Iwami Ginzan Kaido Yunotsu Route

 

After crossing over a pass from Shimizu, the footpath once again joins a road and then head roughly East up the Yusato River.

On the opposite side of the valley, a bit too far to be bothered with a detour, is a big, newly rebuilt shrine.

This is Mizukami Shrine and has been important for a long time, being listed in the Engishiki.

The current honden dates to 1761. The shrine enshrines a pair of sea kami, which is quite unusual so far inland. According to the legend, a storm blew them to the nearby coast, and they headed inland attracted to the light of the mountain behind. While here they taught the local people to dry the rice harvest on similar structures used to dry fishing nets, a unique method still practise today.

A little further and I pass by Zuisenji Temple, a large temple with big gatehouse and 350 year old Gingko tree.

A big signboard point out the mountaintops nearby that housed two big castles that straddled the Silver Mine Road, Yahazu Castle and Yataki Castle.

This must have been a bustling valley in the heyday of the mine, as Yunotsu was the biggest port supplying the mine.

Until 1600 the silver would also have been taken out on this route, but after the Tokugawa took over the mines the silver was shipped overland to Onomichi, thereby avoiding the sea route that passed the Mori strongholds of what is now  western Yamaguchi.

After a while, the route turns north, leaves the road, and heads over the mountains.

A big sign in the forest marks Korozaka, Downhill Slope. It is said that battles took place here in the 16th century as warlords vyed for control of the mines.

There is no historical evidence for a battle that supposedly defeated the Mori, who eventually controlled the mine and most of the Chugoku Region, though some believe it refers to an earlier battle at Gassan Toda Castle.

It is now a steep uphill climb through the forest.

I have walked this route, a World Heritage Site, numerous times, and have yet to meet another human along the way....

From the pass there are great views down to where the mine area is.

It is a short, steep downhill walk to what used to be the guard station and then closed-off mineshafts start to appear, and then the one open to the public, the Ryugenji Mabu.

Soon the route reaches Omori, the administrative centre of the mine district.

The previous post was on the curious Ryuukoji Temple.

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360 Degree Views of Matsue

 

Matsue, the capital city of Shimane,  is actually quite small, with a population of less than 200,000.

Not much in the way of high-rise buildings; in fact, the tallest is only 70 meters high.

However, from the top floor of that building, there is a 360 degree observation deck that is free to enter.

The building is the Sanin Godo Bank headquarters, and the observation floor has a separate entrance and elevator from the rest of the building, and so is open on weekends and holidays when the rest of the building is closed.

Matsue Castle, around which the castle town was constructed in the early 17th century, is visible.

The observation rooms are well air-conditioned in summer and have plenty of comfortable seating and free Wi-Fi.

Teramachi, the temple district is between the observation building and the main train station.

Great views over nearby Lake Shinji, the 8th biggest lake in Japan and where the sun sets.

The unique architecture of Shimane Art Museum, well worth a visit.

Yomega Island, site of a local legend....

Ohashi Bridge which gives its name to the river. Beyond is Shinjiko Onsen, a hot spring resort.

The previous post in this series on the sights of Matsue and Izumo was on the cute Jizo and 500 rakan at the Zen temple, Togakuji.

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Ryuukoji Temple & Many Fudo Myoo's

 

In Shimizu, there is just one small temple, though it is intriguing for me because of the multiple Fudo Myoo statuettes in the grounds.

I recently learned that it is a temple of a relatively new sect called Nakayama Shingo Shoshu, founded in the early 20th century and with the head temple in NE Saga close to the Fukuoka border.

I believe this is a statue of the founder of the sect, Kakue Shonin, and the story of this temple in Shimizu is that a local man, in 1947, had a series of dreams about Kakue Shonin and so established the temple.

I can't say I understand much about the sect, except that Fudo Myoo is the main object of worship, that asceticism is encouraged, and that so is charity and social engagement, all plusses in my book.

The last photo of the post is a signboard showing a trail up the mountain with numerous small halls and with a Fudo carved into a rock face and a waterfall at the top.

I have yet to find the trail and walk it, but plan to this autumn.

It reminds me of another small temple in my area of a modern sect that also practises asceticism with a small waterfall, Zenkakuji.

The previous post in this series on my walk along the Iwami Ginzan Kaido while on day 38 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage was on the little settlement of Shimizu where this temple is located.

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