Gardens at Buttsuji

 

Buttsuji is a major Zen monastery in the mountains of southern Hiroshima.

Outside of the main walled compound, and across the river is a small garden attributed to Sesshu

Some garden experts suggest it doesn't look much like a Sesshu garden, but the temple says it has been changed over the centuries.

A little further down the approach road is a sub-temple of Buttsuji, Yotokuin, and its not possible to enter its grounds, but a sign claims that it also has a Sesshu garden.

Across the pond and stone bridge is now a Kannon altar.

Crossig over the river into the main temple compound, is a large karesansui garden.

Buttsuji is a Rinzai temple, founded in the last years of the 14th century.

It grew to be an important monastery, and is currently the only Zen monastery in western Japan with a training hall.

The garden is completely dry and has just rocks and a few pine trees among the raked sand.

On this visit the autumn colours were not in full swing....

I can find no information on when the garden was built or who designed it.

There is a small courtyard garden, recently designed, but it is not open to the public.

The previous post was on the walk to reach Buttsuji.

Okameyama Fukuoji Temple 12 Iwami Kannon Pilgrimage

 

Day 7 of my walk along the old Iwami Kannon Pilgrimage, and for the first time I have crossed into Hamada Domain from the Shogunate-cotrolled Ginzan Domain. During the Edo Period the old province of Iwami was basically divided by the Gonokawa River.

I'm heading up the Yato River and after leaving Oda there is a small tunnel through to Ichiyama, the next main settlement on this side of the river.

On the opposite bank is a huge Zelkova tree overhanging the river. This is a suijin altar, and in May during the Suijin Festival the priest will visit here and the local people will leave a giant purification wand, an Onusa. In the old days they would have come here by boat but since the Yato River was dammed it is no longer navigable.

Ichiyama is named after the high point in the photo above. There are the ruins of a very small castle on the top.

The new road that bypasses the actual village is lined with azalea bushes which look great at this time of the year.

On the opposite bank this grove of riverside bamboo is a favorite gathering spot for all the local egrets in the evening as the sun sets and they settle in for the night as a flock.

And then Eno comes into view. It is not a large settlement, yet is home to two temples, one of which is the one I am to visit.

After crossing the river I look towards the mountains where I will be heading next.

For such a small hamlet, Fukuoji is quite a substantial temple, and I have been unable to find out why.

It is a Soto Zen temple, and I believe it was founded in the 14th century.

The local story is that the village headman found a statue of Kannon on a giant turtle in a pool in Senjokei, a gorge with many waterfalls a few k upstream from Eno.

He then established the temple and installed the statue as the honzon.

One day I may get around to asking a local historian about the temples history......

The previous post was on Oda Hachimangu Shrine...

The Way to Buttsuji

 

Day 13 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage finds me heading out of Mihara on the way to Buttsuji in the mountains.

The route first heads up the Numata River, the main river that empties into the sea at Mihara.

Then branch off to the NE and head up the Buttsuji River. Buttsuji was founded in the last years of the 14th century, so obviously the river had another name then, but the temple became so important the river was named after it at some point.

These walks continued to be one of the ways I learned about this country...

By walking around I hoped to find snippets of information that surprised me....

And, of course, I just enjoyed scenes of beauty....

Other than the occasional person, it was unusual to find other people out walking, so I didn't get to chat much

This small wayside Buddhist altar had onigawara as well as shachi.

No idea what kind of bird this is....

Sadly, the snake was roadkill....

As the valley narrowed as the road climbed, it became more rugged...

The vermillion bridge was an indication that the temple was not far....

A Delightful Early Morning Walk in Susaki

 

On day 19 of my walk along the Shikoku Pilgrimage I left the northern part of Susaki where I had spent a restful night in a business hotel. I slept out a lot on the pilgrimage, stayed in Zenkanyado and Tsuyado when I could, and then every now and then splurged for a room in a hotel.

Susaki was the biggest town I had been in since leaving Kochi City and it was a glorious autumn morning as I headed towards the extra bangai temple of  Daizenji.

The things that strike my eyes and lead me to taking a snap vary wildly, though strong compositions work....

I stopped in at a couple of small shrines as I came into Susaki proper. Susaki now covers quite a wide area but the train station near my hotel last night was Onogo. I passed Oma station before arriving near Susaki Station.

As I started to ascend the slope towards the temple the views of Susaki Bay opened up

As was common on the vast majority of days while walking these pilgrimages I was filled with gratitude for what had passed and excitement at what was to come....

The previous post in this series on the delights to be found between the temples was on the walk from Uranouchi Bay to Susaki.

To Mihara Castle Ruins

 

There is not a lot left of Mihara Castle, but what is left is somewhat striking.

I arrived in Mihara at the end of day 12 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage and took a ferry from Ikuchijima Island after having visited temple number 11 Kojoji, with its marvellous 15 century National Treasure pagoda.

Mihara is quite a busy little port with numerous ferries servicing the islands of the Inland Sea and even across to Shikoku. There is also some shipbuilding.

The castle was built in 1567 and greatly expanded over the following decades. It was built on a couple of small islands in the mouth of the Nuta River. At high tide it appeared to be floating on the sea and was known as the "floating castle".

The base for the tenshu is pretty much all that remains now, and it was built during expansion in 1595, though no tenshu was built. It was a pretty large cattle measuring 1 kilometer by 600 meters and had 14 gates and 32 yagura.

It was the easternmost fortification for the Mori Clan and the important Sanyodo highway passed through the outer fortifications.

In the Edo Period it was controlled by the Asano Clan since 1619 and was a branch castle of the Hiroshima Domain.

In the early Meiji Period most of the buildings were dismantled and sold as lumber. In 1894 with the construction of Mihara Station much of the stonework was taken away and used in the construction of Itozaki Port. Land reclamation moved the seashore further away and the final straw was the expansion of Mihara Station for the Shinkansen in 1975.

The previous post in this series on the Chugoku Pilgrimage was Kojoji Temple and its ancient pagoda.