A New Year's sunrise at Kurama-Dera

It was after 1am by the time I got home on New Year's Eve, having taken the subway and then a taxi. The temptation, when the alarm went off around 5:30am, to turn it off and sleep in was strong, but I resisted and got up, dressed and out to nearby Kyoto-Seikadai-Mae station to get the train up to Kurama.

It was eerily still and quiet at the station and I had a moment of doubt as to whether the train would really arrive. Were they really running before 6am on New Year's Day? I was much encouraged when it did come and was full of people -- this idea of going up to Kurama-Dera for the New Year sunrise must have something in it.

It was still dark when we got out of the station, but lamps beside the stairs showed the way to the temple.

As we climbed, the first misty half-light of dawn began to show.

When I reached the top of the mountain, the sun was still a faint glow behind the eastern mountains.








We stood against the railing, looking out towards the east, waiting for the sun.

Finally, the first rays of the sun climbed above the horizon.

We stood in front of the temple, bathed in the light of a new year.

The priests had very thoughtfully lit a fire in the temple yard so we could warm ourselves.

Even the temple guardians seemed to be welcoming the sun.

With the new day well begun, I headed back down the mountain.

Kurama-dera has toilets for deer...

... and for rabbits!

In the light of day, there were plenty of things to see on the way down!

There are no photos of Kurama Onsen, but I arrived at 9am, waited outside until 10am by which time I was thoroughly chilled, and then luxuriated in the delightful warmth of the rotemburo (outdoor hot spring pool) for a good hour.

After that it was time for lunch: mountain vegetable soba noodles, with 7 types of wild vegetables.










The tengu is a famous feature of Kurama -- in fact, the towel I bought at the onsen (it was 200yen for a small towel you can keep, or 400yen to rent a big bath towel) was dyed with a tengu face. I was puzzled as I hadn't seen a tengu in the village. It turns out he was at the station; I'd walked right past him in the dark.

Finally, a quirky way of telling new-year fortunes: by 12-year zodiac... and blood type!