🐈‍⬛⛩Goshuin | A Day in Rainy Sano That Changed My Perspective | Encounters with Cats and Ramen

A rainy Golden Week.
A solo trip following the one to Koshigaya.

The setting for this trip is Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture.

I'll be honest.
I thought Sano was just about the outlet mall or the Yakuyoke Daishi temple.
I'm sorry, I was completely misinformed.

At 10:30 AM, the Goshuin pilgrimage began.

First up, Asahimori Tenmangu Shrine.
It was raining quite hard.
But this approach is nice.
It's long. Quiet. Just walking here makes me feel calm.

The Goshuin is a double-page spread.
They say you can write any single character of your choice in the middle.

“Dream”. I chose this without hesitation.Nyan PEACE Cafe.

Next is Kamowakeikazuchi Shrine.
There are cats here.Hime-chan.
She works as a staff member.
…but she was curled up and resting due to the cold today. A pity.

But the Goshuin is interesting.
“Cat Characters”. Cat lovers will be smitten.

The head priest is also a cat lover, so our conversation flowed naturally.
Plus, I even got some ramen recommendations.
I'm grateful.

And then, Karasawayama Shrine.

If you take this place lightly, it's tough.
You have to do some real climbing.

But the moment I arrived, I understood. There are lots of cats.

The stone walls are impressive, and it's a place where you can honestly think, “Oh, this is a castle”.
I completely forgot about my knee pain.

And now, ramen.
The place recommended to me, “417 (Shiina)”. This was a huge hit.

The soup was clear with no off-flavors, and the umami spread gently.
It paired well with the curly noodles, and the chashu pork was tender.
Before I knew it, I had finished the entire bowl of soup. I'm very satisfied.

When I mentioned the head priest's recommendation, the atmosphere in the shop became instantly warm.
And as I was leaving, I was even “gifted” a juice.
I really appreciate gestures like this.
Thank you.

Finally, Sano Yakuyoke Daishi.
It needs no introduction. It's just huge.
And golden. Very golden.
It was a place with both weight and splendor.

After that, I went to the Premium Outlets.
Perhaps because of the rain, there were few people, and I finished my shopping smoothly. Things are going well today.

The sky was blue on the way home.
It was a day that came together quite nicely.

Nyan PEACE Cafe—I feel like I've taken a small step forward toward that goal.

I want to cherish these small steps.
I'll come back to Sano.

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