culture – Bill's Blog

We kicked off the New Year with a hike to Katsuoji Temple. It is our favorite temple in Japan! The temple is located in the hills of Minoh Park, a huge forested set of hills and valleys just on the outskirts of the urban sprawl of Osaka. We all spent a lot of time in Minoh Park, cycling and hiking through the beautiful Sugi forests. In certain areas in the park, one can see deer and monkeys and it is nice to have nature so close to the metropolis of Osaka. It is a perfect hike starting from our old house, it is about a 4-kilometer walk (2.5 miles) up the mountain on a clearly marked trail. Japanese people in the early days of the New Year, visit their local temple to pray for good fortune in the upcoming year and pay respects to their ancestors. This is called hatsumode. It is a befitting way to start a year. I loved getting the family together to exercise and to reflect on what is coming up in 2024.

We purchased lucky charms to bring us money, safety while driving, luck on school exams, and one lucky wish. We attached the charms to the complimentary bamboo branch we received upon entrance to the temple. We lit a candle and incense for our ancestors, both dead and alive. We skipped the prayers at the shrines because the lines were too long. Rain interspersed stretches of sunshine throughout the day but it was not heavy and the walking warmed us up.

I love Katsuoji because, unlike many temples in Japan, it is located in a wilderness area and not overcrowded like many temples during New Year’s celebrations. The Emperor Seiwa erected the Buddhist temple 1,260 years ago and named it katsu, which means “winning” in Japanese. For centuries, warlords and common people have come to Katsuoji to buy the famous Daruma dolls to see if they get the winner’s luck. If the wish is fulfilled, the daruma dolls are supposed to be left on the grounds. We bought six Daruma dolls to represent our five family members and our dog Obi.

It was a perfect way to start the new year. I love exercising in the wilderness followed by a cultural experience. We don’t know what 2024 will bring us but we will do our best and stick together as a family. Happy New Year and best wishes for health, happiness, success, and fulfillment in the upcoming year.

"The Messenger" - A Sculpture by Stevan Bodnarov

There are reminders of the 50 years of communism all throughout Belgrade. Above is a sculpture by Badnarov, who has several statues around the city including the one in the center of Slavija Circle. The one above is of a Partisan soldier in WW II and it is entitled “The Messenger” but I am not sure what he is referring to. Is there a Paul Revere in Yugoslavia? The work is located outside the Center for Culture and Sport “Šumice” here in Belgrade. Our ISB boys’ basketball team played an exhibition tourney there on Friday. The German School invited us and Public High School #13 to play and they rented the facilities. It was a beautiful basketball arena and there seemed to be some other sport venues in the complex. The Serbians love their sport and it is nice to have such a facility like this owned by the city and open to the public. It had that communist architecture feel to the place. Below is a photo of the gym. I wonder how long it will take to eliminate all signs of the communist era. There are so many cement apartment buildings, parks, and monuments that will remind future generations of that period in Serbia’s history. I like it because it is so different than anything I see in Michigan.