Anjin - The White Samurai

Not too long ago, I read the novel Shogun and though fictional, its based off of the white English sailor who landed himself in Japan and the Japanese not giving him up. He ended up becoming, I think, the one and only white (non-Japanese) samurai, which is a pretty big deal for that time.

I found out that he was buried, along with his Japanese wife, in the town I'm staying in. His Japanese name was Miura Anjin, and the town is called Anjinzuka. He was in charge of this area, if I remember correctly, which I think is pretty neat. Just last week, I made the trek up the (rather steep) hill to view it, and it turned out to be quite a beautiful day to do it.

His is the one on the right. 

Every April, they have a memorial ceremony, and though I've never been, it sounds like its a big event. 

Before climbing the stairs to the top, there's a stone monument, that I admit, I have no idea what it says, but its quite large and imposing.

These stairs are steep and far apart in height. They definitely take a person time to climb. Once you finally reach the top, you're greeted with the monuments behind the gate and these lush fluffy green bushes lining the entire surroundings.

After walking around for awhile, I made my way back down, but not before smelling what I thought was incense, but saw far on another hill, a man burning what I can only guess to be weeds or an old crop. It was quite pungent . 

I enjoyed the views and felt it get colder as the sun was rapidly sinking, so I quickly made my trip downhill back to the apartment.

If you notice, in the far righthand side of the above photo, you'll see a set of winding stairs. That's only a small portion of those stairs, and I ran up them once as a workout. I almost died that day, actually fighting throwing up once I got to the top. I commend everyone who lives in that apartment complex who have to take those stairs several times a day.

I'm glad I got to view this park and the monument. Its a great workout, since its up such a steep hill and its incredibly quiet. I can see it as a great place to get away for a peaceful afternoon, if ever I need. 

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