrigation at 6 century.

Rape blossoms are also beautiful along the hill. After the Ishibutai, I walked up the road to Oka temple. 

There was a sign of Oka dera temple, so I went down the stairs.
岡寺の標識を階段を下に。

And I went up the hill...

There was a small ryokan (Japanese style hotel) along the way...

And next to it there was a Japanese style snack and tea. I felt hot and tired, so I almost wanted to go in...

It is an entrance of Oka dra temple. It is a part of pilgrimage temple from the old time.

Amazingly it looks like a zen garden, but it is just a design on the roof top by the stairs.

I should not take the picture inside, so I took a couple from outside. There were more buddha statues inside.

There was a saying there were sizes of the real Buddha feet.

I felt interesting to see moss clothes on the zizo.
苔の服を着たお地蔵さん。

I felt chilly like there was a ghost when I saw the buddha in the little cave. Maybe lots of people pray to it, so there were many desires piling in there, you know what I mean? heavy.

I loved the wave of cherry flowers.

A white plum flower.

The area of the Oka temple huge while it was in the hidden place by mountain.

A tiger god at the gate?

Now I went to Tachibana temple 30 minutes walk from Oka temple.
There was some treasure houses there. This is a statue of prince Syotoku. 所得太子の像。
It looked kind of bizarre.

These two stones together are called as Saruishi. Monkey stones. This opens mouth and another one close mouth. They implies as a-un in buddhist practice meaning states of harmoney. 

Over view of Tachibana temple area.

So cute 2 colors of pinks on one tree!

亀石 It is called tortoise stone. There was a rest area and souvenir shop there.

Another ancient grave stone

Other monkey stones at an emperor grave.

Finally I arrived at Asuka station. I walked about 5 - 6 kilos only puls visiting temples, ruins and taking pictures. I felt exhausted.