Ashura

Last Sunday I went with my host family to Fukuoka. There we picked up my host mothers mom and we went out to lunch. Lunch was at an Italian restaurants with pizza and pasta. The pizza tasted so good because I hadn't had it in such a long time! Although I have to say if I was back in the United States it would not have been on my list of favorite pizza restaurants. After lunch we dropped off my host mom at cooking school and continued to drive on to the Kyushu National Museum where there was a special exhibition gallery "The National Treasure Ashura and Masterpieces from Kohfukuji." When we got to the museum there were 180 people waiting in line. So after we got in line my host father bought my host grandmother and I both some ice cream. It helped pass the time and cool us off. finally after an hour and a half of waiting in line we began the ride up the escalator into the exhibition hall where the treasures were kept. Many people were packed inside the room. The statue Ashura has three faces and six hands. It is one of the Devas of the eight classes. It is one of the most famous statues in Japan. As we got closer to the statue we were herded around it by other viewers trying to get a look at the masterpiece. The national treasure the Ashura and the other masterpieces are usually in Nara and people can go see them behind the glass however this special exhibit was to commemorate the 1,300 anniversary of Kohfukuji temple.