More glimpses of unfamiliar Japan

Kanzui Matsuri 5

2012-01-26T14:26:00.000+09:00

Suzukayama is another hero versus demon piece based on a Noh drama. The hero is Sakanoue Tamuramaro who was given the title of shogun (barbarian defeating generalissimo) for his success in defeating the Emishi in eastern and northern Japan. I believe he founded the famous Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto. There are many variations on the story, but this version seems to be based on the version of the

Warabekan Toy and Childrens Song Museum

2012-01-22T12:43:00.000+09:00

The Warabekan is a huge museum located in Tottori City devoted exclusively to childrens toys as well as childrens songs and nursery rhymes. There are thousands of toys, both traditional and modern, on display from all over the world. As well as the displays there is aslo a big room where kids can play with toys and make toys. Equally fascinating is the section on childrens songs which

Poison Gas Factory haikyo

2012-01-20T18:36:00.000+09:00

Actually this isn't the poison gas factory itself, but rather the power plant that powered the poison gas production facility. Most of the factory was destroyed in 1945. It is located on the tiny island of Okunoshima just off the coast of Hiroshima Prefecture in the Seto Inland Sea. From 1929 until 1945 the Japanese government maintained a top-secret installation producing more than 6,000

Ida Hachiman Shrine, Itano

2012-01-19T19:24:00.000+09:00

The Ida Hachiman shrine is only a couple of hundred meters from the Suwa shrine and like it it seemed fairly unused. There was no signboard so I have no information on it other than the obvious fact that is enshrines Hachiman. Part of the reason I like to visit every shrine I pass is to discover the variations in the style of things like the komainu. Already on the first day of the

Vacation 2011 Day 10 in the high country

2012-01-18T09:46:00.000+09:00

As with most mornings during our trek across the Jebel Sahro in southern Morroco I was out of my bag hours before the sun rose. I sat on my perch overlooking the vast, wrinkled landscape stretching out and watched as the approaching sunrise brought color and shadow back to the world. Gradually I was silently joined by other in our small group...... It was a fairly uneventful day, passing

Typical Japanese Landscape 31

2012-01-16T15:07:00.000+09:00

Japan has about 30,000 kilometers of coastline. Much of it is covered in concrete, but many sections remain quite beautiful, especially if you get away from the industrialized and urban sections. All of these photos are from the eastern coast of Shikoku, from Minami Town in Tokushima down to Cape Muroto in Kochi. Many henro complain about this section of the route as there is a long

Ise Pilgrimage

2012-01-15T12:51:00.000+09:00

These two draincovers are from Ise in Mie Prefecture and show pilgrims in the Edo period who descended on the shrines at Ise by their millions. At that time, travel for commoners was restricted, but pilgrimage was about the only reason you would be allowed to travel. There were many pilgrimage sites across Japan, but a very popular one, possibly the most popular, was Ise due to its reputation

Ken Iwata Mother & Child Museum

2012-01-13T19:32:00.000+09:00

The Ken Iwata Mother & Child Museum opened a few months ago in the tiny fishing village of Munakata on Omishima island in the Set Inland sea. It is part of Imabari City on Shikoku. I can find very little information about the sculptor Ken Iwata other than he was born in 1924 and lives in Saitama. Mother and child seems to be a major preoccupation of his work. I can find no connection

Shikoku 88 Temple 5 Jizoji

2012-01-12T18:48:00.000+09:00

Temple number 5, in Itano Town, enshrines Jizo, an immensely popular deity in Japan. The temple itself is nothing special. many of the buildings date from the 18th century as it was, like so many other, burnt down by Chosokabe in the 16th century. The Nio were rather nice and unusual, both in their style and coloration. It is easy to see the Hindu roots..... The founding legend states that

A new red hanya mask

2012-01-10T11:49:00.000+09:00

I just finished another mask. A fairly standard hanya in the Iwami style. Hopefully this winter I can replenish my stock of masks as there is little to do in the garden, the firewood is all chopped, and the drier air speed up the process. It is, of course, for sale. My other masks are here

Kanzui Matsuri 4

2012-01-08T11:40:00.000+09:00

Its just about midnight at the small shrine in the mountain settlement of Kanzui not far from my own village. The annual matsuri got underway about 3 hours ago and the fourth dance starts, Michigaeshi, a not very common dance. A few more people arrive and now the audience just outnumbers the dancers and musicians. Michigaeshi is a fairly typical 2 person dance, the hero and the demon,

Happy New Year of the Dragon

2011-12-31T13:04:00.000+09:00

This is a detail from Twin Dragons on the ceiling in Kennin-Ji in Kyoto. It was painted in 2002 to commemorate the 800 year anniversary of the temples founding. The artist is Koizumi Junsaku and the painting measures 11.4 by 15.7 meters. I wish all of you a great new year. In a few days I will be back home and can start posting more regularly again.

The White Rabbit of Inaba

2011-12-30T08:07:00.000+09:00

The year of the rabbit is coming to a close, so time to tell the story of the white rabbit of Inaba. Hakuto Shrine is located near the beach a little east of Tottori City. The old province name for this area was Inaba. The kami of Hakuto Shrine is Hakutojin, the kami name for the white rabbit of Inaba. The rabbit was on one of the Okis islands, about 50kms offshore (now a part of Shimane).

Kawara in walls

2011-12-23T19:44:00.001+09:00

Kawara, ceramic rooftiles originally introduced from Korea for early temple roofs gradually spread to palaces and other major buildings. In the Edo period they began to be mass produced and came to be more widespread. By the twentieth century they had become the standard rooftile. Old rooftiles abound. Piled in stacks against collapsing buildings there must be millions of them lying around.

Suwa Shrine, Itano

2011-12-21T12:34:00.000+09:00

Suwa Shrine in Itano, Tokushima, is located between temples 2 & 3. It is one of the approximately 10,000 branch shrines of Suwa Taisha up in Nagano. The grounds were pretty unkempt and it looked as if the shrine was not used by people much. The main kami enshrined in Suwa shrines are Takeminakata and his wife Yasakatome. According to the legend he was a son of Okuninushi who did not wish to

Vacation 2011 Day 9 to the highest point

2011-12-19T13:50:00.000+09:00

On the third morning in the Jebel Sahro the dawn and sunrise were well worth waking early for. The first few kilometers of the days hike was through a narrow canyon. We had come here yesterday afternoon to take advantage of the running water to bathe. As the year progresses the water, originating as melted snow in the high country, will slowly decrease. There probably wont be any more

Many rivers to cross

2011-12-17T12:01:00.000+09:00

The 88 temple pilgrimage route on Shikoku pretty much follows the coast all the way round the island, and as all rivers head to the sea there are an enormous number of rivers, large and small, to cross. In former times there would have been some bridges to use, but for many of the rivers it would have been necessary to wade across or use a ferry boat. Now we are just whisked across on ribbons

Meoto Iwa husband and wife rocks

2011-12-13T23:32:00.000+09:00

Meoto Iwa are pairs of rocks joined by a shimenawa. They are known as husband and wife rocks or wedded rocks, and are generally considered to represent Izanagi and Izanami, the primordial brother/sister husband/wife kami pair that created the Japanese Islands and the kami.The draincover of Yasu, now a part of Konan City, in Kochi, shows a Meoto Iwa found on its coastline, though it is off the

Inside Kamo Culture Hall

2011-12-12T11:21:00.004+09:00

Here are a few shots on the inside of the bizarre Kamo Culture Hall up in Kamo, Izumo.It was opened in 1994 and was designed by Toyokazu Watanabe.Unfortunately the auditorium itself was locked so I couldnt get any shots of itPhoto of the outside can be found here

Shikoku 88 Temple 4 Dainichiji

2011-12-10T17:28:00.006+09:00

Dainichi-Ji is located in Itano Town, Tokushima Prefecture, and is the 4th temple on the henro route.According to legend it was founded by Kukai and he carved the main deity sculpture of Dainichi Nyorai. It belongs to the Shingon sect.The architecture is nothing special, but in a covered corridor connecting the main hall with the Daishi hall are a collection of nice statues.One thing you will see

Benkei mask

2011-12-09T13:17:00.003+09:00

I have finally got round to finishing some new masks. This one is of Benkei, the archetypal sohei (warrior monk) and famed sidekick of Yoshitsune. The dance he appears in is Tsuzuki Dannoura, which is based on a story in the Heike Monogatari. Popular in kabuki, it is an uncommon dance in the Iwami kagura repertoire, and it has been quite a few years since I have seen it performed.Benkei is always

Kanzui matsuri 3

2011-12-07T10:33:00.000+09:00

The third dance at Kanzui's annual all-night matsuri was the first theatrical piece of the evening, Yumi Hachiman. The dance is very common and most matsuris will perform it. the first part of the dance sees Hachiman introduce himself and strut his stuff....Hachiman, also read as Yahata, was originally a kami from northern Kyushu but grew in influence and became associated with the legendary

Art of Manidera

2011-12-04T11:46:00.008+09:00

I have often heard it said that if you've been to one temple, you've been to them all, but as time goes on I have found quite the opposite to be true, every temple (and indeed shrine) is quite unique.One of the intriquing aspects of temples for me is the art. The statues, carvings, paintings, and sometimes even masks.japanese buddhism includes a massive array of a sometimes bewildering number of

On the henro trail

2011-12-03T15:36:00.001+09:00

Sorry for the scarcity of posts recently. have been down in Shikoku on the henro trail.Normal service will resume shortly

Oasahiko Shrine

2011-11-26T14:02:00.004+09:00

A more than 15 meters tall torii marks the beginning of the 800 meter long approach road to Oasahiko Shrine. The road itself is lined with dozens of stone lanterns.The exact date of the shrines founding is unkown, but it is listed in the Engishiki of the early tenth century, and the shrine grew in importance during the next millenium.In the middle of the main shrines compound is a huge Camphor