Namba Hips to Namba Parks

 

Continuing with my architectural tour of the Namba district of Osaka, I headed from Namba Hips towards Namba Parks.

Above is the Osaka Shinkabukiza Theatre. It moved in 2010, several years after this photo, to a new location and building, but this, now almost 70 year old building has been preserved as a facade on a new high-rise, steel and glass hotel.

As for the other buildings featured in this post, I don't know what they are....

I have lived in cities, but not for a long time, and so they seem to be exotic places filled with marvellous sights and strange people....

The previous post in this series was on the unusual Namba Hips by Shin Takamatsu.

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Tsuda to Kamate

 

Day 34 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage began where I ended day 33, the little fishing village of Tsuda.

These first three photos are from the train as it approached Iwami Tsuda Station from Hamada, not long after sunrise.

From the station I take the short walk directly to the long beach frontage.

As with many rivers I cross in Iwami, the river itself mostly soaks into the sandy beach, and just a narrow stream makes it to the sea.

On the other side of the Tsuda River is an intriguing old mansion house with a most impressive gate.

The whole compound is enclosed in very high exterior walls. Never have been able to find out who it belongs to, but obviously a former dignitary...

After passing the very tiny fishing harbour at Tsuda, the coast road passes a tiny inlet with beach.

The next river is the Okita River, and here I pass a small boat engaged in some kind of fishing.

But there is still no harbour of any size....

After crossing the Okita River.... which contradicts my earlier observation about rivers, I pass another small headland before reaching the edge of Kamate....

The previous post was on the shrine I visited at the end of yesterday's walk.

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Hachiman Shrine & Makio Shrine in Yasaka

 

Day 9 of my walk along the Iwami Kannon Pilgrimage and during the morning I stop in at two noteworthy shrines.

Iwami is a remote region, and the area in the mountains now collectively grouped together as Yasaka Town is a remote part of that region. Though I have lived here for decades, this was an exploration for me...

The first shrine I reached was the Hachimangu in the area called Nakayasu after thebfamily that were installed in the area as local  administrators in the mid 14th century.

They served under various different lords until the mid 16th century when the Mori attacked and defeated them, then took over.

This Hachimangu was established as a branch of Usa Hachiman in the mid 15th century to protect the nearby castle. It became the tutelary shrine for ten villages in the area.

There are a pair of huge Sugi trees flanking the stairway, and a third up near the shrine buildings.

They are big enough to be protected and registered as Natural Monunments by the prefecture.

An older Tenmangu shrine was moved into the grounds in early Meiji.

With its Ryobu-style Torii, Makio Shrine, much further south, is quite picturesque. (top photo above)

Said to be founded in the early Heian Period, making it about a thousand years old, it was relocated to its current location in 1582.

 

Unusual is the combination of main kami, Izanagi, and Otoshi. Izanagi, well known as the male of the creator-kami pair with his sister/wife Izanami. Otoshi, one of Susano's sons, with association with rice harvest and Korean clans.

There is a kagura den, but it looks like it has not been used in a while....

The previous post was on the last temple I visited yesterday, and the place I stayed the night.

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Tsuda Hachimangu aka Mozukujima Hachimangu

Tsuda Hachimangu is right next to the train station, Iwami Tsuda. It is known locally by its old name Mozukujima Hachimangu

In earlier times, the site of the shrine was a small island in the mouth of the river and the villagers would collect a type of seaweed called mozuku.

This is a giant Hagoita, a kind of paddle used to play a Japanese game similar to badminton. Often decorated with kabuki characters or other auspicious figures, they became used as talismans for good luck, especially at new year.

One thing noticeable here is that the shrine is kept in good order and appearance. It is obviously well looked after.

Not sure if the ring on the ceiling is the same thing, but alongside the main shrine was a used chinowa, the grass ring used for parishioners to pass through for purification. When used, the circle is fresh green.

Another notable thing about this shrine was the large number of masks on display.

There are a couple of quite cool, large oni masks, a Susano, a single Tengu and then two pairs of tengu as well. All in all well worth a visit for me.

Another striking thing about the shrine is the large numkber of secondary shrines...

There is an Omoto Shrine which lists Kunitokotachi as the kami. It is one of the primordial kami and I suspect was named in the Meiji period. In the rest of Iwami Omoto is a local land kami.

There is an Inari Shrine visible in photo 6, and a Nakayama Shrine, once again listing Kunitokotachi.

There are two Ebisu Shrines, both enshrining Kotoshironushi, and one adding Omononushi also.

Finally, there is an Itsukushima Shrine.

The version of Hachiman here is Ojin, Jingu, and the three Munakata kami.

The final photo shows a Soreiden. This seems to be connected with ancestors and funerals, and as this area was part of the Tsuwano Domain at the end of the Edo Period, and the Daimyo of Tsuwano decreed that all people in the domain would have Shinto burials, it may date to that period.

The previous post in this series on day 33 of my walk along the Chugoku Pilgrimage, was on the walk to get here

if you would like to subscribe by email just leave your email address in the comments below. It will not be published and made public. I post new content almost everyday, and send out an email about twice a month with short descriptions and links to the last ten posts.