I heard the oddest sound coming from the pond at Hokongo-in. We had arrived to look at the beautiful lotus flowers in bloom, as had dozens of other people. No sooner had the noise started than it stopped. Through the peace the moo persisted. As we walked closer to the water's edge Etsuyo explained that it was an ushikaeru, a cow toad. The large creatures live in the mud, their size projecting a voice that sounds like a cow. I was desperate to see one, but the foliage was too thick to see much of the pond. The contradition between when Rhod and I had visited in the Spring and now was stark.
In a matter of weeks, the lotus plants erupt from the mud, their leaves expanding to the size and shape of inside-out umbrellas. The flowers open in the morning and close again come evening. The whole spectacle turns Hokongo-in from a pretty but plain temple into a paradise. Flowers fill up the gardens. Lotus grow freely in the pond, are cultivated in pots, stand beside the temple, beside the path and smother the small grounds. Photographers were everywhere, enjoying the plants short blooming life. So much so, that it is easy to forget the quite stunning statues that lay in the reliquary behind the main hall.
