Fukuoka City Museum

The Fukuoka City Museum is located in the Momochi district, an area of land reclaimed from the sea in western Fukuoka City.

The wide and spacious approach has two large areas of shallow water, which makes for great reflections.

The smallest pond had some trees around it and so offered another striking scene.

It was opened in 1990 and was designed by the AXS Satow Company.

There is a large, stand-alone arch which is purely decorative, but lines up with a similar arch at the entrance to the museum.

This makes for a very grand and monumental approach.

The main structure has a central reception hall with two main exhibition halls on either side.

These two halls are completely glazed on the exterior, and so also make for great photos.

The museum has permanent displays that showcase the history and culture of the region as well as changing special exhibitions.

Probably the most famous object on display is the gold seal given by the Chinese Emperor to the "King of Na"

I didn't go in, but reports speak very highly of the exhibits, especially considering the low entry fee of only 200 yen.

Fukuoka has a lot of interesting and innovative modern architecture, so I will be posting a lot from there for a while.

Gardens at Buttsuji

 

Buttsuji is a major Zen monastery in the mountains of southern Hiroshima.

Outside of the main walled compound, and across the river is a small garden attributed to Sesshu

Some garden experts suggest it doesn't look much like a Sesshu garden, but the temple says it has been changed over the centuries.

A little further down the approach road is a sub-temple of Buttsuji, Yotokuin, and its not possible to enter its grounds, but a sign claims that it also has a Sesshu garden.

Across the pond and stone bridge is now a Kannon altar.

Crossig over the river into the main temple compound, is a large karesansui garden.

Buttsuji is a Rinzai temple, founded in the last years of the 14th century.

It grew to be an important monastery, and is currently the only Zen monastery in western Japan with a training hall.

The garden is completely dry and has just rocks and a few pine trees among the raked sand.

On this visit the autumn colours were not in full swing....

I can find no information on when the garden was built or who designed it.

There is a small courtyard garden, recently designed, but it is not open to the public.

The previous post was on the walk to reach Buttsuji.

Okameyama Fukuoji Temple 12 Iwami Kannon Pilgrimage

 

Day 7 of my walk along the old Iwami Kannon Pilgrimage, and for the first time I have crossed into Hamada Domain from the Shogunate-cotrolled Ginzan Domain. During the Edo Period the old province of Iwami was basically divided by the Gonokawa River.

I'm heading up the Yato River and after leaving Oda there is a small tunnel through to Ichiyama, the next main settlement on this side of the river.

On the opposite bank is a huge Zelkova tree overhanging the river. This is a suijin altar, and in May during the Suijin Festival the priest will visit here and the local people will leave a giant purification wand, an Onusa. In the old days they would have come here by boat but since the Yato River was dammed it is no longer navigable.

Ichiyama is named after the high point in the photo above. There are the ruins of a very small castle on the top.

The new road that bypasses the actual village is lined with azalea bushes which look great at this time of the year.

On the opposite bank this grove of riverside bamboo is a favorite gathering spot for all the local egrets in the evening as the sun sets and they settle in for the night as a flock.

And then Eno comes into view. It is not a large settlement, yet is home to two temples, one of which is the one I am to visit.

After crossing the river I look towards the mountains where I will be heading next.

For such a small hamlet, Fukuoji is quite a substantial temple, and I have been unable to find out why.

It is a Soto Zen temple, and I believe it was founded in the 14th century.

The local story is that the village headman found a statue of Kannon on a giant turtle in a pool in Senjokei, a gorge with many waterfalls a few k upstream from Eno.

He then established the temple and installed the statue as the honzon.

One day I may get around to asking a local historian about the temples history......

The previous post was on Oda Hachimangu Shrine...

The Way to Buttsuji

 

Day 13 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage finds me heading out of Mihara on the way to Buttsuji in the mountains.

The route first heads up the Numata River, the main river that empties into the sea at Mihara.

Then branch off to the NE and head up the Buttsuji River. Buttsuji was founded in the last years of the 14th century, so obviously the river had another name then, but the temple became so important the river was named after it at some point.

These walks continued to be one of the ways I learned about this country...

By walking around I hoped to find snippets of information that surprised me....

And, of course, I just enjoyed scenes of beauty....

Other than the occasional person, it was unusual to find other people out walking, so I didn't get to chat much

This small wayside Buddhist altar had onigawara as well as shachi.

No idea what kind of bird this is....

Sadly, the snake was roadkill....

As the valley narrowed as the road climbed, it became more rugged...

The vermillion bridge was an indication that the temple was not far....