Chofu Samurai Town in Autumn

 

Chofu is a former castle town near to Shimonoseki at the western edge of Yamaguchi.

This was the castle town of a branch of the Mori Clan who had their main castle and base in Hagi on the north coast of Yamaguchi.

The Chofu Mori were originally based in Kushizaki Castle, but it was demolished in 1615 under the "One Castle, One Domain" policy.

The Mori built a Jinya, mansion, at the base of where the castle ruins now are, though this Jinya no longer exists.

What is left are some of the high-walled lanes where the samurai resided.

Most of the main tourist sites in Chofu are within this area, and I will cover them in the next group of posts.

As can be seen in the photos, Autumn is a good time to visit....

The previous post was on the Chofuteien Garden, once the villa of a vassal of the Chofu Mori Clan.

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Tomita Hachimangu & Kunitamahiko Shrine

 

The Tomita Hachiman Shrine is one of a cluster of shrines at the base of Mount Bizan not far from the bustling downtown of Tokushima City.

To the right of the Hachiman Shrine is the Kunitamahiko Shrine, pictured above.

It was established in 1806 by the feudal lord Haruaki to enshrine his ancestor, Iemasa, who built Tokushima Castle in 1587.

In 1871, when the last lord, Shigeaki, moved to Tokyo, he enshrined a further 90 ancestors and assorted military and literary figures in the shrine.

The Hachiman Shrine was detroyed by a fire in 1967, although the Zuijinmon (last two photos) survived. It was rebuilt in 1986.

The stepped, square "platform" the shrine is built upon seems quite unusual.

I had trouble findong any information at all about the Hachiman Shtine and its history, however there were plenty of signboards about the numerous smaller shrine withon the grounds...

Moved into the grounds after the war, Yabe Daimyojin is said to be a kami of tootache relief.

Several of the small shrines had signboards put up by the Awa Tanuki Support Association, which suggest that some of the kami are Tanuki...

Unsurprisingly, there was a small Inari Shrine...

Another "tanuki" shrine was the Boroku Daimyojin, said to play pranks but effective for safe transportation and fulfillment of wishes..

Rokubei Daimyojin Shrine was located in a shopping street before being moved here. Said to be good for business prosperity and passing entrance exams.

Oiwa Daimyojin was also moved here. It was originally located under a rock at a hotel and restaurant. Also known as a prankster, prayed to for success in the entertainment industry.

The numerous Tanuki shrines may relate to a major local legend that took place somewhat south of this srea. The Awa Tanuki War.

The previous post in this series on the sights of Tokushima was the Tenjin Shrine not far away.

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Chofuteien Garden

Chofuteien Garden

Strong, early morning Winter sunlight. Not a whisp of a cloud in the sky. Not a slightest breeze to disturb the mirrored surface of the water. Autumn colours in full splendour. What great fortune to encounter all these conditions at the same time when visiting Chofuteien Garden.

Chofu, a former castle town not far from Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi, was a base of the Mori Clan and though not so well known or visited is actually a delightful place for a visit.

Chofuteien is a large stroll-type garden that opened to the public in 1993. 

These photos are from a visit I made on November 27th, 2014, on my 24th day walking the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage.

I had been here before in the late spring when everything was green, but the autumn colors were really spectacular.

It is on the site of the former manor of Nishi Yukinaga, the most senior of the Mori vassals

In the middle of the 31,000 sq meter garden is a large pond, with koi, and a couple of bridges over it as well as stepping stones.

There is a small teahouse looking over the pond and a large summer house as well as a couple of white-walled storehouses, one of which hosts exhibitions.

The path heads up into the woods to a waterfall and heads back down to the storehouses through a bamboo grove and areas planted in a variety of seasonal flowers.

The previous post in this series on my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage was on temple 18, Sorinji.

if you would like to subscribe by email, just leave your email address in the comments below. It will not be published or made public. I post new content almost every day, and send out an email about twice a month with short descriptions and links to the most recent posts.