Japanese stairmaster deluxe, or Konpirasan

Konpirasan -- a shrine/temple sitting on top of a daunting 1368 step ascent. Well, here I am smiling at the top, so it couldn't have been that bad, right? Luckily for me (and the other swarms of people there -- mainly Japanese) the stairs are broken up by terraces, a garden and a series of toriis and gates that get more impressive the higher you climb. Getting to the top isn't so bad when you get to stop and shop every 100 or so stairs.

Today was field-trip day for the local high schools -- we ran into tons of students eager to talk to us. The group in blue was particularly, er, happy to see us.

Since sakura season, I've become a pretty big fan of flowering trees -- apparently, the Japanese are too.
And: Here is the actual temple of Konpirasan -- the picture doesn't really do it justice. There are engravings and gold leafed doors on the other side. And, best of all, there was a monk hanging out inside.