Kyoto - San Jyu San Gendo & Ear Mound

On our last day in Kyoto, we checked out San Jyu San Gendo, another Buddhist temple that happens to be the longest wooden structure in Japan. The "san jyu san" means 33, and there are 33 sections separated by columns in this structure. The temple houses a beautiful Kannon (Japanese Guanyin), surrounded by 1000 armed smaller Kannon, with lesser bodhisattva guarding. The interesting thing about this one is the very obvious direct Indian influence on design and style. 

 Here's a picture I managed to snap off before I was yelled at by the temple shop girl. Like all temples, this temple sells charms and the like. I bought one of these to hang in my classroom next year. ;)

Next stop was the tactfully named "Ear Mound," which houses 40,000 Korean ears from when Toyotomi Hideyoshi attempted to invade Korea and failed miserably. Yep, for real. I guess soldiers used to be paid by each kill they made, which they had to prove by cutting off either ears or noses. Talk about undercutting stereotypes of samurai loyalty.

 Here lie the 40,000 ears. This place was actually deserted. There were no signs toward it and it is marked in Japanese and Korean only, almost as if they want to acknowledge that it exists so they have disclaimer rights, but hope no one ever really catches wind of it.

Also....the 40,000 ear pile is RIGHT next to a playground called "Ear Mound Park." Classic. How do you tell the story behind that name to your kids?