「レッツゴー キャム！」Cam, Ikuzo! Come follow Camden’s journey! July 2023

In mid-June I was able to meet two of my friends (one from Spain and the other from Korea) from my college years for the first time in 5 years. There is something special about Japan being the place that brought the 3 of us back together, despite none of us being Japanese. During the period where the three of us were staying in Matsudo, a volunteer group that does guides for tourists known as the Matsudo Takumi City Guide Volunteers was holding a guide at the Hondoji Temple in Matsudo City so the three of us applied and participated in the tour.

I had visited Hondoji Temple once before, but that time was during the night. This time going on a midday afternoon in June really let me appreciate the sheer size of the temple’s grounds, as well as the lovely blooming ajisai (hydrangea) flowers. In between the flower beds were many paths, so you can walk your way to the middle of the heaven-like flower garden which had ajisai flowers spanning far and wide. I took a video of me walking down one of those paths, so please check it out!

Within the temple’s grounds, you'll find a shrine with a torii gate, an 18-meter-tall pagoda (goju-no-to) and a Buddhist altar enshrined outside called “Benten-do” among other structures. Each of them are surrounded by nature, giving each place within the temple’s grounds a healing effect that was a joy to walk through. If you take a look at the picture directly below, you can see the “Benten-do” altar in the middle of the nature. Benten-do is built on top of a small island within a small pond, and it is comprised of a “zushi,” which is a miniature Buddhist shrine with double doors, that is being protected from wind and rain by a roof. “Zushi” are typically placed indoors, so seeing something I have not seen too often in the middle of nature surrounded by Hondoji’s greenery was very special. That greenery will be turning red near the end of November, so I am excited to go back to Hondoji so I can see an autumn scenery reminiscent of my home in American (the state of Maine).

Thanks to the Matsudo Takumi City Guide Volunteers I was able to deepen my knowledge of Matsudo’s history (particularly that of the Kita-Kogane area), and because they did the entire tour in English, my two friends were able to enjoy the time they spent there as well. Whether it is a day of clear skies or even a rainy day, you will still be able to enjoy Hondoji temple’s amazing scenery, so consider taking a visit yourself!

6月の中旬に、大学時代の韓国人とスペイン人の友人と日本で5年ぶりに再会しました。私たち3人は日本人ではないけれども、5年ぶりの再会するきっかけの場所が日本ということとは縁を感じますね。友人と松戸で過ごしていた期間にまつど匠ガイドという松戸市で観光ガイドしているボランティア団体が本土寺のガイドを行うので私たちも応募し、参加しました。

本土寺に一度訪れたことがありましたが、その時は夜で、今回6月の昼間に訪れたおかげで境内の広さと咲いていたアジサイの魅力に惹かれました。一面に広がるアジサイの花園が天国のように見えて、花壇の間にいろいろな道があり、花園の中心まで散歩することができます。そんな花園を歩きながら動画を撮ったのでぜひインスタで見てください！

境内には鳥居がある神社、高さ18mの五重塔（ごじゅうのとう）、弁天堂という外で祀られている仏壇等があり、どれも自然に囲まれ、癒しを与えてくれる素晴らしいところばかりでした。下記の写真をよく見ていただくと自然の中に弁天堂があります。この弁天堂はよく見ると小さい池の小島に立ててあり、屋根で雨や風から守られている厨子という両開きの扉がついている仏壇があります。本来厨子は室内に置かれていることが多いため、あまり自然の中で見たことないものがこのような綺麗な緑に囲まれることが素敵だと思いました。11月の下旬にその緑が紅葉の風景になり、自分の出身（アメリカのメイン州）と似た秋の景色を見るためにまた本土寺に訪れることを非常に楽しみにしています。

まつど匠ガイドのボランティアのおかげで松戸市（特に北小金エリア）の歴史について知識が深まり、全部英語で案内していただいたので友人2人も楽しく過ごしました。晴天でも雨天でもすごい景色が松戸市で見れるので、本土寺に行ってみてください！