Village Lifelike the rest, was once painted in vibrant colors. It must have been an astounding sight for those who suddenly came upon it so deep in the mountains. Another legacy of the Heian period is the beauti-fully symmetrical Shiramizu Amidado Hall, a National Treasure located on the grounds of Ganjoji Temple in the city of Iwaki. Its roof, thatched with shingles of horse chestnut, lifts gently upward at the corners, a singularly Japanese aesthetic that departs from the more acute flare of classic Chinese temple design. reached by crossing a bridge that passes over a cen-tral island. The approach is typical of a Heian-period Jodo garden, in which the bridge represents passage from this world into the next—a paradise where the Buddha Amida awaits the faithful. Inside the hall are five Buddhist figures, with the Buddha Amida at the center. The hall is lovely in any season, but is espe-cially gorgeous in the autumn, when it and the trees around the pond are illuminated. The Amidado has a pond on three sides; it is Shiramizu Amidado Hall are all the more striking for their setting. The ancients believed that nature was imbued with countless deities; this thinking carries on today in the Japanese fascination with the subtleties of the changing seasons and the majesty of nature. Particularly beloved is the cherry tree, Japan’s much-loved symbol of joyous, yet ethereal, spring. In Tomioka, an avenue near Yonomori Station is lined with cherry trees so lush they form a tunnel of pink that draws admirers from near and far. When illuminat-ed at night, the scene is magical—as if the very spirits of cherry blossoms are dancing on the evening air.otherwise quiet locales into sought-after destinations. The Kido River gorge in the town of Naraha is one such place. The ravine becomes wrapped in hues so rich that one begins to think the entire spectrum of tra-ditional Japanese colors must have originated in this season.Both the stone Buddhas of Daihisan and the The colorful palette of autumn, too, can transform The Stone Buddhas of DaihisanLocated in Soma, Daihisan is one of three places in Japan where ancient statues of Buddhist figures are found carved in the rock face. Here, those in the Yakushido section of the site are the best preserved.Shiramizu Amidado at GanjojiThis hall on the precincts of a Buddhist temple in Iwaki dates to 1160. Visitors can enter it and stroll the Jodo-style garden depicting the Pure Land paradise. In autumn, projection-mapping events at the hall, along with illuminations in and around the garden, highlight the beauty of this exquisite building. Kido River Gorge The Kido River cuts through a deep V-shaped gorge filled with lush woodland and dotted with water-falls. In Naraha, downstream from Kido Dam, a three-kilometer path offers scenic views, especially in spring and autumn.Yonomori Cherry Trees One of the best blossom destina-tions in Hamadori is near Yonomori Station in Tomioka, where 420 trees line a two-kilometer stretch. The tunnel of flowers they create is espe-cially magical when lit up at night.31
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