Across the Tatara Bridge

By lunchtime of my second day walking along the Shimanami Kaido that connects Honshu with Shikoku via six islands it was time to cross over from Ikuchijima to Omishima using the Tatara Bridge.

Considered by most to be the most elegant of all the bridges on the route, it was, when built, the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world, but has since been superceded by a couple of bridges in China.

The two towers are 220 meters tall, and the central span between them is 890 meters.

For cyclists and pedestrians, there are fairly steep approaches to get up to the bridge.

Ando's Inamori Auditorium in Kagoshima

While I was in Kagoshima I took the opportunity to visit the Inamori Auditorium on the campus of Kagoshima University. It was built in 1994 and was designed by famed architect Tadao Ando.

It's not one of his better known works, but does feature some of his trademarks, most obviously the use of undecorated concrete. However its main feature is a huge concrete egg that partially protrudes through the glass facade.

I would have liked to explore the interior space but the building was all locked up. Generally people either love or hate Ando's work. I like it.

I like the geometric division of space, the use of light and shade as well as reflection. I find his structures great for exploring and discovering.......

Into Isotake

Isotake

Early on the 3rd day of my walk along the Iwami Kannon Pilgrimage I reached the coastal village of Isotake. Looking inland I could see Mount Sanbe where I had spent the night of my first days walk.

Isotake is named after Isotakeru, a son of Susano, said to be brother to the sun goddess Amaterasu. There are of course numerous versions of the ancient myths, but round here the story is that Susano and Isotakeru arrived in Japan from the Korean Peninsula at this spot. At the far end of the village is a  fishing port with a shrine whose records tell this story.

A common sight all over rural Japan are collapsing buildings. Once a traditional building is abandoned it doesn't take long for nature to begin the recycling process.

The narrow road through the village was formerly the Sanin-do, the main road that extended all the way from Kyoto. The village has now been bypassed by Route 9, a modern road. Soon it too will be superseded by a 2 lane expressway a little inland carried on tall concrete pillar and through lengthy tunnels.

Terukuni Shrine

The main shrine in Kagoshima City is Terukuni Shrine, marked with a huge torii.

Perhaps its most distinguishing feature is the tree in front pruned into the shape of a bird with outstretched wings. It is not an ancient shrine, being founded in 1863 and enshrining the daimyo of Satsuma, Shimazu Nariakira who ruled for 7 years until his death in 1858.

Like many of the modern shrines that worship rulers, politicians, generals etc I find it quite a sterile place. I personally can find nothing in his story that would make him an object of worship for me, but then I find authority based on violence and or wealth an unpleasant and disagreeable concept. He was one of the daimyo that supported the overthrow of the government and a return to Imperial rule, so it was an imperial decree that enshrined him as Teruluni Daimyojin

There is a museum in the shrine that does have a good collection of historical artifacts connected to the Shimazu rule though.

Raked Gravel and Rock

Raked Gravel and Rock

Considered quintessentially Japanese, gardens with raked gravel and rock are ubiquitous in Japan. Generally called "karesansui" they are often known in English as "Dry Gardens". Heavily associated with Zen, they are found not just in Zen temples but almost anywhere, secular or sacred.

The first photo is from Kanyoji Temple in the mountains of Yamaguchi Prefecture. I believe it was designed by Mirei Shigemori, one of the great garden designers of the 20th Century. The second photo is from the Yuushien Gardens on Daikon Island in the Nakaumi Lagoon between Shimane and Tottori. An excellent garden well worth a visit.

This third one is within the entrance area to a hot spring resort in the Okuizumo area of Shimane.

There is no shortage of karesansui gardens in Kyoto, but this 4th photo shows one of the lesser known ones. It is in front of the main hall of Shogo-in, a monzeki temple, which means it was home to a member of the imperial family.

This last one is also not such a well known garden, bgut also one that is well worth a visit. It is in the grounds of the ruins of Tokushima Castle and was part of the palace there.

Happy New Year of the Rat

I struggled to find a photo of a rat for this years new year post, so this will have to do. I have always presumed it was a statue depicting the famous artist Sesshu as a child, as it was located near the temple where he trained as a monk and where the legend of Sesshu and the Rat is set, and I am almost certain that is the case, but Ive also seen many statues of cute childlike jizos with each of the 12 animals of the Chinese horoscope, so I suppose there is an outside chance it could be that.

Anyway I wish you all Happy New Year.

Mifune Shrine, Yoshino, Kagoshima

Heading down the busy main road to Kagoshima that runs between the bay and the mountains, at one point the road splits and on the "island" between the lanes was a small shrine set in a grove of trees. The small building was squeezed between 2 large rocks.

Mifune (3 boats) Shrine was founded in 1741, though a small. stone hokora was excavated here suggesting it was a sacred site before 1741. Mifune Daimyojin is considered a kami for protection at sea and also for fishermen. The titel "daimyojin", means, I believe something like "great shining deity" and is applied to many kami. I believe it is a somewhat Buddhist term.

There were numerous smaller altars around the main building, and many of them featured Buddhist statues, like this miniature Fudo Myo.

Was the road rerouted to avoid the shrine? In this case I suspect so, although there are plenty of example of shrines being relocated when they stood in the way of construction projects.

This bottom photo is probably a Benzaiten.

Empty-Handed Fudo MyoO

While on my recent trip to Yamaguchi searching out the autumn colors I came across another unusual Fudo Myo. This statue is at the base of the steps leading up to Ryuzoji, and as you can see he has absolutely nothing in either hand. His hands appear to be in a mudra, which are the hand positions that Buddhas and other Buddhist deities use, often to indicate the nature of the particular figure. Mudras are also used as a meditation technique.

As is often the case with things Japanese, there is no one set of meanings to anything. Some sources say Fudo has nine mudras associated with him, some say ten, and one says fourteen. As far as I can tell this mudra goes by the name of rin in Japanese, though an older pronunciation is ten. I believe it is known as a "power" mudra.

The other thing that was slightly unusual with this statue is that both his fangs are pointing downwards. Normally one is up and the other down, though I have seen quite a few as in this photo..

Left-handed Fudo Myo

Left-handed Fudo Myo

Fudo MyoO, one of my favorite deities, is usually portrayed holding a rope in his left hand and a sword, named Kurikara, in his right. The sword is for subduing demons and cutting through ignorance.

On a recent visit to Shogoin Temple in Kyoto as part of my Kinki Fudo Myo Pilgrimage, I saw this painting of Fudo where the sword is in his left hand. I have been unable to find out anything about this painting, but I am guessing it is fairly modern. I have no idea if there is any significance to this left-handedness.......

EDIT... thanks to a reader in the Netherlands I was able to find out the painting was only given to the temple 2 months ago and is by Yuki Adachi from Okayama. It is done in Yuzen style which is a kind of dye resist painting used for kimonos and obis.....

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Raising the New Shimenawa at Hozanji

Last week  I visited the mountain temple of Hozanji in Ikoma, when I arrived at the main torii there were preparations underway to install a new shimenawa. I headed into the temple and spent some time exploring and as I later came to leave there were crowds of people around the torii holding ropes that were to lift it.

I decided to hang around and watch the ceremony. After a while a procession of priests arrived accompanied by musicians playing the ancient chinese instruments and the music of the ancient imperial court that is featured at shinto shrines sometimes.



A series of rituals and chants then took place, led by a very aged head priest.



Then the shimenawa was slowly hoisted by the crowd.