I stayed at Ryokan Kojō

[Japanese]

Thursday, 6th of August, 2020

On the 1st (Sat.), we moved from Kōmyōzan Kampukuji Temple (光明山観福寺) in Sanda City to Yōbu City in Hyogo, to inspect the route we would climb Mt. Kōmyō (光明山) in Yōbu City the next day.

We got to know there were a lot of burial mounds around the root of the Mt. Kōmyō. 

The number of them seemed to be a bit uncommon copious.

We went around from Ōyabu, the west of the foot of the mountain, to the south, Kuchimeiji (口米地), and then to Nakameiji (中米地) for the preliminary inspection.

From Nakameiji, we went north along the river but turned back because the road was blocked by a net door.

There were about 20 or 30 of them, they had finished their work and were drinking. Then I asked...

"Excuse me, I want to climb up to Mt. Kōmyō above, but where should I climb up from? Could you show me the way?"

"Hmmm... I don't know." :-)

"I don't know...   (to the other person,) Do you know?"

"Ask them over there."

I went around the banquet table and asked.

Me: "I'd like to go up to Mt. Kōmyō..."

Villager: "By the way, what are you going to the mountains for? There are bears in the mountain." 

Me: "What? There's a bear there!"

Villager: "If you meet a cub, you're in trouble. Its parent is going to attack you! ".... Everyone says so.

Me: "It's a bear...but God told me to come and greet him with a bottle of sake."

Villager: "God told you... to come and greet him with a sake ..."

Villager: "Hey, you're a hunter, you know..."

Hunter: "You can't get to the top of the mountain, it's too steep." 

Me: "Well, excuse me, but may I open the net door that is blocking the road tomorrow and enter in?"

Villager: "Yeah, O.K."

Me: "Thank you."

Villager: "After you open the door and go straight ahead, there's some sort of concrete cistern on your left, you can climb up from there."

I was told this.

"Thank you!"

"Be careful when you go up there."

It seems that even in this village there are few people who climbed the top of the Mt. Kōmyō. 

Only the hunter said, "There's nothing to see, no scene, even if you go to the top of the mountain."

But for me, just getting their permission to open the net door blocked the road and enter the mountain gave me a great sense of relief.

We stayed at an inn called "Ryokan Kojō (旅館 古城)". 

Finally, the next day, we would go to the target Mt. Kōmyō, the tomb of Empress Kōmyō.