Fukuyama Central Library

 

Fukuyama does not have much in the way of interesting modern architecture. Like so many of the bigger cities, it was bombed heavily at the end of the war and then suffered under Japans post war construction mentaliity.

However, the Central Library was quite nice.

With water on a couple of sides and set in Central Park its not particularly unique but quite photogenic.

It was designed by Nikken Sekkei, said to be the biggest architectural office in Japan, so no individual architects get named.

It was originally part of the Sumitomo Zaibatsu.

Their website says the brickwork cladding is made from rammed earth bricks but they look like regular bricks to me...

The last 2 photos give a clue as to why I was at the library....... Central Park was the location of a big festival that evening....

The previous post was on the Sanzo Inari Shrine inside Fukuyama Castle Park

Shotoen Garden & Houses on Shimo Kamagari Island

 

Shotoen is an absolute delight. Four traditional buildings of different types connected by a raked sand and pine garden overlooking the sea.

Not only that, but each building houses a different museum.

Shotoen is located in Sannose, a small port on Shimokamagari Island in the Inland Sea not far from Kure, Hiroshima.

It is connected to the mainland by a bridge, and a further series of bridges connect to other islands in the chain and is a somewhat popular cycling route, but off the radar for most tourists.

During the Edo Period Sannose was a kaieki, the maritime equivalent of a post station, and home to honjin, guest houses for elite travellers.

Daimyos and their retinues heading up to Edo would stop here, as did the Dutch traders from Nagasaki, and the gifts left by the Dutch seem to have become the impetus for several of the museums.

One shows many examples of Imari Ware, Japan's first domestically produced porcelain. Produced in Arita but named after the port where it was shipped from, readers with an interest in Imari Ware can check my post on Arita which has a bunch of relevant links.

 

The most interesting museum, to my mind at least, was on the Korean diplomatic missions.

Emissaries, often with a large entourage, from Korea visited Japan many times during the Edo Period.

On 11 different occasions they stayed here on Sannose, and it was the obligation of the local Daimyo to entertain them.

The cost was so exorbitant that it is said that if any more Korean delegations had visited it would have bankrupted the domain.

The displays include a replica of the feasts offered and a scale model of the kind of ship used.

I am guessing the several Korean-style Buddhist  statues are also a reference to the Korean connection.

There is also an obligatory display of farming utensils, straw hats etc.

There is a joint entry ticket that also gives entry to several other museums and other tourist sites in Sannose.

I believe there are a few buses to and from  the mainland, but you need to walk, cycle, or drive...... which is why there are so few tourists....

Tamashima Historic Preservation District

 

Tamashima is an area in the western part of Kurashiki City in Okayama that gets virtually no tourists, but yet is intriguing and with some sights well worth a visit. One of the delights of walking a pilgrimage is encountering surprises, the unexpected. Of course I realize that kind of goes against the grain nowadays when everything is organized and planned with the help of smartphones to avoid the unknown...... but Tamashima was completely unexpected and I only discovered it by walking through on my way to Entsuji Temple.

Three sections of the town are registered as a Preservation District by the prefecture, but not as the Groups of Traditional Buildings like the nearby Bikan District.

In the late 17th century Tamashima became a major port for the Bitchu Matsuyama domain and connected to the castle town via the Takahashi River.

Originally some small islands, the local lord built embankments and gradually reclaimed land until they became part of the mainland.

However, the boom times didn't last forever, and after a few generations the ports fortunes began to decline due to several factors.

Some trade continued, and the area still has some largish merchant properties and warehouses as well as sake breweries etc.

Unlike the nearby Bikan District, you will not find cafes, gift shops, or other tourist infrastructure, rather a more authentic glimpse of a former prosperity. However, the Yunoki Residence is open to the public and with free entry and is well worth a visit.

The area has been included in the Japan Heritage site connected to the kitamaebune and other Inland Sea maritime trade routes.

The previous post was on Entsuji Temple, a delightful, thatched Zen temple with a garden on a hillside overlooking Tamashima. Other sites of interest in the area are the Former Yunoki Residence, a wealthy merchant property with gardens, and Haguro Shrine, with remarkable decorations.

Osaka Museum of History

 

The Osaka Museum of History is located to the SW of Osaka Castle.

It occupies the top floors of an elliptical tower 83 meters tall.

It was completed in 2001.

It shares an entrance in a shared atrium with the NHK building next door.

Both buildings were constructed at the same time.

It is said to have been designed by Cesar Pelli, though I can find no reference to it on the Pelli Associated website.

Pelli is more well known for his design of the Osaka Museum of Art. I will be posting on oy a little later.

My favorite Pelli building in Japan is the Kurayoshi Park Square in Tottori.

From the Museum of History there are great views across to Osaka Castle.

The previous post in this seriers on maodern architecture of Osaka was on Umeda Sky Building.