Aiba Waterway Koi

The carp-filled Aiba waterway runs through a quiet neighborhood in the southern section of Hagi.

Originally a stream, it was canalized to prevent flooding and to provide irrigation to paddies. It was later widened and deepened to enable small boats to be used for transporting materials.

Houses along the waterway built "hatoba", allowing the water of the canal to come into the kitchens and bathrooms where it could be used without having to go outside.

Several of the houses are open to the public including the childhood home of Taro Katsura, Japans' longest serving Prime Minister.

Kando-ji Temple 5 on the Izumo Kannon Pilgrimage

The fifth temple on the Izumo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage is Kando-ji. It is also temple 23 of the Chugoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

The Niomon contained a pair of quite crude Nio.

Unusual, considering it is a Pure Land sect temple, it has a Daishi-do enshrining Kobo Daishi, the founder of the Shingon sect.

It was founded in 781. There was no-one around for me to ask what the connection to Kobo daishi is.

It is located towards the hills to the south of downtown Izumo.

Shikinaen Udun

Shikina-en is the royal garden of the Ryukyuan royal family near Shuri castle in Naha, Okinawa. The Udun is the palace within the garden, though villa might be a better word. It is a World Heritage Site.

The Udun was constructed in the 17th Century with the garden being made later.

It has 15 rooms with the traditional red tile roof that was only allowed for the highest levels of the society.

As well as being used as a second residence, it was also used to entertain visiting dignitaries.

It was destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa and recontruction finished in 1995.

Kannon-ji, Izumo City temple 4 on the Izumo Kannon Pilgrimage

Temple 4 of the Izumo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage is Kannon-ji located in downtown Izumo City just off old Route 9.

It is a Rinzai Zen temple and the main deities are Yakushi Nyorai, the Healing Buddha, and the eleven-faced Kannon. I can find very little information about the temple and its history and I was there at the crack of dawn so there was no-one around to ask.

Therewere a couple of shrines in the grounds, and this structure which contains, I believe, statues of the Judges of Hell.

Prayer slips left by pilgrims. I was there in April and the cherries were in full bloom. There is a small bell tower, and possibly an Imperial Messenger gate which would indicate that the temple held some importance in earlier times.

Goh Shrine

Coming down the small hill on which lies Oh Shrine there is a second small shrine, Goh Shrine, which enshrines Wake no Kiyomaro, a government official in the 7th Century.

He is connected to the famous Dokyo Incident. Usa Shrine, now Usa Hachimangu, rose to power to a certain extent due to its oracles. One oracle in 769 suggested that the monk Dokyo should be the next emperor. Dokyo is often likened to Rasputin. He was very much in favor with Empress Koken after he cured her of an illness in 761. Wake no Kiyomaro was sent to Usa to check the oracle and came back with a second oracle refuting the first by saying that only descendants of Amaterasu, and not commoners could become Emperor.

Under Dokyos influence the Empress banished Kiyomaro, but after her death he was recalled and promoted. He undertook an investigation and found that more oracles were deemed fraudulent and the head priest of Usa was removed.

He is also credited with convincing Emperor Kammu to abandon Nagaoka and move to what is now known as Kyoto.

Izumo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage. End of the first day.

After leaving Gakuenji the trail heads up into the mountains. On the other side is Izumo where I have a hotel room waiting....

The first few kilometers of trail are part of the Chugoku Nature Trail, but near the top it branches off and heads along the mountains towards Izumo Taisha. One of these days I will walk that section. It was here that I came upon the deer skeleton.

Over the pass and Izumo can be glimpsed through the trees....

and in the direction of Izumo Taisha the Izumo Dome

Once down, a look back at the mountains I had just crossed and then a straight line walk across the plain towards the town center with the paddies gradually being replaced by things urban....

Return of the Badger

Most evenings I hear the badger snuffling around just outside my house, so when I saw it yesterday afternoon I got out there with my camcorder and took a few shots....

other posts on the anaguma here

Gonokawa Matsuri Parade

Last saturday was the Gonokawa Matsuri, the social event of the season in Gotsu. All the young females of the species were in their finest.....

The parade consisted of a long line of various civic groups and clubs and companies each in their own style of outfit performing the "dance"..... very few people actually seeme dto be enjoying it....

Kakinomoto Hitomaro, the famed 7th Century poet whose work is well represented in the Manyoshu. His wife, also a famous poet, was a local girl.....

The one group that made a lot of noise and actually seemed to be enjoying themselves were the High School Rugby team.....

And of course no parade would be complete without traditional Japanese hula dancers....

Kamagari Bridge

The Kamagari Bridge connects Shimokanagari Island with Kamagari (sometimes known as Kamikamagari) Island in the Akin Nada Island chain in the Inland Sea in Hiroshima.

It is a truss-style bridge with a span of 480 meters.

It was completed in 1979, which I believe makes it the first of the 8 bridges that now connect the Akinada Islands.

Onomichi Temple Walk. Tenneiji

The next temple on the Onomichi Temple Walk is Tenneiji

Founded in the middle of the 14th century as a Rinzai temple, it is now a Soto sect temple.

The pagoda behind the temple offers some great views over the town.

The original pagoda had 5 storeys.