I went to Namikiri Fudoson! |「海陽で行ってみた！」波切不動尊編
みなさん、初めまして！教育委員会の新しい国際交流員、グウェンです。
Hi, everyone! I’m Gwenafaye, the new CIR here at the Board of Education.
私が海陽町に住み始めた最初の週に、海陽町の野江にある波切不動尊に行きました。少し離れたところですが、海陽町の自然的な魅力を教えてもらうのにふさわしい美しいところでした。実は、この表示無しには入口を見つけるのが難しいなと思いました！
On one of my first days in Kaiyo, I went to the Namikiri Fudōson temple in part of Kaiyo called Noe. It’s a little out of the way, but was a beautiful way to be introduced to what Kaiyo has to offer! In fact, it would be hard to find the entrance without this helpful sign!
お寺の入り口はほとんど木の陰になっていて、入ると温度差を感じるので、ここは夏の暑さをしのぐのにはもってこいな場所だと思いました。でも、お寺の本堂は崖のふもとにあるので、空気はとても静かに止まっていました。特別な感じがしますが、汗は必ずかきます！
Most of the temple, like the entrance, is shrouded by trees. As soon as you walk down the small slope to the main temple grounds, you can feel the difference in temperature, which is pretty nice in these summer months. But, because the main draw of the temple is set into the side of a rocky cliff, the air is very still here. It makes it feel special, but will definitely make you sweat!
入る前に、手水舎でちゃんと手を洗いました。敷地の中には、お祈りをする場所がたくさんあります。ここは、真言宗の開祖（弘法大師）と関わりがある上に、悪を退治し人々を守ってくださると言われている不動明王を祀っています。
Before entering, I made sure to rinse my hands at the free-flowing tap. Once inside, there are multiple places to offer prayers. This is a Buddhist temple, with a connection to the founder of Shingon Buddhism (the Kōbō Daishi), and is dedicated to the deity Fudō Myōō, who is known for defeating evil and for general protection.
このマムシ注意の看板には、確かに守護のエネルギーを感じられますね。でも、このイメージは本当のマムシではないかも…？
There is definitely some of that protective energy here in this sign warning visitors to watch out for the Japanese pit viper, the mamushi! I don’t think this image is totally accurate, though…
その上の方にある、素晴らしい鐘の音はとても綺麗で、深く響きます。この鐘は時間を測るために使っていたことをみなさんは知っていますか？
There is also a very large bell, called a bonshō, that you can ring by hitting it with a large, hanging beam! It makes a beautiful, deep noise, and was originally meant to call Buddhist monks to prayer, as well as to measure time.
鐘のある門を通ると、緑豊かで、羽毛状のコケに覆われた世界に運ばれます。供えられるところもたくさんがあって、仏様を１２尊ぐらい祀ってあります。すごく綺麗なところで、入ってすぐに、足が止まったほど美しいです！
Going through the gate with the bonshō transports you into a world covered in lush, green, feather-like moss. There are plenty of smaller places to make offerings here, too, with twelve different statues representing different deities. It really is an incredibly beautiful spot – it made me stop in my tracks the moment I walked in!
波切不動尊の見どころは、この大岩を支えているように見える二本の杉。近くにある看板によると、弘法大師は落石しかけた大岩を見て、その前の地面に杉の箸を二本立てたと言われているそう。二本の箸は杉の大木となり、大岩を支えているらしいよ。１８４０年に海から出た灯明がこの大杉の梢へ飛んできて、7日間ぐらい光るので、この杉は灯明杉と呼ぶようになったみたい。綺麗な心を持っている人だけがその間を通れるともいわれています。私はその杉の間を問題なく通れてよかったです！
The main draw of this temple are the two tall cedar trees which seem to be holding back a huge boulder. According to this sign, the legend is that the Kōbō Daishi saw the boulder and stuck two cedar chopsticks into the ground in front of it. The chopsticks grew into these two massive trees and now seem to hold the boulder back. In 1840, votive lights floated from the coasts of several nearby villages and landed in the tops of these trees, where they burned for seven nights, earning them the name “The Votive Cedars.” It is said that only the pure of heart can pass between them. I’m happy to say I made it through them, no problem!
平和な場所と美しい自然があるので、海陽町に行くときには、ぜひ波切不動尊へ！私にとって、素晴らしい海陽町についての紹介だったからです。みなさんも楽しんでくださいね！
With its peaceful location and beautiful nature, I think Namikiri Fudōson is a must-visit if you’re coming to Kaiyo. It was a great introduction for me, so I hope you’ll enjoy it, too!
