tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79754211404466684772026-06-26T23:48:01.234+09:00More glimpses of unfamiliar JapanOff the beaten track in Japan:- Nature, Culture, History, Spirit, Art....Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.comBlogger2682125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-82773844189744034302026-06-25T20:55:01.550+09:002026-06-25T20:55:01.550+09:00Tanoura Kannondo Temple 80 & Tanoura Yakushido Temple 59 Sasaguri Pilgrimage A striking feature of temple 80, Tanoura Kannondo, is the Seigando Hall with around 300 small statues of a seated Kobo Daishi.Temple 80, Tanoura Kannondo, and temple 59 Tanoura Yakushido, are located adjacent to each other.Unfortunately there is very little in terms of dates and history.As usual there are lots of Fudo Myoo statues as well as others....The "main hall" is a small cave that Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-14158910040315593152026-06-24T15:41:17.024+09:002026-06-24T15:41:17.024+09:00Hashi Beach, Harbour, & Tsuto Shrine After leaving Kushiro, the old San-in Do is a narrow, single-lane road that runs near the rail line and comes into the back of Hashi completely avoiding the new and busy Route 9Home to a pretty good "Oceanarium", the beach is part of the Iwami Seaside Park and is very popular in summer.At the far end of the beach is the tiny harbour for Hashi.On the hillside up above the harbour is Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-45048440673735392982026-06-22T15:23:17.896+09:002026-06-22T15:23:17.896+09:00Inside HITOHAKU HITOHAKU in Sanda, Hyogo is a huge natural history museum.I covered the exterior architecture in the last post in this series.In English, it is called the Museum of Nature and Human Activities.When I visited in 2017 there was little information in English, but now the whole museum is covered with smartphone-readable info in multiple languages.It is not just a museum,but also includes Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-59812916292813046592026-06-21T14:39:24.336+09:002026-06-21T14:39:24.336+09:00Majima Island. Westernmost point of the 35th Parallel & Abandoned Benten Shrine Majima Island is an outcropping on the coast between Tsunozu and Waki in Gotsu. It may have been a tiny island at some point, but now it is connected to the land by a sandy hill.There are a few tiny fishing boats on the beach, but no harbour,Steps lead up to a first torii with a Jizo statue nearby.When I first visited Majima it had a Benten shrine on top, but now no maps show a shrine at Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-23345778366792870932026-06-20T13:24:14.174+09:002026-06-20T13:24:14.174+09:00Fujishiro Toge... the Final Pass The final leg of the day's walk along the Kiiji route of the Kumano Kodo from Yuasa to Kainan was over the Fujishirotoge Pass.It had been a thoroughly enjoyable day, and one of my favorite sections of the numerous Kumano Kodo trails I had walked in the previous week or so....After leaving Fukusho-ji temple and its glorious display of cherry blossoms, the route heads uphill and offers a viewOjisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-37793217747474341002026-06-19T13:00:13.506+09:002026-06-19T13:33:15.195+09:003 Shrines Around the Iwami Kokubunji Sites The Iwami Kokubinji and Kokubunniji (nunnery) were located on the high ground just up the coast from Shimoko. Neither still exist, but the area is named Kokubu-cho.The first shrine I visited was the Otoshi Shrine, which is, I think, the main shrine for Shimoko.It is up a long flight of steps and on the way up offers views over Shimoko.The main kami is Otoshi, a son of Susano connected with Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-85848333731478451162026-06-17T17:47:57.394+09:002026-06-17T17:47:57.394+09:00Giant Juniper Tree & Temples 51, 52, & 54 on Shodoshima This huge Juniper tree is well deserving of its ranking as a National Natural Monument. It is in the grounds of Hoshoin Temple, number 54 on the Shodoshima Pilgrimage.It is almost 17 meters tall, with a circumference of more than 20 meters at the base and 17 meters at chest height. It is believed to be about 1600 years old and legend has that it was planted by Emperor Ojin. Using the Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-31018248056739797462026-06-16T14:45:21.942+09:002026-06-16T14:45:21.943+09:00Kamiko Hachimangu & Shimoko Ikan Shrine After visiting Ankokuji Temple, I stopped in at the Hachimangu shrine in Kamiko.It was established by the new governor of Iwami, Fujiwara no Sadamichi in 889.After being appointed, he fell ill and was unable to travel to his post. He prayed at Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine in Kamakura and recovered. In gratitude he established the Hachiman shrine here.It has quite large, well-maintained Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-68119866056612367032026-06-14T12:31:14.916+09:002026-06-14T12:31:14.944+09:00National Museum of Art Osaka The National Museum of Art Osaka is unusual in that it is completely underground.It is located on Nakanoshima, the long island between the Dojima River and the Tosabori River.The Japanese name translates as National Museum of International Art, although some Japanese works are represented.The bulk of the collection is post-1945.It was designed by Cesar Pelli.The entrance is above ground andOjisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-20433375203568189552026-06-13T12:10:43.414+09:002026-06-13T12:10:43.415+09:00Komyoji Temple 26 Iwami Kannon Pilgrimage Komyoji is a small temple downstream from Ankokuji, and almost adjacent to Ikan Shrine.It is a Shingon temple, and the honzon is an Amida triad. Other than that, I can find no info on its history.It is known for having a collection of roof tiles and roof ornaments from the old Kokubunji which no longer exists, although I didn't see them.Not sure what the seashells were about. Also, very Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-87723999551097519432026-06-12T14:10:19.960+09:002026-06-12T14:10:19.960+09:00Mountain Bounty Day 9 of my walk along the Iwami Kannon Pilgrimage, and I am walking through some remote mountain country I had no been to before.It's early May, so plenty of flowers..... also industrial waste..... there is a lot of abandoned construction company sites filled with scaffolding and such.... also plenty of dumped vehicles...... but a few times I've seen industrial drums rusting.....Snakes Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-44197772047434160552026-06-11T15:21:08.890+09:002026-06-11T15:22:09.020+09:00Ankokuji Temple 25 Iwami Kannon Pilgrimage Ankokuji is not far from Tadaji, temple 24, and even closer to Komyoji, temple 26, and is located in Kamiko, a little upstream from Shimoko.I was surprised by how substantial a temple it was, and then I learned that it has the tombs of several generations of the Masuda Clan, who ruled the area. They were descendants of the Fujiwara governor Kunikane, who changed their names. They later Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-59690081005071047362026-06-10T17:00:29.602+09:002026-06-10T17:00:29.602+09:00Kuroshio Choritsu Ogata Library Out in the middle of nowhere in Japan, you will come across huge, modern architectural marvels.They come from a period in Japan before the bubble burst and the government was throwing huge sums of money at the provincial towns. Actually, the money was headed to the coffers of the construction industry, the Japanese equivalent of the American Military-Industrial Complex.The vast majority of Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-11986460444961047822026-06-09T16:31:12.116+09:002026-06-09T16:31:12.117+09:00Inside Tadaji Temple The honzon of Tada-ji temple in Hamada is an Eleven-faced Kannon, but it is a secret Buddha only visible once a year.However, there is a Thousand-armed Kannon to be seen...And to my great delight, several Fudo statues......However, perhaps the most interesting thing to see are the 59 wooden statues which I have earlier referred to as "drowned Buddhas".They were discovered floating in the Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-38000213660141506702026-06-08T16:29:28.192+09:002026-06-08T16:29:28.192+09:00Leading the Blind..Tactile Paving...Tenji Block... Street Photography where the subject is actually the street, and not the people.....Tactile paving is the most common of many names given to the raised bumps and lines on floors that guide visually-impaired people.In Japan, they are known as Tenji Blocks, with tenji being the Japanese word for braille.Every announcement warning of imminent train arrivals at Japanese stations insists Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-1439559900680106182026-06-07T19:02:23.871+09:002026-06-07T19:02:23.871+09:00Komo Shrine Revisited Komo Shrine is quite a large, impressive shrine in the countryside near Nakatsu.This was my third time visiting, and a previous visit was documented in this post.I was here this time on day 6 of my walk along the Kyushu Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage.There is much to see, but perhaps the most noticeable thing is the magnificent two-storey gate.This is a 1622 reconstruction, and is a national Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-82523713302320557222026-06-06T16:39:15.436+09:002026-06-06T16:39:15.436+09:00Tada-ji Temple 22 Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage, Temple 24 Iwami Kannon Pilgrimage I begin day 38 of my Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage walk at Tada-ji Temple on the mountain top overlooking Shimoko. It is temple 22 of the pilgrimage.It has been 7 days since the last temple of the pilgrimage, the Tamae Kannon-in down in Hagi.Tada-ji is also the 24th temple of the Iwami Kannon Pilgrimage which I have been concurrently walking along since yesterday.The Nio of Tada-ji are truly Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-40284782051549644802026-06-05T09:13:18.476+09:002026-06-05T09:13:18.476+09:00Togakuji Temple Revisited Togakuji is a Soto Zen temple that predates Matsue Castle a little, but was moved to the Okudani area of Matsue when the castle was built.After visiting the garden at Manjuji Temple, I stopped in here on my way back towards downtown.I had hoped to view the garden behind the main hall, but once again the priest was busy with guests, so will have to try again next time....The short Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-66303928231410251772026-06-04T11:46:51.678+09:002026-06-04T11:46:51.679+09:00Hamada River mouth to Shimoko River mouth The Hamada River curves around the hill topped by the ruins of Hamada Castle before entering a narrow inlet with a narrow opening into the Sea of Japan.The village at the base of the castle facing the sea is Matsubara, and it is well protected by lines and lines of tetrapods...I guess it needs protecting from high tide surges, but located in a narrow inlet must mean its a bit of an overkillOjisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-88998260759508637942026-06-03T11:23:38.414+09:002026-06-03T11:23:38.414+09:00Daikoji Temple 67 Shikoku Ohenro Pilgrimage Daikoji, temple 67 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, is located in a fairly out-of-the-way rural area at the bottom of the mountains, with no big towns nearby.It was established, about 1 kilometer from its current location, in 742 as a branch of Todaiji temple.The Nio Gate was built in 1318 but rebuit at its current location in 1796.The Nio are dated to the mid Kamakura Period, around the mid 13thOjisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-49750828131101347862026-06-01T13:58:14.947+09:002026-06-01T13:58:14.947+09:00Matsubara Itsukushima Shrine & Tonoura Kotohira Shrine Matsubara is the small settlement below Hamada Castle on the mouth of the Hamada River.The shrine right below the castle and immediately next to the sea is, not surprisingly, an Itsukushima Shrine...There is a secondary Ebisu shrine in the grounds and hanging inside the common pairing of two masks of Ebisu and Daikoku. 2 of the 7 lucky gods, the pairing has deeper significance in this Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-86439850599425760682026-05-31T10:25:04.994+09:002026-05-31T10:25:04.994+09:00Namba Yasaka Shrine to Nakanoshima..... Zen, Love, & Business... Continuing with my little architectural exploration of Namba and nearby areas of central Osaka, from the Yasaka Shrine I headed towards Nakanoshima, about 4 kilometers away...First sight was Zuiryuji Temple, commonly known as Tetsugenji after Testsugen, the Obaku Zen monk who founded the temple. Knwn for printing the complete Buddhist sutras in Japanese, Tetsugen made the temple huge duringOjisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-63328252930970291302026-05-30T10:41:56.042+09:002026-05-30T10:41:56.042+09:00Motohama Otoshi Shrine Down below the Otoshi Shrine near Hamada Port is a small Benten-Sha and a memorial to sailors and fishermen lots at sea...The Otoshi shrine was founded in the first half of the 8th century by "inviting" the kami of Izawa and Otoshi shrine in Mie, which suggests that figures in the provincial government offices nearby were responsible.Otoshi is a common kami in this area as a son of Susano Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-90714081925332462302026-05-29T11:49:50.084+09:002026-05-29T11:49:50.084+09:00Sasaki Residence on Dogo The Sasaki Residence on Dogo, the largest of the Oki Islands, is a traditional residence of a village headman.The first noticeable thing was the roof. Whereas tile roofs were common on temples and wealthy properties, thatch was far more common, but required very steep roofs. Strips of overlaid cedar bark weighted down with bamboo with stones on was fairly common, but almost never seen Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975421140446668477.post-85193248260703235942026-05-27T16:08:24.963+09:002026-05-27T16:08:24.964+09:00Hofukuji Temple & Dainichiji Temple Iwami Kannon Pilgrimage Hofukuji Temple is number 23 on the Iwami Kannon Pilgrimage. It is a small temple in the old part of Hamada, but I can find little information about it other than is belongs to the Shingon sect.It is famous for having a monument to, and the grave of, Ohatsu, whose real name was Matsuda Satsu. She was the heroine of the Kagamiyama Incident which occured at the Hamada Domains Edo Mansion.The Ojisanjakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05506748719638540152noreply@blogger.com3