An image of the #1 garden in Japan at the Adachi Museum of Art.

Over the next 10 days, we were treated to a number of places, each overflowing with years of historical relevance and cultural significance. They’re far too many to recall here, but overall I felt deeply privileged and humbled to have been allowed to see them. There are a few points of particular note during the trip I wade into. One moment that stuck out for me was visiting the Kezoji Temple on the summit of Mt. Makuragi to northeast of Matsue. To get to the top, you’ll likely need to drive up the winding mountain pass, exit, and walk a workout’s worth of stairs amidst a lush forest path which leads to the top.  Grandma Setsu said that in the past people would actually walk from the bottom of the mountain to the top—how times have changed. Once you’re at the top, you can get a panoramic view of Matsue and the pristine Lake Shinji. When I finally arrived, I was able to take stock of how massive and simultaneously aged the Kezoji Temple was. It’s over 1000 years old and fully functional sans some medium level repairs that need to take place. There’s literally nothing built in America that’s remotely this old and commands such reverence. Our caravan was greeted kindly by the head monk who had a reputation among the locals of being strict. We never saw this side of the monk, however, we learned something more interesting about him: He’s the only monk who lives at the temple.