Omiya Shrine Yamaga

 

The main shrine in the town of Yamaga in Kumamoto is called Omiya Shrine, and as such has fairly large grounds with lots of smaller sub-shrines within it, however, the main kami is intriguing.

It enshrines the "person" who is now known as Emperor Keiko, the 12th emperor in the "official" genealogy. He is considered legendary, rather than historical or mythical. The first ten are considered mythical, but that doesnt stop them being promoted as historical . The person they now call Emperor Keioko may possibly have existed but cannot be verified.

According to the legend, he was more than 10 foot tall, lived to be 143 years old, and had 80 children. Probably his most famous son is known as Yamato Takeru, and according to the Kojiki his father sent him to Kyushu to suppress "rebellious" tribes, something he did also in Izumo and eastern Japan. This process of Yamato rulers extending their power across the main Japanese islands was occurring during the 4th century and continued for many more centuries. It was certainly not happening 2,000 years ago as the myths and nationalists would have it.

One version of the story has Keiko coming to Kyushu himself and his eshrinement here is based on that version. The shrine has an unusual building with what looks like a bell tower..... from a time perhaps when temples and shrines were more closely related?

The shrine is the home to the towns most famous festival, the Yamaga Lantern Festival, and there is a museum devoted to the subject.

Yachiyo-za Theatre

 

Yachiyo-za is a traditional type of theatre that is located in the hot spring resort town of Yamaga, not far from Kumamoto City.

The ceiling is completely covered with advertisments, a tradition dating back to the Edo Period.

The theatre was built in 1910 and is now registered as an Important Cultural Property. Kabuiki and other types of performances are still held today, but during times of no performaces the theatre is open to visitors.

There is a small museum displaying costumes, props, playbills etc as well as an old projectore used to show movies.

Visitors are free to explore everywhere, including under the stage which has the human-powered rotating stage mechanism.

As Kabuki theaters go it is quite large, seating more than 1,200 people. By the 1980's it was long abandoned and derelict but it was decided to renovate rather than demolish.

Kongojoji Temple 100 on the Kyushu Pilgrimage

 

Probably the most famous part of Kongojoji Temple in Yamaga, Kumamoto is the circular stone gate.  Built in 1804 by a mason called Kikuchi, it uses the technology used to construct what are called "spectacles bridges" in Japan. It is nowadays touted as a "marriage power spot"

According to legend the temple was founded by Kukai himself who reputedly spent nine days here. It is a Shingon temple, as are all the temples on this pilgrimage, and the honzon is a Yakushi Nyorai.

There is a renovated Kannon-do (bottom photo) that I believe is the focus of the pilgrimage, and there were plenty of Kannon statues around.

In the 15th century, the local hot spring suddenly stopped, and a priest at the temple is credited with performing ceremonies that caused it to start up again. Paper lanterns donated after the event became the basis for the town's  famous lantern festival.

Honzoin Temple 55 of the Kyushu Pilgrimage

 

Honzoin is a very small, urban temple in downtown Kumamoto and number 55 on the Kyushu Pilgrimage  Its honzon is a Fudo Myoo, but I did not get into the main hall to see it. However there were multiple small Fudo statues in the grounds.

The Daishido was a simple, modern, concrete structure that was open. There was also a statue of Kobo daishi outside. The temple has been here since the 1930's but its origin lie with Mount Aso and Shugendo.

Mount Aso was a major shugendo center, and there were 37 sub temples scattered around the mountain as well as a main temple that was connected to the main shrine of the mountain. These were Tendai temples, and the other two major shugendo centers on yushu, Hikosan and Kunisaki, were also Tendai based. On Honshu the most dominant form of shugendo was Shingon related.

On early Meiji shugendo was outlawed and all of the temples on Aso wete closed down. One however moved to Kumamoto and converted to Shingon and then a few decades later moved again to its current location.

Kokin Denju no Ma Teahouse

Kokin Denju no Ma Teahouse

Kokin Denju no Ma teahouse is an old, thatched building with fatastic views out over the large pond in Suizenji garden in Kumamoto. The teahouse is actually a bit older than the garden, but it was not moved here until 1912.

For more than 300 years it had stood inside the grounds of the Imperial palace in Kyoto but it probably had a different name then.

Kokin Denju is an esoteric teaching on classical poetry. Yusai Hosokawa, the grandfather of the man who established Suizenji garden in 1637, was a samurai scholar who passed on the Kokin Denju to his student Prince Hachijonomiya, the brother of the then current emperor. This took place in the teahouse when it was in the Imoerial palace in Kyoto in the 16th Century.

It is now free to enter and enjoy the best views of the garden.

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Mount Fuji at Suizenji Garden

Suizenji

It is believed that the earliest Japanese gardens, based on Chinese gardens, were representations of mythical and legendary landscapes that were Daoist ind later Buddhist in origin. The extremely common Crane or Turtle Islands being examples.

Later actual famous landscapes, usually again Chinese, that had been immortalized in poetry and painting were the inspiration. Later still came the idea of gardens representing actual jaoanese landscapes..

Suizenji Garden in Kumamoto is said to be based on the 53 stations of the Tokaido, the highway that connected Kyoto with Edo, and the most famous view along that route is of course Mount Fuji.

The garden was built for the tea-drinking pleasure of the Lords of the Kumamoto Domain and also has a Noh stage as well as several teahouses within the grounds.

Autumn Colors at Suizenji Garden

 

Suizenji garden is probably the most well known garden in Kumamoto and is registered as one of the top 100 scenic spots in Japan.

It is a stroll type garden built originally as a tea retreat for the daimyos of Kumamoto.

The largest part is a representation of the Tokaido, the main road between Kyoto and Tokyo in the Edo period, and perhaps its most famous spot is a representation of Mount Fuji.

I visited at the end of November which meant that this far south the autumn colors were almost at their peak. It also meant the large grassy areas were yellow rather than green.

Honmyoji Temple

 

At the end of the long approach to Honmyoji Temple, visitors arrive at the Chuomon gate which, to me, looks quite Chinese in design and style. Honmyoji belongs to the Nichiren sect and is the highest-ranking temple of the sect in Kyushu. It was founded by the famous warrior Kato Kiyomasa who was a fervent follower of Nichiren.

It was originay founded by Kiyomasa in Osaka in 1585 to console the spirit of his deceased father, In 1600 the teple was relocated to within the grounds of Kumamoto Castle where Kiyomasa was based. In 1611 Kiyomasa was buried in a grave on the hilltop above where the temple now stands, looking over Kumamototo the castle.

The temple was moved to its present site in 1614. The current main hall however ony dates back to 1884, being rebuilt after it was burned down during the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877. There is a museum devoted to Kiyomasa in the temple grounds. 

The temple and the park around the grave on the hilltop are very popular during the cherry blossom season, and on the last weekend, in March the cherry trees and the approach road up to the temple are illuminated. 

The Approach to Honmyoji Temple

 

Honmyoji is probably the most important and most visited temple in Kumamoto City. It was built by the great warlord Kato Kiyomasa and his grave lies above the temple. After climbing an intial flight of steps you pass through the huge Niomon, a modern, concrete structure.

High up in the Niomon are a pair of Nio guardian statues, but they appear small and not at all imposing. From here a long approach heads up the slope to the temple itself.

Lining each side of the approach are twelve smaller temples called Tatchu which were originally small buildings that interred the ashes of head priests but which grew into small sub-temples.

The route is lined with many stone lanterns, and a few of the temples have statues and small gardens. I visited on  Saturday November 39th, 2013 on the 46th day of my walk around Kyushu and so there was still plenty of autumn foliage to be seen.

Shohinken Teahouse & Garden

Shohinken Teahouse

Shohinken is an Edo-period garden and teahouse not far from Yatsushiro Castle in the south of Kumamoto.

It was built in 1688 by Naoyuko Matsui, the third Matsui Daimyo of the domain, for his mother. I believe the site was originally a temple md the basis of the garden may have already been in existence.

It is sometimes known as Hama no Chaya, "Beach Tea"house", as it was adjacent to the beack of the tidal Kuma River, though now it is more than 1K from the river.

A large part of the 9,000 sq m garden is a large pond with small bridges and stepping stones.. In 2002 it was registered as a National Scenic Spot.

There are many planters in the pond and they come alive in early summer when thousands of Irises bloom. There are also lillies and lotus plants. The shoin-style teahouse is unusual in that it has two floors. I am pretty sure the glass was added in the early Meiji Period.

Under normal circumstance the main building cannot be entered, but there is a small museum attached with tea ceremony articles and other artifacts connected to the matsui Clan.

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