Meditating among Little Buddhas

Japan should be happy to house among its wonders some of the most delirious places on Earth. While living there, I had the opportunity of visiting some of them, and I still have a few left for my likely future trips to Japan. Nevertheless, so far, the one that ranks to me among the most deranged places is Taiyou Kouen (太陽公園) in Himeji, Hyougo prefecture. How to explain what it is?

To say it straight, it is a place with reproductions of the most important monuments in the World, something like Catalunya en miniatura, but in a more global perspective. What makes it so special? Thera are two aspects that make it a completely crazy place. First, its scale. Unlike the Catalan counterpart, Taiyou Kouen has built in stone massive reproductions of the monuments featured.

Among the most distinctive world wonders in there, the Arch de Trioumphe in Paris, the Chinese Wall and Tiananmen Square, and Bavarian Neuschwanstein Castle, and some other minor ones, like a Xian warriors parade, a small Egyptian Pyramid, with a Sphyinx included, and also some Moai from Easter Island.

However, to me, what makes it unique is the second detail: a whole retirement complex is lodged within the limits of the attraction park. That's simply great! Why going around the world in a tiring and expensive trip to visit the highlights of civilization if you can actually live in a peaceful and remote residence in Hyogo mountains, among rice paddies, and walk every morning along the most important monuments ever built? That's the craziest idea ever!

Another reason to go to Himeji, apart from its castle, which must be visited barefooted, and the cherry trees in its gardens. In the picture, I'm seriously meditating about the unbearable lightness of my being sitting on the lap of one among a myriad of buditas, little Buddhas, planted on a hill, like mushrooms in Autumn.