After an interrogation-style stretch of Reona and Riona’s questions had wrung me dry, we finally arrived at the Kiyomizu-dera parking lot.
We got off the bus and joined the procession toward the temple. Popular tourist spot — very crowded.
“Since we’re here, I want to do Otowa Falls.”
“That’s a power spot, right?”
“The spring water has multiple kinds of benefits.”
“Yeah, Riona really does know a lot.”
“I researched every site on the itinerary in advance.”
We were chatting as we walked when we spotted the vibrant red gate — the iconic Kiyomizu image. The trip pamphlet identified it as Niō-mon.
“Let’s get a picture with this in the background — three of us.”
“Want a photo.”
“Stop materializing against me.”
After climbing the slope to the gate, the two of them sandwiched me from both sides at the steps. The classmates around us were giving us a mix of those two again exasperation and kill the boy hatred.
Reona took several photos, fluently. The shots looked great. Edit me out and leave just the two beauties and they’d be magazine-cover material.
“I’m putting these on social right now.”
“Do as you like.”
I’d resisted these uploads before with zero success rate, so I’d given up. Reona’s followers had probably already mentally cataloged me as the guy in her photos.
We continued through the temple grounds with the rest of the group. Past the West Gate, the three-story pagoda, the sutra hall, to the main hall. We were standing on the famous Kiyomizu Stage.
“The view from here is incredible.”
“Yeah, clear sky, you can see all the way out.”
“Would be even prettier with the fall foliage.”
We were chatting and taking in the view. From the stage you could see all of Kyoto City below, including Kyoto Tower at the station. Excellent view.
“Hey, if you fell from here, that’d be — really painful, right?”
“No, no, painful is a wild understatement.”
“The stage is 13 meters above the ground. Bad luck and you’d die.”
The proverb jumping off the Kiyomizu Stage means making a once-in-a-lifetime decision as if death were on the line — but what kind of choice would justify actually jumping off this thing?
We took the group photo on the stage and then moved to the long-awaited Otowa Falls. A shrine with the water source split into three streams. As expected of a famous spot, there was a long queue.
“It’s going to be a wait — line up?”
“We came here, I want to.”
“Same as Riona, but — bathroom break first?”
“Got it, we’ll save your spot.”
“Thanks, BRB.”
Reona handed her purse to Riona and walked off. Reona would be back well before we reached the head of the line.
“What are the three different blessings, by the way?”
“From the right when you’re facing it: longevity, romance, academic success. That’s the standard reading. Some traditions list health and beauty, and career advancement instead.”
“Lots of options. Can I get them all?”
“No — you pick one of the three. Picking all three signals greed to the gods and your wish won’t be granted.”
“That’s bad.”
Romance was a non-starter anyway, so it wouldn’t matter — but losing access to academic success and longevity would be costly. Especially since I become an exam student next year. The takeaway: don’t be greedy.