Let's talk Japanese.

Baguio City is historical in that it is here where the Japanese forces made their final surrender against the Americans in September 1945.

There are now three torii here in the city. As per Wikipedia, torii is a symbol that you are now entering into a spiritual or sacred place. That is why you find them at the entrance of a shrine or within a shrine. They are found at the foot of mountains. We all know that mountains are said to be the place of the gods. That is why torii is a gateway to the sacred dwelling of gods.

The color red is said to be protection from evil but they were not always red for they were originally white. The introduction of paint aside from being symbolic, it is also practical for mercury can be found in paints making the torii lasts longer. Read more.

In addition, here in the city, torii is to commemorate peace that we have the Japanese people.

If you know more about torii and Japan in general, feel free to give your insights.

Here in Baguio City, there are three places so far that I know where you can find torii.

Botanical Garden

Aside from various plants and trees that you can see here, there are also different gardens like Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Thailand. The last time we were there, it was under renovation. There may be some other new things to be seen there soon.

Botanical Garden is located along Leonard Wood Road. You will pass by this one when you are on your way to The Mansion, Wright Park or Mines View. They also have a cafe here and souvenir shops.

This is the first place where I know a torii was set up. There was no torii then when we were kids. It was placed at the entrance of a tunnel. To where this tunnel goes to, I don't know. They say it exits somewhere in the city. This is a man-made cave with different chambers but nothing else to see.

The pond where the bridge is located is used to be full of koi and lotus flowers but because of the renovations going on, it was drained. I hope the fish are okay. This is a favorite spot for photographs then for Japanese-themed shot as it was the only torii then.

Sablan Viewdeck

This is located along Quirino Highway or more commonly known as Naguilian Road, one of the roads going in and out of Baguio City. This road takes you down to the lowlands and the beaches of La Union and to the Ilocos Regions.

From the view deck you can see sea of green mountains and you can glimpse Balili River and maybe Aringay River exiting to West Philippine Sea.

Placing a torii here is historical.

Philippines had been under Japanese occupation during the war. During that time, military camps were set up here. It is a great vantage point for you can see who is out there in the sea and who is coming up to the mountains. Read more.

It's a great location too for sunset viewing.

Mirador Hill Peace Memorial

This is the only torii with bell hanging on it. It was made out of a WWII bomb that was dropped on this hill. Good thing it didn't explode. Ringing the bell is like a greeting to the gods.

This is the latest attraction here in the city. It is located at Mirador Hill just beside Lourdes Grotto, another tourist attraction. Aside from the torii, there are other gardens also here that you can see - rock garden and bamboo garden. There are lots of developments still ongoing on this site no wonder the entrance fee to this place had marked up, double the price than when we first visited. We were there February of this year and then again last May.

The house behind the torii is the Jesuit villa and retreat house.

If you are lucky, sunsets here are amazing. Even on a foggy day like when we were there, it was still a mystical sight.

Of all the three, the one in Botanical Garden is the biggest. I think the one in Sablan and in Mirador are almost the same. What I like about the one in Botanical is its mystery. The plants, the tunnel, the trees give a vibe of something sinister even, like from a horror movie. I like the one at the Mirador Hill the most because of where it was built and it's better for picture taking. There are more torii in this site but the one where I had my photo taken was the best of all.

Do you have torii where you are? or a Japanese garden perhaps?

Japan is the country on top of my list that I wish to visit. If given the chance, I could even live there. There are so many things about Japan that I am fascinated by.

It had to take me a mystery article to finally come up with an idea with that to write. I have been checking my gallery and reading other articles here but nothing comes to mind.

Thank you all for your support. See you on the next blog.

*All contents are mine.