Yakatabune of the Mimuka River

Yakatabune, Mimuka River

The Mikuma River flows through Hita, in the mountains of Oita near the border with Fukuoka, and has been a transportation route since ancient times. It has also been a source of food, with eels and the ayu fish being popular still today.

In the summer months, It is the site for the traditional fishing method using trained cormorants to catch the fish, and visitors head out in pleasure boats to watch the scene.

The boats, called yakatabune, nowadays ply their trade most nights of the year as they have become one of the prime tourist attractions, especially for the many guests of the waterfront hot spring hotels..

Yakatabune have a long history, being used by the elite aristocrats of the Heian court to hold waterborne parties with plenty of sake drinking and poetry composition.

Yakatabune is often translated as "house boat", but in English, that implies people living onboard, whereas they are really like small Japanses restaurants, with tatami floors, low tables etc.

Around sunset each day the lanterns and electric lights on the yakatabune light up, and guests, usually wearing traditional outfits, arrive and are then taken out to the middle of the river for a few hours of fine wining and dining.

The boats are operated by half a dozen of the waterfront hot spring hotels, but I believe it may be possible to book seats without actually staying at the hotel, though I suspect the tickets are not cheap.

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Kannonzaka Kannondo Temple 66 on the Sasaguri Pilgrimge

Kannonzaka Kannondo Temple

After leaving Myo-on-ji Temple and it's amazing collection of statues, we headed on along the Sasaguri pilgrimage and arrived at temple 66, literally a short walk uphill.

This unusual, modern, hexagonal building was on the hill just above Kannoinzaka Kannondo temple, but I don't think it is connected to it.

There were gret views looking down on Sasaguri and to the outskirts of Fukuoka beyond.

The temple is , like the vast majority of temples on this pilgrimage, small and unmanned, with just a small "mainhall" and a Daishido.

The honzon is a Kannon, and there are also other Kannon statues around as well as numerous versions of Fudo Myo.

From here the route mostly follows a trail through the forest, and the distance to the next temple is the longest so far on this first day of walking. It is also quite high up in the mountains.

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Enshiro at Kangien in Hita

Japan Guide

Enshiro is a small, two-story building built in 1849 as a study. It is one of only two buildings remaining from the Edo Period privatye school in Hita known as Kangien. The other building is the older, larger former residence known as Shufuan which I recently posted about.

It is said that Enshiro was the favorite study of the founder of Kangien, Hirose Tanso, during his later years.

Hirose Tanso (1782 - 1856) was born in Hita, the eldest son of a wealthy merchant family in the town. However, being a sickly child, the family business was taken over by his younger brother and he devoted himself to study.

He studies under the Neo-Confucian scholar, Nanmei Kamei, in Fukuoka before returning home to Hta and opening his own academy.

His academy, which he renamed Kangien in 1817, became very popular and drew students from all over japan, and at times had 200 students, including a few females, studying and staying in large dormitories.

Kangien continued operating after Hirose Tanso's death, and eventually closed down in 1897. Its most famous graduates include Chouei Takano, Masujiro Omira, Hikoma Ueno, Shigyoku Nagshima, and Sanshu Chou.

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Ikutama Shrine

Ikutama Shrine

Ikutama is the common name for Ikukunitama Shrine, a very large shrine in Tennoji, Osaka, that I had not heard of but visited at the start of my second day walking the Kinki Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage. According to legend, it was founded by the mythical first emperor Jimmu.

Ikutama Shrine has multiple sub-shrines within its grounds, including Inari, Tenmangu, Sumiyoshi, etc. This is Seichinsha, renamed from Benzaitensha in early Meiji. The shrine was located in a lotus pond but was moved to Ikutama Shairne when the pond was swallowed up by the construction of the subway. The large glass cover is over a small stream.

Shigino Shrine is another of the more well-known sub-shrines in the grounds. It is said that Hideyoshi's wife was a regular visitor. The symbol on the lanterns and ema is a lock with the florid kanji for "heart" and is said to be a good lace to ray for "connection", though it seems it may have been more concerned with breaking bad connections.

Apologies for adding a photo of a cat to the WWW..... Ikutama Shrine was moved to its current location by Hideyoshi. It was originally located closer to where Osaka Castle now stands and Hideyoshi had the shrine moved while building Osaka Castle.

The two main kami enshrined in Ikutama Shrine are Ukushimanokami and Tarushimanokami, neither of which aear in the ancient chronicles, and seemingly only one other shrine in Nagano enshrnes them.

A statue of Osak writer Sakunosuke Oda. I have never herd of him but the statue had to be a writer as he is wearing the "uniform" of one. Ikutama Shrine is also home to a Hikohachi Festival celebrating Yonezawa Hikohachi who is said to have created the Rakugo style of comedy here at the shrine.

An unusal set of direction signs pointing to the various "attractions" in the grounds of Ikutama Shrine.

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Traditional Japanese Garden in Ohori Park

Ohori Park

At the southern end of Ohori Park in Fukuoka is a large, traditional Japanese garden that is not so well known.

The garden was created in 1984 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Ohori Park.

The gardens were designed by Kinsaku Nakane, who also designed the famous Adachi Museum gardens in Shimane. the garden at Nijo Castle in Kyoto, and numerous other gardens in Jaan and abroad.

The gardens cover 12,000 sq. meters and have a large central pond as well as a meandering stream, and a karesansui, "dry" garden.

The garden is mostly enclosed in low, artificial hills that not only block out views of the city but also the city sounds.

There are several waterfalls, and numerous bridges along the paths for visitors.

There is a tea house built in traditional Sukoya-style where visitors can enjoy a green tea while viewing the teahouse garden.

During the autumn colors season and cherry blossom season Japanese gardens tend to be used by professional photograhers to shoot wedding photograhs. For visitors this is perhas a chance to see quite picturesque scenes.

However, for those who want to photograph the garden itself, these groups tend to hog the most picturesque spots, and can be irritating after a while.

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Shufuan at Kangien in Hita

Shufuan

Shufuan was built in 1781 as a residence by Hirose Gekka, a haiku poet and member of the wealthy, local merchant family of Hirose.

In the early 10th century it became part of a private academy started by his nephew, Hirose Tanso.

The school grew and was named Kangien, kangi means "everything is fine"

By the time it closed in 1897, about 5,000 students from all over Japan had passed through the school, making it the private school of the period.

Kangien was also known for accepting students from all classes, not just samurai, and possibly even some females. Another school of the time famous for accepting all classes of student is the Shizutani School in Okayama.

Shufuan is one of two buildings from the school that are still remaining. Both are free to enter and explore.. The other building, Tanso's favorite study Enshiro, I will post next.

Shufuan is unusual in having a usable second floor. Also at the site is a small museum about Hirose Tanso and Kangien. Everything is free to enter.

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Funatama Shrine to Chikatsuyu

Funatama Shrine

This post covers the rest of my third day walking along the Kumano Kodo as part of the Saigoku Pilgrimage that follows the same route for the first week or so. After stopping at Funatama Shrine I carried on through the silent forest.

I then realized what it was that had been making me feel uncomfortable for so much of the walk through the mountains the last few days....... I was mostly walking through tree farms..... With a few exceptions, most of the forest was composed of evenly spaced trees of the same age and species.... the community of other plant and animal species was minimal..... quite unnatural....

I then passed through the remains of a small settlement that was abandoned in the 1960's. Metal pots, bits of chairs, and other bits and pieces as well as a few collapsed structures  are all that is left. Even in my own area in the 21st century, small settlements in remote mountain locations continue to disappear.

I ass several Oji, the shrines along the route. There are, I believe, 100 Oji between Hongu and Osaka.

There were also other wayside altars, this one being to Ebisu.

Several times I crested passes and would then get views across the country.

I was pleasanty surprised to find a wayside altar to Fudo Myoo. There doesnt seem to be many on this ilgrimage. Maybe it is more Tendai than Shingon?

In a tiny settlement of a few homes I found this unusual dispenser of free, cold drinks. I think this was the first instance of osettai, giving alms to pilgrims, that i found on this pilgrimage.

After passing Nonaka no Shimizu spring I soon found myself in Chikatsuyu, a large settlement and a stopping point with quite a few, pricey guesthouses, all fully-booked weeks and months ahead. On my first day after climbing up from Nachi, I met a Frenchman who had spent the night on the floor of the disabled toilets in a park here as he had been unable to find any lodgings or good places to sleep out. As I passed one guesthouse the owner was in front cleaning the steps, so as last-minute cancellations are not unheard of I asked if he happened to have a room for the night. He looked at me as if I had asked to sleep with his daughter.