tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79754211404466684772026-08-31T10:01:57.106+09:00More glimpses of unfamiliar JapanOff the beaten track in Japan:- Nature, Culture, History, Spirit, Art....Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.comBlogger2727125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-8321286838749025592026-08-31T08:36:21.768+09:002026-08-31T08:36:21.768+09:00Momen Kaido Hirata Cotton Road Hirata lies close to the north shore of Lake Shinji, Japan's 8th biggest lake, and for a while it was a bustling trading port exporting Hirata Cotton up to Osaka and beyond.A small secrtion of the old town along the navigable river that fed into Lake Shinji has now been renamed Momen Kaido, "Cotton Road".There is a large merchant house and garden open to the public which I will cover in theOjisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-51062938530989308412026-08-30T10:27:23.429+09:002026-08-30T10:27:23.429+09:00Kamaura Coast By 6:30, the sun was already painting the western sky seen from my night's rest stop on the Uppurui Cape on the Shimane Peninsula.The road east along the peninsula was narrow and there was no trafficAfter a few kilometers I started down some switchbacks into the tiny fishing village of Kamaura.Up ahead another wind farm.Route 23 now hugs the waters edge and leaving the tiny settlement I Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-72147710605449529072026-08-29T11:11:50.341+09:002026-08-29T11:11:50.341+09:00Motoyamaji Temple 70 Shikoku Ohenro Pilgrimage Temple 70, Motoyamaji, was a very pleasant surprise. Large, with lots to see, but not overcrowded...The blue walls surrounding much of the compound was interesting and quite striking.The 5-storey pagoda was started in the late 19th century and not finished until 1910.The temple was founded by Kobo Daishi in 807. It is said he carved the honzon, a Bato Kannon, Horse-Head Kannon, the only Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-24002496987422128132026-08-28T10:16:11.604+09:002026-08-28T10:16:11.604+09:00Cape Uppurui Sunset After climbing up on the other side of Uppuriui Bay I came to the Uppurui Windmill Park on Uppurui Peninsula.This was my resting stop for the night.Public toilets and covered picnic areas took care of my primitive needs....The solitude and beauty took care of my spiritual needs....With no people around to distract me, no phone, and no chores other than eating, I was free to concentrate on Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-81401408391756742272026-08-27T10:36:42.171+09:002026-08-27T10:36:42.171+09:00Upper Saga Toriimoto Historic Preservation District Saga Toriimoto is a small district at the very edge of Kyoto, up a narrow road leading to the mountain Atago Shrine.It is one of the historic architectural preservation districts in Kyoto, though I would wager probably the least visited.In my last post, I looked at two of the 400-year-old thatched buildings still operating as eateries.This time, some of the other thatched buildings around Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-47481074127431184132026-08-26T08:55:12.808+09:002026-08-26T08:55:12.808+09:00Uppurui Bay After coming down from Gakuenji Temple I reach the north coast of the Shimane Peninsula at Uppurui Bay.My way is around the bay to the mountains on the other side where Ichibata Yakushi, the next temple, is situated.Tye name Uppurui seems a difficult one for many Japanese to read. The double P is unusual. I have heard that it derives from Ainu or ancient Korean.I once spent two nights on a Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-68736488857893816282026-08-25T08:22:03.365+09:002026-08-25T08:22:03.365+09:00Kasuga Shrine Fuse Fuse is a small fishing village on the East coast of Dogo, the largest of the Oki Islands in the Japan Sea off the coast of Shimane.I reached it late in the afternoon on my first day walking around the coast of the island.The shrine in the village is a Kasuga shrine and is said to be older than the mid-16th century. The shrine is most well known for the main path which is directly east and Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-2958472354890857922026-08-24T06:47:26.593+09:002026-08-24T06:47:26.593+09:00Gakuen-ji Temple 25 Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage Gakuenji has always been one of my favourite temples. Located in fairly remote mountains, it takes some effort to visit.Unfortunately, even in the twenty or so years I have known it the temple has lost several large structures. As well as being number 25 on the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage, it is also number 3 on the Izumo Kannon Pilgrimage. Some shots from that visit can be seen here.The Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-44840957479275614032026-08-22T18:19:40.310+09:002026-08-22T18:19:40.310+09:00From Kasubuchi to Hamahara Bridge I start day 4 of my walk up the Gonokawa River to its source from the same place I ended dsy 3, the defunct Kasubuchi Station.Not sure of the protocol for naming riverbanks left or right...... but I am sticking to thye right bank as I walk upstream.At the end of day 3 I was walking directly north, and now early on day 4 I am heading directly south. The river has done a serious horseshoe at Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-89528210116077477072026-08-21T07:40:23.335+09:002026-08-21T07:40:23.335+09:00Through the Mountain Forest to Gakuenji Day 41, and I cross Izumo and head into the small range of mountains that form the western section of the Shimane Peninsula.Gakuenji, the next temple on the Chugoku Pilgrimage, lies on the other side, and a trail crosses over and connects with other trails in the mountains that are part of the Chugoku Nature Trail.When I walked the Izumo Kannon Pilgrimage, I used this same trail but in the Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-19294101186012243292026-08-20T09:58:50.145+09:002026-08-20T09:58:50.145+09:00Ayuchaya Hiranoya & Ayu no Yado Tsutaya After visiting the delightful 1200 Rakan at Otagi Nembutsuji Temple I descended the narrow mountain road and came into the area known as Saga Toriimoto, an absolutely delightful area of old thatched buildings at the top end of Arashiyama.The area is an historic preservation area, but in this post I will concentrate on just two buildings, both of them eateries with long traditions.The top Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-7723897936030726192026-08-19T10:01:44.537+09:002026-08-19T10:01:44.537+09:00Kando-ji Temple 23 Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage Kandoji, is a fairly small and nondescript temple in the south of Izumo City. As well as being temple 23 on the Chugoku Kannon pilgrimage, it is also temple number 5 on the much older Izumo Kannon Pilgrimage. The post from my earlier visit is here.Though now quite modest, it was in ancient times very large and powerful and is said to have had a strong relationship with Izumo Taisha, but I Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-3647365792292982722026-08-18T10:24:28.627+09:002026-08-18T10:24:28.628+09:00Views From Konjiji Temple Konjiji is a mountaintop temple in Tokushima.It is the 12th temple on the Shikoku Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage, and also the okunoin of Dainichiji, the 13th temple on the famous Ohenro pilgrimage.It is located at about 310 meters above sea level, about 120 meters below the peak.The views out over the Yoshino River valley and plain and over Tokushima City are stupendous.It is about 30 meters higher Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-64924309531446423852026-08-17T07:44:06.249+09:002026-08-17T07:44:06.249+09:00Umaki Fudoson Coming into Izumo along the Kando River after visiting Zenjoji Temple, I was struck by a vermilion gate and had to explore.It is Komyoji Temple, but more commonly known as Umaki Fudoson, and is home to one of the top three Fudo's in Japan.Of course, that may be like the top 3 Inari shrines, where the first two are well established, and the third varies depending on the region, but I was Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-66620855583297461762026-08-15T17:42:36.313+09:002026-08-15T17:42:36.313+09:00Portraits of Rakan This third post on Otagi Nembutsuji Temple in Arashiyama focuses on close-up portraits of some of the 1200 Rakan statues there.Earlier posts looked at the temple and its history, and then at shots of the 1200 Rakan.With Rakan, it is normal that every single figure is different, and it is said that you will not fail to find at least one that reminds you of someone you know.The vast majority Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-22319153827145356732026-08-14T13:10:24.972+09:002026-08-14T13:10:55.664+09:00Zenjoji Temple 24 Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage Zenjoji, the 24th temple on the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage, is an ancient mountaintop temple belonging to the Tendai sect.It is also the 10th temple of the Izumo Kannon Pilgrimage, and the post I did on that visit is worth a look as it was a different time of year, a different time of day, a different camera, and I was in a different mood.On both my visits, there was still a priest in Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-74151138955410925142026-08-13T12:10:14.840+09:002026-08-13T12:10:14.840+09:00Hinomisaki Shrine Hinomisaki is a grand shrine at the western tip of the Shimane Peninsula, in a small cove under the Hinomisaki Lighthouse, the tallest in East Asia.When showing visitors around, I often encourage them to visit Hinomisaki Shrine instead of, or at least as well as, Izumo Taisha.The shrine claims to have been founded in 536BCE, which is as absurd as the claim that Jimmu became emperor more Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-78380047190954861362026-08-12T04:37:23.807+09:002026-08-12T04:37:23.807+09:00Yakumo Fuketsu Wind Cave If you ask a Japanese person if Japanese people eat pheasant, you will almost certainly get an emphatic "absolutely not". However, just outside Susa Shrine in the mountains of Izumo, there used to be a restaurant specializing in pheasant dishes. Modern Japanese have little knowledge of historical diets in Japan. If it walks, crawls, swims, or flies, then the Japanese people used to eat it. Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-11293884748632200742026-08-11T07:44:12.465+09:002026-08-11T07:44:12.465+09:00Sasaguri Temples 53 & 55 Kirinokidani Amida-do & Dainichi-do, and Koyasukannon I catch a glimpse of the huge reclining Buddha on the other side of the valley, about 500 meters away.The small mountain valley I am entering is called Kirinokidani, so the neighbourhood has that name.The first stop is number 53 on the pilgrimage, an Amida Hall. Sometimes it goes by the name Enmyoji, the 53rd temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage.Like many of these small "temples" in Sasaguri, Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-65140976700810498742026-08-08T18:54:01.028+09:002026-08-08T18:54:01.028+09:00Susa Shrine May 5th, 2015, day 40 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage. A short walk from my nights campsite I arrive at Susa Shrine.This is the head shrine of a large network of Susa shrines nationwide. I know I have come across many Susa shrines in my walks around western Japan, but I am not sure how common they are in the east.There is a small Amaterasu shrine facing the main shrine.The Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-12008893892487636322026-08-07T09:25:56.795+09:002026-08-07T09:25:56.795+09:00Koi Pond at Kaburaiji Temple Kaburaiji is said to be an ancient temple founded by Shotoku Taishi.It is located near Sanda in Hyogo, at the site of his mother's birthplace.I will cover the temple in the next post, but for now some shots of the pond in front of the main hall filled with koi.I was here as Kaburaiji is the next temple on the Kinki Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage I am walking.I didn't see them, but the temple is knownOjisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-54614758218353718152026-08-06T05:27:50.242+09:002026-08-06T05:27:50.242+09:00Sights Seen Down the Isa River to the Kando River After leaving Izuchi Shrine, I continued on down the Isa River.After a while I came across a very unusual sight for Japan...... a sheep!!I have occasionally seen goats, but sheep are very, very rare in the Japanese countryside...Quite common in the mountains of Izumo are thatched houses....Yoshikuri Mountain once had a castle on it. It was destroyed during the Amago-Mori fighting of the Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-18545966200725711282026-08-04T13:15:56.959+09:002026-08-04T13:15:56.959+09:00Fujishiro Oji Shrine Fujishiro Oji Shrine in Kainan, Wakayama, used to be considered the entrance to Kumano. The Kiiji Route, the main route of the Kumano Kodo, ran from Kyoto and then through Osaka and Wakayama. This route was primarily coastal or following rivers. From Fujishiro Oji the route heads into the mountains for the first time.Of the 99 Oji, shrines where pilgrims stopped on the way to Kumano, Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-69992422319513035172026-08-02T10:06:13.293+09:002026-08-09T07:46:44.496+09:00Down the Isa River from Hachimangu to Izuchi Shrine After passing by the entrance to Mount Sanbe, my route continued west down the Isa River.My first stop, in the village of Yamaguchi, was the village Hachiman Shrine.It was established in 1095, but I can't find from which "mother" shrine it is from, Usa, or Iwashimizu I think it is a little too early to be a branch of Tsurugaoka.Curiously it only lists Ojin and Jingu. No mention of Chuai or Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-88626884703059494782026-08-01T11:00:33.068+09:002026-08-01T11:00:33.068+09:00Shodoshima Temple 55 & 56, and Into Tonosho After leaving the giant Juniper tree at Hoshoinji, I pass a small Inari shrine on the way to the next little temple. Number 55, Kannon-do.The way is slightly on the hillside so views of Tonosho and the sea and islands beyond are plentiful.Kannon-do was a small building and enshrined Bato Kannon, the Horse-head Kannon. It is the only pilgrimage temple to do so.In earlier times, people would Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0