A Second Suwa Shrine in Itano Town

Only about 3k from another Suwa Shrine, this second one in Itano Town, Tokushima, has a huge camphor tree at the entrance.

Believed to be around 700 years old, this venerable kusonoki grows to more than 35 meters in height.

The enshrined kami at Suwa shrines are Takeminakata, the son of Okuninushi who refused to hand over Izumo to the Yamato, and his wife Yasakatome. By the Heian Period the kami was called by the name of Suwa Myojin, the "bright shining deity of Suwa.

The cult of Suwa Myojin spread far and wide due to its association with, among other things, wind, hunting, and battle, though its spread is most likely due to the samurai who worshipped it as a kami of battle.

Vacation 2011 Day11 on the way down

I had been trekking in the Jebel Sahro before, and for the last three days we had passed through familiar territory, but from now on it was all new to me. The route mostly followed a high-desert valley downwards.

We passed a small group of camels belonging to a nomad family who had moved back into the high country after having wintered in the warmer lower elevations with their flock.

Gradually more and more ribbons of green appeared, and in this arid country wherever there is green people will have homesites....

Lower still and the signs of humans increase. Eventually we stop at a small store and enjoy warm sodas. Then the tower of a mosque appears, the first since entering the Jebel, a sure sign that we are nearing a road.

The sunset was sublime. Most of the group sat inside the tent chattering, seemingly unaware or indifferent to its beauty.....

Nio of Kunisaki part2

Nio, the guardian statues flanking the entrance to many temples are also known as Kongorikishi, though the gates they are often found inside are called Niomon. Most Nio are made of wood, but on the Kunisaki peninsular in north Kyushu they are made of stone. This first one is one of a pair at the start of the steps leading up to Futagoji roughly in the center of the conical peninsular.

Another pair can be found within Futagoji's grounds at the bottom of the steps leading up to inner halls higher up the mountain. One of the pair always has an open mouth, Misshaku Kongo, and Naraen Kongo with his mouth closed.

Originally from India, many historians believe there is a connection between them and Greek statues of  Heracles (Hercules) that may have been transmitted along the Silk Road 2,000 years ago. This Nio is at Fukiji, believed to be the oldest wooden building in Kyushu.

This modern one stands in front of a shrine, not a temple. Kunisaki was home to a unique type of Shugendo that mixed Tendai Buddhism with the "shinto" of nearby Usa Hachiman. Known as Rokugomanzan, stone was  the dominant material for statues and the area is home to the biggest cliff-carvings in Japan.

This final one (for now) is at Sempukuji. Kunisaki is one of my favorite areas. many more posts on the area can be found here. Nio are also a favorite topic of mine, and lots more can be seen here

Manhole Birds

Toyono Town in Kumamoto Prefecture uses an image of the ugusui, Japanese Bush-warbler.

Up in Matsue, Shimane soem of the smaller draincovers around the castle moat feature the swan, hakucho in Japanese.

Saijo City in Ehime on Shikoku features a pair of kingfishers, kawasemi in Japanese.

Susaki in Kochi Prefecture on Shikoku also featurtes a kingfisher.

Noichi, also in Kochi, no longer officially exists as it has been merged into a new municipality of Kamita. Among the daffodils flies a Hibari, skylark

Silver Hut

Silver Hut is a copy of architect Toyo Ito's home that he built for himself in 1984 in Tokyo. It won the Architecture Institute of Japan Award in 1986. This copy was built in 2011 and is located on the island of Omoshima between Hiroshima and Shikoku.

According to Ito he got the idea for the building after watching a TV program showing astronauts sharing a meal together on the space station.

Photos ive seen of the original show it surrounded by trees and foliage and looks better as a living space than this new version which sits alone.

Silver Hut and the adjacent Steel Hut form the Toyo Ito Museum of Architecture. I will post on the Steel Hut later.

The building houses an archive of ito's drawings and plans and is used for workshops and other events.

Shikoku 88 Pilgrimage Temple 6 Anrakuji

Anrakuji, which can be translated as "Temple of Present Joy and Peaceful Death" is located in Kamiita Town and is now the sixth temple on the 88 temple pilgrimage.

Originally with a different name and located about 1k north of its present location, legend says it was founded by Kobo Daishi in 811.

The main hall is a modern concrete construction as it replaces an older one that burnt down in 1955. There are 33 deity statues in the grounds and a shrine to Benzaiten.

It belongs to the Shingon sect and the main deity is Yakushi Nyorai, supposedly carved by Kukai himself.

Historical documents say it was built in 1598 by order of the Lord of the province, Hachisuka Iemasa, as an ekiroji, roadside temple, to provide lodgings for travelers and pilgrims. He ordered 8 ekiroji to be built and while he may well have had some altruistic motives it seems they may have been used to spy upon travelers. Prior to this date, the temple was not part of the 88 temple pilgrimage.

Tombi, Black-eared Kite

The Black-eared Kite, Milvus Lineatus, is the most common raptor in Japan. In parts of japan it is called Tobi, but in my area it is called Tombi.

They are quite common, especially along the coast and rivers. A few months ago I saw a flock of about 40 circling over my village. Apparently in winter they tend to roost together in larger groups.

They are very opportunistic feeders, sometimes catching small animals but mostly feeding on carrion. They ahve been known to snatch food out of your hands. I was walking along near Hamada port one day eating a sandwich and they kept swooping to within inches of me.

Kanzui Matsuri 5

Suzukayama is another hero versus demon piece based on a Noh drama.
The hero is Sakanoue Tamuramaro who was given the title of shogun (barbarian defeating generalissimo) for his success in defeating the Emishi in eastern and northern Japan. I believe he founded the famous Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto.

There are many variations on the story, but this version seems to be based on the version of the story that has the demon being a "dog demon". Other versions have the demon being invisible.

The demon lives in a cave on Suzukayama which is near Ise. Apparently it was quite a dangerous place for travelers.

What is interesting to note is how halfway through the dance the upper part of the costume is undone and drops to act like a flared skirt during the spinning. Thois last photo shows some of the acrobatics involved in the fight sequences.

Warabekan Toy and Childrens Song Museum

The Warabekan is a huge museum located in Tottori City devoted exclusively to childrens toys as well as childrens songs and nursery rhymes.

There are thousands of toys, both traditional and modern, on display from all over the world.

As well as the displays there is aslo a big room where kids can play with toys and make toys.

Equally fascinating is the section on childrens songs which covers the period from the Meiji era up until the present, including songs from famous childrens TV shows.

In an earlier post you can find some of the childrens songs.....

Poison Gas Factory haikyo

Actually this isn't the poison gas factory itself, but rather the power plant that powered the poison gas production facility. Most of the factory was destroyed in 1945.

It is located on the tiny island of Okunoshima just off the coast of Hiroshima Prefecture in the Seto Inland Sea.

From 1929 until 1945 the Japanese government maintained a top-secret installation producing more than 6,000 tons of Mustard Gas which was used in their campaigns in China.

There are still a couple of other structures left on the island but I did not have time to visit them.

There is a very good little museum on the subject on the island.

I wrote a guide to Okunoshima which can be found here

Nowadays the island is famous as Rabbit Island because of the hundreds of rabbits running free that are descended from some rabbits released here in the 1960's.