Exploring North Yokohama, or The Longest Day (Part I)

Each issue of the bi-monthly Keikyu Railways magazine maps out a recommended stroll between the train line's various stations. Ishii-san pulled an old issue from her stack before we visited Mitsuike Park to see the cherry blossoms.

"Look!" she said gleefully.  "There is a three-hour recommended hike that will take us through Mitsuike Park and - even better - Misono Park where we can see Yokomizo House which was designated the first Cultural Property of Yokohama in 1988."

Based on past experience, we knew a "three-hour recommended hike" would take us at least five hours.  One of us has a penchant for stopping to smell the flowers.  Had we known our route would take us through a cemetery, we would have tacked on another hour or two.

We did not have five hours at our disposal that day so we scheduled our adventure for May 2.  But then Ishii-san learned that the Yokomizo House is not open on the first and third Monday of the month, so we re-scheduled for today, a day that will live in infamy.  It's also a day that will require four or five posts to record because it was definitely one for the memory book.

We cross over the train tracks and follow a shady path that skirts the grounds of a college campus. Ishii-san says the college is famous for its dental school, which I mention simply to prove that I am sometimes a good listener.

The flatness of the path appeals to me. Ishii-san warns that we will start climbing soon.

Be still my heart!  A map.  

Sosoji Temple is located behind the college. The temple grounds are vast. We pause to examine the map before entering the grounds. There must have been a cartographer in my family's misty past. What other explanation can there be for my sigh of pleasure and quickening pulse whenever a map flutters into my peripheral vision?

We enter the gate and start crossing the grounds in the direction of the main temple. Ishii-san spies a sign for a gift shop so we veer right, doff our sneakers, buy a trinket or two, re-lace our sneakers, and then head about fifteen more yards toward the temple before Ishii-san spots another temple building worth investigating. Inside we find a large statue of Daikoku. After tossing 100 yen in the money box, I rub Daikoku's head three times for good luck.

Glancing at the annotated copy of our hike map, I see that Ishii-san has scheduled us to spend a grand total of ten minutes at Sosoji temple.

It took me at least that long to re-lace my sneakers upon exiting the gift shop.

Something tells me we're in for a long day.