Greetings dear Chroniclers,

Every year I enjoy taking part in World Anvil's summer camp for worldbuilding. This year, I created 8 articles, enough to achieve the copper level win. Considering the number of projects I had going on and that my world is pretty well fleshed out, it was a nice accomplishment. I wasn't going to just add articles to get the badge. 😏 (Though I love the badges and would have been tempted!)

Mt. Kurama and Soujou-bou's Castle: Real World Japan and Myth

I've been to Japan twice and am planning my 3rd trip for this fall. The incredible country just keeps luring me back. On my last trip, we made a pilgrimage to Mt. Kurama, just north of Kyoto. So it made sense to share things related to it for my worldbuilding this week. Both are Summer Camp articles and both have author notes, so be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the articles.

Landsat-9 image courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey. Markers added.

Mt. Kurama needed some detailing since it appears Guardian (book 2) and Legend (book 3 - in progress). My goal was to share the importance of the mountain and bring some attention to this lovely place. It's not one of the "big" tourist spots, but I think it should be. Especially since it hosts one of the major power spots and an important temple.

Cantering along the forested hiking trail up Mt. Kurama, on the outskirts of Kyoto, Aunt Hisako and I keep out of sight as the sun descends in the sky. We ensure no one’s watching, bow before quickly ducking under a hidden torii gate just outside the tiny town named after the mountain, and lope into the realm of the sacred. Why didn’t we take the path to the temple?

— Tatsuya narrating Chapter 1 of Guardian

Want to peek at a few secrets? The Mt. Kurama article has a few. (You'll need a free World Anvil account to see them. It's to ensure that only people who really want to see potential spoilers can access them.)

...the strange shimmer retracts to reveal a walled in compound with a towering, gold filigreed gate and stout wooden doors. Whoa. Is that real?

— Tatsuya's first time visiting Soujou-bou's Castle in Guardian

Next up, Soujou-bou's Castle, a place straight out of legend, though I haven't found many details on it other than it is on Mt. Kurama and possibly gem covered. Since Soujou-bou is positively ancient and is the king of the Tengu (bird men), his palace needed to be impressive. I also wanted a way to explain why people weren't crowding to this gorgeous fortress. To learn the secret, you'll need to read the article. 😉

Obligatory Ferret

Mochi, my hubby's ferret, is "Miss August" in the /r/ferrets calendar. We are so proud of her - not only for making it into the calendar, but for actually staying still long enough for a great picture!

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Question of the week: Any other locations in Japan you'd like to hear about?

If I've been there (or if I'm scheduled to go there), I'll be happy to share more about it! Also, if you've been to Japan and care to share your favorite place(s), it'd be fun to hear your experiences. Feel free to email me and let me know or share in the question of the week response form.

Until next time!

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All the best,

Amy

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