Underground world “Ooya Museum” & walk up Oohirasan Hydrangea Slope
On Saturday the 22nd of June, the rainy season started the day before and the heavy rain of the previous day was replaced by fine weather on the day,
A total of 52 people went out, including 25 ANIC volunteers, people learning Japanese and 25 volunteers from other countries. The non-Japanese participants were from China, Korea, Poland, Spain, the Philippines and Russia.
First, the group visited the Otani Museum, a former mining site of Ooya stone. The average annual temperature is about 8°C.
We wandered into the impressive underground world of the ruins.
Next, we observed the ‘Peace Kannon’. More than half of the visitors climbed the 27 m high stairs to see the profile of the Kannon.
The last stop was the ‘Hydrangea Slope of Ohirasan’, where many of the participants were collecting ‘red seal books’ and headed to the Oohirasan Shrine. The hydrangeas were blooming beautifully and we climbed the steep 248 steps to view the city of Tochigi.
Participants were divided into groups and assigned a leader. The leaders were asked to manage the meeting time and answer quiz questions. It was a great opportunity for volunteers and learners to interact with each other, who are not normally involved in such activities.
