From Kamate to the Tanoura Coast

 

My route on day 34 of my walk along he Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage continues up the scenic coastline of Iwami, the westernmost section of Shimane. The last pilgrimage temple was in Hagi, and the next one is in Hamada, so this is a very long section without pilgrimage temples, but with plenty of other sights to see...

When I first came to Japan I was surprised how many temples looked like fortifications, until I learned they actually were....

Those buildings right on the waterfront are a traditional  hot-spring ryokan with great views of the sunset from windows you can lean out of and fish from...... with prices accordingly... Araiso is the name ....

In Tsuchida I stopped in at the local Hachimangu Shrine before climbing up and around the headland on the tiny, narrow road.

I passed by Okami and dropped down to sea level at the huge Misumi Power Plant.

It is coal-powered, shipped from Australia and China, I think.... Japan has reserves of coal but shut down their coal industry in the 1960's to switch to cheaper oil....

There was a lot of serious construction going on to expand the port facilities as the were about to start construction of a second plant..... coal seems to figure in Japanese future plans...

Offshore, seen here at maximum zoom, is Takashima Island, about 12k away.

With almost 4k of coastline, it was inhabited until 1975, though I'm guessing not a lot of people lived there....

After crossing the Misumi River, I stopped in at the interesting Reikoji Temple before walking back to the coast. Mount Taima ahead, and Tanoura Beach....

Along the beach at where another headland protrudes into the sea is Tanoura Beach.

Popular with locals in the summer, it has toilets and showers but nothing else....

There are a couple of nice rocky outcroppings, and plenty of concrete tetrapods....

and of course, excellent views of the power plant.....

I suspect this is wakame seaweed out to dry....

The previous post was on Reikoji Temple nearby with its cool komainu carvings...

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 It will not be published and made public.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

Tsuchida Hachimangu

 

Tsuchida is a small coastal village between Kamate and Okami on the Iwami coastline in western Shimane.

I stopped in at the local shrine while walking up the coast on day 34 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage.

It's a fairly standard village shrine, a Hachimangu.

It is said that the shrine was moved to this spot in "ancient" times. There are numerous secondary shrines in the grounds but no info available.

The current building has two dates from the 18th century engraved into some beams. This version of Hachiman has Ojin, Jingu, and Tamayorihime. It also lists Kotoshironushi as a primary kami.

Being a Hachimangu, there still remain some Buddhist statues in a small shrine next to the stairs.

The previous post was on the scenic harbour at Kamate..

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

Kamate

 

The fishing harbours at Kamate are located in a small bay that is divided by a small island that is now connected to the land.

Coming up the coast from the southwest, the first part of the bay has what looks to be the original little harbour.

There is a small shrine here, though not marked on the maps and with no signboard.

My guess would be an Ebisu Shrine....

At the mouth of the little harbour are a few groups of rocks with form two tiny islands.

These are the islands mentioned in Kushirogahime Shrine that I visited the day before.

They are where the male-female pair of kami sometimes meet....

The tiny harbour has been reinforced with plenty of tetrapods.....

The other side of the bay has now been turned into a large harbour by the construction of four huge concrete piers and breakwaters...

On a day like today,... cloudless and windless, the water inside the harbour is as flat as a mirror...

The island that is now connected to the land has a big shrine on top, but on this trip, I didn't climb up to visit.

The previous post in this series on day 34 of my Chugoku walk was on the walk here from Tsuda.

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

Tsuda to Kamate

 

Day 34 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage began where I ended day 33, the little fishing village of Tsuda.

These first three photos are from the train as it approached Iwami Tsuda Station from Hamada, not long after sunrise.

From the station I take the short walk directly to the long beach frontage.

As with many rivers I cross in Iwami, the river itself mostly soaks into the sandy beach, and just a narrow stream makes it to the sea.

On the other side of the Tsuda River is an intriguing old mansion house with a most impressive gate.

The whole compound is enclosed in very high exterior walls. Never have been able to find out who it belongs to, but obviously a former dignitary...

After passing the very tiny fishing harbour at Tsuda, the coast road passes a tiny inlet with beach.

The next river is the Okita River, and here I pass a small boat engaged in some kind of fishing.

But there is still no harbour of any size....

After crossing the Okita River.... which contradicts my earlier observation about rivers, I pass another small headland before reaching the edge of Kamate....

The previous post was on the shrine I visited at the end of yesterday's walk.

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