Solstice on the Beach

 

I have a personal tradition of trying to sleep out on the night of the summer solstice.

My preferred location is a mountaintop with 360-degree views so I can watch the sun set and then rise again.

My second choice would be a beach facing west, and so it was back in the summer of 2020 I found myself on day 6 of my walk exploring in depth the Sea of Japan coastline

I've seen egrets gathering together to roost for the night before, but I'v not seen so many flying together as a flock.

My spot for the night was a covered picnic shelter on the beach not far from Izumo Taisha.

In the far distance, Mount Sanbe...

My spot was at the mouth of the Kando River....

I could look back and see where I had started walking that day ( photo 3)

During the evening there were several fishermen visiting the beach.....

But otherwise a nice quiet spot with only the occasional mosquito....

The previous post in this series was on my walk from Kirara Taki to this point.

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To Kirara Taki

 

After leaving the cannons of Tebikigaura Daiba Park my route along the coast follows Route 9 and the railway.

This section of coast has a lot of rocks, many just a little submerged and makes sailing close to the coast quite difficult. While sailing with a friend in a yacht with a keel, we scraped rocks a couple of times.

the road and railway are quite high above the water for this section.

The cape of the Shimane Peninsula ahead beckons.

A little further ahead is the Tagi fishing harbour.

Back in the town at the mouth of the river is a harbour, and I often see huge floating cranes moored there, but this harbour further along the coast has the Japan Fisheries building.

Up ahead the two wind generators on the hill above Kirara Taki, the michi-no-eki.

Then, another small harbour. I actually know this one quite well as my friend had his yacht moored here.

The road descends slightly and I pass through what is called Oda.... Little Paddy, not Big Paddy.

The small Oda River empties into the sea...

And then the beaches begin...

The area around Kirara Taki, the largish Michi no Eki, literally "road station" , a kind of service area without gas stations...

In recent years they have developed the area as a beach resort....

The beaches don't really compare with the ones we have down in Iwami..... but most of the population of Shimane lives in this end of the prefecture, so its the best they have I guess....

The previous post in this series on my walk along the Japan Sea Coast was on Tebikigaura Park.

Tebikigaura Daiba Park

 

Tebikigaura Daiba Park is a small clifftop park overlooking Tagi Port and the mouth of the Tagi River which formed the boundary between the old provinces of Iwami and Izumo.

It's the summer solstice and I am starting the 6th leg of my walk heading east along the Sea of Japan coastline and have just entered Izumo.

The most intriguing thing at the park was a pair of cannon. The first a full-size replica of a Japanese-style cannon, and the second, below, a 3/4 scale replica of a Western cannon.

In the 18th century the Matsue Domain installed two batteries, each of three cannon, at this spot and down at the mouth of the river.

The replica cannons here are based on documentation of another battery further up the coast in Tottori.

Looking across the bay is Hinomisaki, the western cape of the Shimane Peninsula where I would be visiting next day.

This area of beach and coast is named Tebikigaura after a myth concerning a daughter of Okuninushi named Adakayanushitakikkihime who lived in the area. She is the kami of the Adakaya Shrine much further east of Matsue with the cool straw serpents...

My plan was to get as far as around Izumo Taisha and spend the solstice night sleeping out...

The previous post was on the section of coast from Kute to Hane.

Miho Shrine

 

Miho Shrine is a major shrine located at the Eastern tip of the Shimane Peninsula and is the head shrine of about 3,000 Miho shrines throughout Japan.

It is also said to be the head shrine of all Ebisu shrines nationwide, though that is also claimed by Nishinomiya Shrine in Hyogo.

There are two quite distinct origins for Ebisu, one as the "leech child" born to Izanagi and Izanami, and the other as Kotoshironushi, one of the sons of Okuninushi in Izumo. The former si the basis for Nishinomiya Shrine, and the latter for Miho Shrine in Izumo. In early Meiji Period the government officially classified Ebisu as Kotoshironushi.

Miho Shrine was mentioned in the Izumo Fudoki, the 8th century local gazeteers published shortly after the more famous Kojiki and Nihon Shoki.

It seems quite possible that at first the kami Mihosumi was enshrined here but that later Mihotsuhime and Kotoshironushi became the two kami under the influence of the Kojiki and Nihnshoki.

Mihotsuhime is a wife of Okuninushi, and step-mother to Kotoshironushi.

Their twin hondens are in a unique architecture style and registered as Important Cultural Properties. They were constructed in 1813.

I have not noticed before at other shrines, so am not sure how prevalent the custom is, but above the entrance gate hang two Onusa purification wands.

Kotoshironushi used to go fishing often at his favorite spot on an offshore islet.

He was there when his father, Okuninushi, sent for him to consult about the offer from Amaterasu envoys to hand over the land to her descendants in what is known as the Kuniyuzuri myth.

This event is recreated in two unique festivals involving boats, the Murote Fune held on December 3rd involving two large canoes, and the Aoshibagaki held on April 7th.

The shrine also has an impressive collection of hundreds of musical instruments that have been donated over the centuries.

846 are registered as Important Tangible Folk Cutural Properties and include the first accordion and organ in the country

Often depicted carrying a Sea Bream, Ebisu is well known as a kami of fishing but also safety at sea, and prosperity in business.

Mihotsuhime, a daughter of  Takamimusubi, is known for abundant harvest, marital harmony, safe childbirth, prosperity of descendants, and music and dance.

Mihonoseki is a small port in a sheltered position that was used as a lay-over for the Kitamaebune ships in the Edo period.

Served by buses from Matsue, it is a nice place for a quiet visit and the guesthouse used by Lafcadio Hearn is still in business.

The previous post on sights to see in Matsue was on Jozan Inari Shrine, another shrine with a famous boat festival.