The Survival Strategy of a Handsome Man. [Kyoto Winter Travel] Rozan-ji Temple

Are you watching this season's Taiga drama?

I am not watching it.
Or rather, I can't. I don't have a TV at home.

Even though we are moving away from the golden age of television, when something is broadcast on morning dramas or Taiga dramas, the places associated with them still get a lot of attention. It's very important from the perspective of regional revitalization.

So says someone who isn't even watching it, sounding all high and mighty.

Anyway, for my second stop on the 'Kyoto Winter Travel' tour, I went to Rozan-ji Temple.

It is said to be the site of Murasaki Shikibu's residence and the place where she wrote 'The Tale of Genji'. The birthplace of that masterpiece...

If I visited every day, I wonder if Murasaki Shikibu would possess me, say 'I have something left to write,' borrow my body to start writing, and stir up the living rooms of the nation with the world of The Tale of Genji reborn across a thousand years! I would hole up in Rozan-ji, let Murasaki Shikibu move the brush as she pleased, and spend my days admiring the bellflowers blooming in the garden. But eventually, I would start wanting to write with my own will, get jealous of Murasaki Shikibu's talent, and we'd get into a fight—

But I digress.
In this special exhibition, you can see the statue of the demon of Ganzan Daishi and the Buddha that Akechi Mitsuhide took with him to the battlefield.

I often see talismans of this Ganzan Daishi when walking around Kyoto. He is also known as Tsunodaishi (Horned Daishi), and because of the anecdote that he drove away an epidemic in the form of a terrifying demon with horns, the talismans are in the shape of a demon. They're actually quite cute. A friend of mine was wearing a Tsunodaishi T-shirt the other day. I want one too.

Now, the guide told me an interesting story about this Tsunodaishi-sama.

Ganzan Daishi is also called 'Oni Daishi' (Demon Daishi).
He was highly reputed as a handsome man at the time, and one day he ran into some court ladies who were cherry blossom viewing at the palace, causing quite a stir.

It's like Ryo Yoshizawa appearing in Shibuya, the guide said. Thank you for the easy-to-understand analogy.

To escape the squeals of the court ladies, do you know what he did? He transformed into a demon as a 'thank you' for the cherry blossom viewing. The court ladies were terrified by his fearsome appearance and covered their faces. When they looked up again, the demon was gone.

So, for those of you out there who are tired of women making eyes at you every day, please transform into a demon when you're in trouble. That should help you avoid the predicament.

The Oni Daishi statue was cute. Even in the form of a demon, it seems a true handsome man cannot hide his radiant charm. The court ladies back then must have been too surprised to get a good look. What a waste.

See you later.

I wonder how many places I can visit on this winter trip.
I went to Sennyu-ji Temple the other day ↓