Don's Aomori Visit (Day 9 Part 1) / ドン 青森紀行 （九日目 パート１）

It's now August 5th. Don's final full day in Aomori. Tomorrow he will be catching a plane and flying back to the U.S. Sunday and Monday are me and my wife's weekend, which means we will have a car to take us to various places today. I had told Don about a shop that serves over a hundred different flavors of shakes. We took my sister there when she visited in March. We decided to start our day by heading to the shake shop where we would eat lunch, and then I would translate the shake menu for Don to let him know what flavors were available. Afterward, we would go to Seiryuji Temple to see the Showa Daibutsu.

今日は８月５日。日曜日。ドンの最後の日。明日ドンはアメリカに帰ります。日月は僕と僕の妻の休日なので、車でいろんなところに行ける。ドンにある店が１００種類以上のシェイクの店があるので、今日はそこに行きます。丁度昼だったし、みちのくでランチも食べました。ランチが終わったら、昭和大仏がある青龍寺に行く予定。

This is the shake shop. One side of the building is a restaurant where we decided to eat lunch.

ここが１００種類以上のシェイクが販売してる店。ビルの左側はレストラン。そこで昼食を食べました。

Don had ordered the ramen. I think I may have ordered the same item. I don't remember.

ドンがラーメンを注文しました。自分も同じもの頼んだかどうか覚えてない。

But our main reason for coming here was to have a shake. My wife ordered her favorite, the pumpkin shake. I think Don ordered something unusual - maybe it was the soybean flour molasses shake, maybe it was something more standard. I've been here so many times that I also forgot what flavor I ordered today.

ここに来る本当の目的はやっぱりシェイクです。妻は自分の大好きなカボチャシェイクを注文。ドンがなにを選んだがはっきり覚えてない。もしかして、きなこ黒蜜シェイクだったかも。自分もこの店も何回も来てるので、今日なに味を頼んだも忘れました。

Here we are at Seiryuji Temple. My wife said she would wait for us in the car as she has been here many times already.

青龍寺に到着。妻が車で待ってると言って、僕とドンだけがこの寺を探索しました。

Kondo / 金堂

Five-Storied Pagoda / 五重塔

Statue of the creator of the Showa Daibutsu, Ryukou Oda.

昭和大仏の建立者の像、織田隆弘。

Kaisando / 開山堂

The rock garden by the five-story pagoda.

五重塔にある石庭。

Yes, you are allowed to bang the bell, for a small fee.

はい、鐘を鳴らすのは大丈夫です。

Pinwheels for deceased or aborted children.

水子の為のものです。

The Bokeyoke Kannon. A deity for people who are beginning to forget things. This Kannon protects people from dementia.

ボケ避観音。

The Showa Daibutsu / 昭和大仏

Inside the Buddha.

昭和大仏の中。

Bato Kannon / 馬頭観音

Warabe Kannon / 童観音

Ichigan Kannon (One-Wish Kannon) - This Kannon will accept just one wish from worshippers.

一願観音。

The Fudo Myooh - he severs people's bad thoughts with the sword and forcefully brings people taking the wrong path back to the right path with the rope.

厄除け不動尊。

A miniature of the 88 temples pilgrimage in Shikoku which was walked by Kobo Daishi. The pond is modeled after the island of Shikoku and has sand from each of the places around it. Each foot mark shaped plate holds the sand from one of the the 88 temples.

弘法大師の四国８８箇所巡り。

We are making the 88 temple pilgrimage of Shikoku in Aomori in less than five minutes.

青森で四国８８箇所巡りを５分以内で歩きました。

Don hanging out with Kobo Daishi.

ドンは弘法大師と一緒。

Kobo Daishi / 弘法大師

I treated Don to a snack called goehei mochi.

ドンにごへい餅をご馳走してあげた。

Entrance to the Daishido.

大師堂の入口。

My wife waited for us in the car. I think we spent about an hour exploring Seiryuji Temple. I hope she wasn't bored.

妻が車で待ってくれたため、退屈じゃなかったのかな。だって、一時間くらい青龍寺を探索しました。

From Seiryuji Temple, our next destination was the Aomori Museum of History which is located near the ferry terminals. But that will be for the next post.

清滝寺のを去て、次の目的地を目指した。それが青森まほろば歴史館。フェリーターミナルの近くにある。それは次回のネタとなります。