SPIRIT AWAY

The Mount Ikoma trail is an old pilgrim trail. Long time ago, monks walked these trails across the mountain to Nara and beyond, seeking enlightenment, and gaining tax deductions.

The trail open grandly with a shopping street at Ishikiri. I followed the trail of ancient shoppers, but resisted the temptation of buying anything. My goal was far grander than small town shopping...

To reach Ishikiri: Take the Kinetsu Osaka Line from JR Tsuruhashi (which is on the eastern side of the Osaka Loop line) to Ishikiri station (about 15 minutes from JR Tsuruhashi), then walk east, then turn left at the 2nd or 3rd corners (both way is OK) there are plenty of maps around the area.

I passed a ceremonial dragon, trapped in the confinement of a small wooden hut. I've no intention of rescuing it. I'm not Don Quixote...

To prepare for my pilgrim trail, I had to collect food. The local vegetation around that area was these yellow potatoes. They looked eatable and delicious. They grow on stone pillars and cement roofing, easily reachable by hungry hikers.

Walking east, I reached the Ishikiri Yume Kannon Do (or the Temple of Dream Kannon). The winged horse could be an inspiration from Pegasus, or it could also because Bellerophon dropped by this temple on his quest.

I also found this flower by the side of the trail. This reminded me I have missed my breakfast. The delusion of my hunger made me think this is a fry egg. So I picked it up and swallowed it like a fry egg. My delusion told me it tasted like a fry egg. And that was the story of my breakfast...

I continued up the trail. Up the thousand stairs to the Ishikiri shrine. A blind man was swiping the fallen leaves from the stairs.

When I walked pass him, he looked up and said, "you are followed by a ghost."

I turned back and saw nothing. I reminisced on his words and realized he spoke in Japanese which I didn't understand a word. He was probably just telling me not to step on the leaves. So I continued up, towards the Ishikiri shrine.

The shrines were empty. The late autumn was not a tourist season. I walked through the empty shrines, talking to bored deities. They asked if I have some coins to spare, I told them I spent them all in the instant noodle vending machine.

I stopped by a turtle pond. Looking closely, I could see they were alive. They bit my finger when I tried to touch them.

A leaf fall into the pond, causing a clamor of protest.

"You are not a turtle," the turtles shouted at the leaf. "You must leave at once!"

For that the leaf replied calmly, "it's not my will to fall in here. It's the will of the wind which blow me to this pond. Like it's the will of the people who dropped you here. We are both victims of fate."

The turtles accepted his explanation, and welcomed their new brother.

the trail went up and up, passing through houses on both sides. The trail grew narrower and the houses more apart. Occasionally, I saw tombs on the side. They stood bravely before the autumn trees. They greeted me warmly, as if saying, "soon you will be here, with us."

I replied politely, "hopefully not too soon."

I felt something was following me. Wherever I went, it was merely a few steps behind me. It didn't even bother to hide it's existence. It was singing loudly, a cute Japanese song. I turned around and saw the truck carrying lamp oil. It had been stalking me for a few blocks. What an evil truck. It must be trying to sell me its lamp oil... But it walked pass me without stopping. We both went our separate way, peacefully.

Few people lives on the upper part of the trail. Only the statues live there. They watched me with their cold stony eyes, daring me not to pay them respect. I relented and bowed to them. They smiled graciously, letting me through...

I walked on and on. The houses disappeared, entering a forest covered with dead leaves. Each few steps were guarded by a pair of statues. On and on. Hundred and hundred of them. I greeted them each with a hello, they nodded at me but said nothing. I couldn't understand why they would sit there, wouldn't they have better things to do somewhere else?

I walked on and on.

The statues were all wearing red bibs, matching the color of the autumns. I circled up the hills, and saw their present on every corner. They sat there peacefully and motionlessly. Every few moments, I seemed to hear the silent chattering between the pair of statues, but that could also be the songs of the woodpeckers or the ghosts of the old forest.

At the end of the trail was a stone pagoda. No one was around. Not even the blind man who swiped the leaves. I heard some rustling. Someone was behind...

Behind me was a rank of Buddhas. They stared at me with curious stony eyes. They were probably the one who made the noise. Really, they shouldn't be that shy. I was always kind to stone statues... I asked them if there was a trail further on from there. They all turned their heads. So I have to retrace my route back down the hundred Buddha lane.

I saw temples hidden among the autumn leaves. They looked abandoned but clean. The background music was the sound of silence. I walked in like a guest without invitation.

The temple was empty. Buddha was not inside, but he left his statue there. I pay him respect, wishing for a safe journey.

The stone lamp doesn't lit at day, neither does it lit at night. It doesn't lit at any time. I questioned it's usefulness and it questioned me back, "What have you done to help the mankind?" I was speechless and ashamed and left the stone lamp alone.

The more I walked, the more misty it grew. I saw no future and I remembered no past. Mist was my only world. I was lost and I was found.

There must be a mass murder of petals. They all lied dead on the leafy carpet. Who killed them? I don't know. It was too late to help them. I lamented for their death and leaved them to decay.

Mist clouded my path. I walked with uncertainty. The future is unknown. I needed guidance.

Guidance came in the form of a song. It sounded faint and uncertain, probably from far far away. I followed the song deep into the mist.

Slowly but certainly, the mist shrouded the world. Seeing nothing, I went nowhere. The sound of the birds stopped (not that there were any to begin with). Blinded, directionless, I awaited my next hint. And the song started again. A song of foreign tongue. Not a sadly song. Not chilly. Not even ghostly.

I don't know the name of the song, but I was sure the song was...

The song was a cartoon song, and it was cheerful.

Following the song, I saw the pinks, some pink amusement park rides, motionless and lifeless. I reckoned they must have been abandoned for decades and wouldn't be too surprised when a ghost suddenly popped out from one of the rides. However what I saw surprised me far more than a ghost...

I saw a sign... and the sign said "OPEN". In a misty day, on a remote mountain, deserted and miserable, the rides were open? I would never have guessed that in a thousand years.

Nevertheless I paid 300Y to the vending machine and handed the ticket to an operator hidden inside a booth. He activated the rides for me, just for me.

The pink ride took me to an amusement park. An empty amusement park. The coffee table, the roller coaster, and all the rides were empty. The rain poured on.

The story went like "Spirit Away": Chihiro went through the tunnel, arrived at an empty amusement park. Later, she found the park was full of pigs who had eaten the forbidden food...

I didn't see any pigs, but doubtlessly it looked like an empty amusement park. Only it wasn't empty....

People still worked in the park, even though they had zero customer. Everyone stayed in their position, waiting for the customers who would never show up...

In other parts of the world, they would surly closed the park in the low season... This was something below the low season. They had absolutely zero customer (except me), yet they kept the park running..... This was a very amusing amusement park.

The 300Y I paid for the pink ride up was probably the only income for them for the whole day... and they had to share it among... what? 50 workers? I had a feeling this couldn't be real. Maybe it was only a dream... soon the witch Yu-baaba would pop up from somewhere and boo at me.

I met a red robot and asked him how I could leave the park. He pointed me to the east (noticed his left hand?), and I followed his advice.

I found the cable car. It was... it was so kawaii. I had a feeling I would be the only person taking the cable car.

The front of the cable car was decorated with blood red strawberries. I checked the time table, it would leave at 2:45pm and I saw no one around. I hope it was working. I didn't want to walked down the mountain in the pouring rain.

I returned to the mist. Being the only customer, I felt the obligation of contributing some coins to their rides...

I was going to try the "hell house". It was a perfect day for horror. Yet it was closed. I was sure moments ago it was open. Anyway I was glad that they have the good sense of closing the park early..... So I waited for 2:45pm... when the time came, I returned to the cable car. Because of the rain, the pavement was extremely slippery. I slipped and hurt my bums really bad... but I was alive, I dragged my injured body back to the cable car...

They sure had very funny cable cars... I had the impulse of riding them up and back again, but my itinerary hurried me onward... I had to visit the Sensekei in Osaka...

Even the interior of the cable car was decorated with cartoon dogs. I enjoyed the ride, and my adventure in the amusement park ended when the car arrived at Ikoma station. Back to the real world.