Saikyoji Temple 77 Kyushu pilgrimage

 

Saikyoji Temple is located on a hillside overlooking the harbour of the main settlement on Hirado Island.

It is built on the site of where Kobo Daishi performed his first Goma ceremony after returning from China in 806.

It is a Shingon temple and because of its size is sometimes referred to as the Koyasan of the West, although it must be said I have come across numerous other temples with the same nickname.

It was established in 1607 by the local daimyo Shigenobu Matsuura, who was a fervent believer in Shingon. However, at that time a zen temple existed on the property.

The zen priest refused to leave and so Matsuura burned down the temple with the priest inside. For years Matsuura was haunted by ghosts of the murdered riests until one day they were scared away by the sound of a baby crying. This is said to be the origin of the "Crying Baby Sumo" event held every February at Setsubun. Most Naki Sumo events are held in shrines in May.

The honzon is a statue of Kokuzo Bodhisattva, not one of the more famous bodhisattvas, but important to Kobo Daishi. Kokuzo was the focus of the ascetic practices that Kobo Daishi undertook as a youth.

Within the grounds are an Ebisu Shrine and an Inari Shrine.

Between the main temple and the Okunoin, the path is lined with 88 statues representing the Shikoku pilgrimage.

The temple was well supported by the Matsuura clan and the temples Treasure House museum has many delightful paintings and statues, unfortunately some of which were looted from Korea during Hideyoshis invasions.

The temple is number 77 on the Kyushu pilgrimage and also on the Kyushu Kannon pilgrimage.

Number 78 on the Kyushu pilgrimage is a few kilometers away and is the site where Kobo Daishi set sail on his journey to China. It is an unmanned site so pilgrimage stamps need to be gotten here.

Hirado is an interesting place with a lot of historical connections. William Adams, the English sailor immortalized in the novel Shogun, is currently attracting a lot of interest because of the new remake of the TV drama.

He lived and died in Hirado.

The previous post was on the pagoda at the okunoin of the temple.

Hirado is well worth a visit if you are in the area, and Saikyoji is well worth a visit if you are in Hirado.

Nishinoshima Seashore Snapshots

 

Nishinoshima is one of the three inhabited islands that make up Dozen, part of the Oki islands that lie in the Sea of Japan about 50 kilometers off the coast of Shimane in Western Japan.

With a population of around 3,000, spread over 22 square miles, the economy and culture of the island has always centred on the surrounding sea.

Formed by volcanic activity about 5 million years ago, the island's highest point, 452m high Mount Takuhi, is the central pyroclastic cone of the Dozen Caldera.

Since 1961 the islands have been part of the Daisen Oki National park, and since 2013 have been registered as a UNESCO Global Geopark.

While not having any fine, sandy beaches like Okinawa or even mainland Shimane, the waters around Nishinoshima are exceptionally clear and attractive for many marine activities like kayaking, diving, and snorkeling. The Oki Islands are one of my three favorite destinations in Japan.

The previous ost on Nishinoshima was on Matengai Cliff which also includes some dramatic seaviews.

Saikyoji Temple Pagoda

 

When it was constructed, in 1989, the 3-storey pagoda at Saikyoji Temle on Hirado was probably the biggest 3-storey pagoda in Jaan, although larger ones have been built since then.

It is at the okunoin of the temple, overlooking the sheltered harbour and castle of Hirado, once a very important port for international trade before the country was closed down to most trade in the 17th century.

The okunoin is where Kobo Daishi performed his first Goma ceremony after returning from China in 806.

Hirado was also where he left for China a few years earlier and I would be visiting that site next.

Saikyoji is temple 77 on the Kyushu pilgrimage, and the main temple has lots to see so I will be covering that in the next post.

The pagoda stands 33.5 meters tall. On the first floor is an altar to Fudo Myo, and a Fudo statue also stands in front of the pagoda.

From the top floor there are great views over the town, castle, and harbour.

The previous post in this series on day 68 of my walk around Kyushu was on the Tabira Catholic Church on the mainland just across the bridge from Hirado.

Yosuien Garden

 

Yosuien is a large stroll-type garden in the Wakanoura area in the south of Wakayama City.

It is considered one of only two major gardens known as "shioiri", that is to say, the large pond is seawater and fed directly by the sea. The other garden of this type is the Hamarikyu Garden in Tokyo.

The large pond covers about half of the gardens 33,000 square meters.

The most predominant vegetation are the pine trees although there are also some camellias, hydrangeas, and azaleas.

The garden makes good use of the "borrowed scenery" of nearby Mount Tenjin and Mount Takozushi.

A small island in the pond is home to a shrine for Inari and Benten. Reached via a shorter "taikobashi" and an unusual longer bridge with three arches.

The garden reminded me somewhat of Ohori Park in Fukuoka, which is unsurprising as both Ohori Park and Yosuien Garden are modeled on the classic West Lake in China.

The garden was built between 1818 and 1826 by Tokugawa Harutaka, the 10th lord of Kishu Domain.

It was used as a retreat by the daimyo and to entertain guests.

The oldest teahouse in Wakayama, Yosui-tei, built in 1821,  comprises 19 rooms and includes the jissaien tearoom for tea ceremonies.

Yosuien is somewhat unusual and well worth a visit, especially with the other attractions nearby like Tenmangu Shrine, Toshogu Shrine, and Kiimidera Temple.

The garden is open every day of the year. Inquire in advance for tours of Yosuitei Teahouse. The garden entry fee includes entrance to the Minato Goten palace.

Relocated to within the garden from its original site, Minato Goten Palace was the previous post in this series on Wakayama.

Tabira Catholic Church

 

Tabira Catholic Church is located on the mainland close to the bridge across to Hirado Island.

It is a Romanesque brick structure with a wooden roof and was built in 1918.

Under the guidance of two French priests in the late Meiji period, Hidden Christians from areas further south in Nagasaki resettled in the area and built the church. Eventually many other Christian families migrated here.

The church was designed by Yosuke Tetsukawa who designed many other churches in the Nagasaki area.

In the late 20th century new stained glass from Germany and Italy was installed in the church and the original stained glass was donated to a church on Shikoku.

Since sites connected to Hidden Christians in Nagasaki were added to the UNESCO World Heritage, Tabira Church has become a popular tourist site. So nowadays it is recommended to contact the church in advance for permission to visit, but when I was there no such restrictions existed.

I visited on day 68 of my walk around Kyushu just before crossing over to Hirado. The previous post was on the Ohashi Natural Bridge.

Along the Gonokawa River to Kawagoe

 

After leaving the riverside fields of Tazu, the road heads about half a kilometer sandwiched between the forest and the river until the land opens up again in Kawagoe.

This was the next stop on the train after Tazu, and Kawagoe has a post office and used to have an elementary school. A road runs inland up into the mountains.

The bridge across the river is relatively new. When we first moved here the old bridge was still being used, but in the first few years a new one was built and the old one was demolished.

There is a small shrine in this first part of Kawagoe. It is unusual in that it has no kagura group. Back in a major flood in the 1960's all the costumes and masks were destroyed, and the cost to replace them was simply too high.

I continue on along the top of the embankment that separates the river from the strip of agricultural land that continues on to the next settlement of Wataru.

The previous post in this series documenting my walk along the Gonokawa River was on Tazu.