We rested and recovered from all the walking we did on Saturday. Monday, though, was a packed day.
My grandparents wanted to take me to the Kagawa family grave, primarily because the city has a free bus and shuttle service for people visiting this week, and they wanted to take advantage of it. To get to the mountain with the public graveyard, you have to take a 45-minute to an hour long bus ride to a nearby bus stop, then take a shorter 15-minute car ride to the mountain itself. The entire ride was pleasant, with breathtaking views of mountains and a meandering river. It's quiet on the mountain once you get there, and the air is nice and fresh from the trees.
My grandparents took me to the family grave, where the bones of my great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents are buried. One day, my grandparents will join them, and their names will be etched into the back of the tombstone. We cleaned the stone and adorned it with flowers. Once we were done cleaning, my grandparents set out drinks and snacks for the spirits of the dead.
The typical tombstone has "(Name) family grave" enscribed on it. That is the one common trait all tombstones shared. Some graves had little cups for flowers, or a tray to burn incense on, or a side stone for the names of extended family, or a stone lantern. Some of the graves had open bottles of drinks on them, such as coffee, tea and even beer, left by families that visited before us.
After our visit to the graveyard, we were supposed to have lunch and go home, but I got distracted. In the same mall where we had lunch, there was a kimono store. They had a bunch of kimonos in different colors and designs, as well as accessories, and they did photoshoots.
