We headed towards the Tenkaiho observation deck, passing through the somewhat congested Sasebo city and glancing sideways at the military base and shipyard. On the way, we were swayed left and right up and down the steep slope of a small hill twice, and just when we had lost track of our position, we arrived at the observation deck. This is the location where the opening sunset scene of the movie The Last Samuraiwas filmed (although to be precise it was at another observation deck nearby). There is a fairly large free parking lot, but it was full.
The cosmos flowers were in full bloom next to the observation deck, and it seemed the car with Nagasaki license plates had come to see them. Many groups from elderly care facilities were taking photos here and there with the cosmos flowers in the background, rather than heading to the observation deck. I was worried about whether these elderly people got carsick, and if they didn’t feel carsick, I thought that would be a problem in itself.
view point Tenkaiho (1)
view point Tenkaiho (6)
view point Tenkaiho (7)
The observation deck is at the top of a tower reached by climbing a flight of stairs, and from there you can see the chain of small islands of “Tsukumo-jima” to the west and the cranes of Sasebo Port to the east. The view from here on this day was like a diorama that seemed unreal, with calm waves and a tranquil world stretching to the horizon. One place that should not be forgotten when looking at the scenery of a chain of small islands is Matsushima in the Tohoku region. The view from Otakamoriyama overlooks the Pacific Ocean. During the Great East Japan Earthquake, the islands of Matsushima acted as breakwaters, reducing tsunami damage to coastal towns.
The bridge that connects Kyushu to Hirado Island looks just like the Golden Bridge. Missionaries came to Hirado Port in an earlier era than Nagasaki, and carried out Christianity and trade with the Western countries. Furthermore, after Hideyoshi‘s ban on Christianity, this was the place where missionaries who had been scattered around the country gathered to discuss their future. The area further inland from Hirado, facing the East China Sea, later became a place for hidden Christians.
Hirado city (28)The Golden Bridge to Hirado Island
The Matsuura clan has ruled this area for a long time, bringing prosperity through trade and passing on its culture. They also created a creative confectionery called “Hyakuka no Kashi” (Confectionery of a Hundred Flowers), using the abundant sugar imported into the area, which is essential for the tea ceremony. Some of these confectioneries have been restored and are available as souvenirs. Today, it gives the impression of being a peaceful town on a bay, but at the time, up-and-coming merchants and intellectuals must have roamed the streets alongside the Nanban people. When you think about it, this remote corner of Japan was a gateway to the outside world due to its easy access, and was actually at the forefront of culture.
Hirado city (28) b
Hirado city (5)
Hirado city (3)holland bridge
The town of Hirado has a number of small slopes surrounding the inlet, with a view of the castle visible at the end of the inlet, and today the serene port town can be enjoyed from various angles. One of them is called the road where you can see the temple and church together. It has become a popular tourist spot because you can see the temple and church together through the camera viewfinder, but only those who have been there know that this is the middle of an incredibly long stone staircase. There is not a single line about this in the guidebooks. I definitely recommend visiting while you’re still in good health.
Hirado city (1)
Hirado city (6)
Hirado city (7)A slope with a view of the temple and church
Hirado city (9)
Hirado city (8)
Hirado city (10)Xavier Memorial Church
Hirado city (25)
Hirado city (26)
Hirado city (28) (a)A fence to prevent foreigners from being seen by Japanese people
Hirado city (27)dutch trading post
You can easily stroll around in about an hour, but if you stop by the Matsuura Historical Museum, which is packed with things to see, you won’t have enough time. The museum itself was the feudal lord’s mansion, so the building itself is magnificent to begin with, but because it was the Matsuura clan that ruled this area for a long time, treasures from past lords are on display everywhere, and all of them are genuine, not replicas.
Hirado city (11)
Hirado city (12)
Hirado city (13)Matsuura Historical Museum
Hirado city (14)
Hirado city (15)Japanese Tea House
At the very least, I would like you to take a look at the map surveyed and drawn by Ino Tadataka and a passage from a sword-fighting book written by feudal lord Matsuura Seizan: “There are miraculous victories, but no miraculous losses.” Another thing worth seeing is the actual “Fumie,” a statue of Christ that was used in the Edo period to expose hidden Christians and make suspected Christians step on it. A true Christian would never step on God, but no matter how you look at it, the image looks like the devil Satan. Anyone could step on it.
Hirado city (16)
Hirado city (17)Survey map from the Edo period
Hirado city (18)surveying tools
Hirado city (19)
Hirado city (20)A red seal letter from Tokugawa Ieyasu
Hirado city (22)
Hirado city (23)
Hirado city (24)There are no mysterious losses
Hirado city (21)A painting of people being forced to trample in order to find hidden Christians
Last but not least, we would like you to eat your fill of seafood here, rather than at the Yobuko Morning Market. We recommend you try the thickness of the sashimi set meal, the change from plain rice to rice infused with flying fish broth, and the great value for money of the grilled turban shells. I really wanted to eat some fresh fried horse mackerel, but they didn’t have any in stock that day.
Hirado city (29) (a)Local seafood restaurant
Hirado city (29)Rice made with flying fish stock
Hirado city (30)
Hirado city (30)Turban shell
Hirado city (31)Turban shell
Hirado city (32)
Detour
Tabira Cathedral(4)
Tabira Church is a brick church designed and constructed by a Japanese person. Not only is it beautiful, but the majesty of the Gothic style of the front facade is speechless. Once inside, the stained glass appears to have been made overseas, but scenes from the life of Christ cover the entire wall, and I felt that I would never see such magnificent stained glass even overseas. To enter the site, you need to make a reservation online two days in advance, but it’s free. However, we ask that you make a donation by purchasing postcards or other items. It’s located just before crossing the Hirado Bridge.
The concentration of pottery production areas in this area, including Imari ware, Arita ware, and Hasami ware, is a product of Hideyoshi’s invasion of Korea, and began when potters who came from Korea settled there and discovered high-quality pottery stone. After this, the Chinese Civil War caused a decrease in porcelain exports from China, and Imari ware was fortunate enough to replace the demand in Europe. Furthermore, the trade route at the time, which ran from Southeast Asia through the Indian Ocean, was controlled by the Dutch East India Company, and Japan was fortunate enough to be open to trade with the Netherlands during the period of national isolation. It seems to me that these three miracles have made the ceramics industry thrive today.
pottery village Imari (1)
pottery village Imari (2)A bridge decorated with broken tea bowls
pottery village Imari (4)
pottery village Imari (5)
pottery village Imari (6)
pottery village Imari (7)
pottery village Imari (8)
pottery village Imari (9)
pottery village Imari (3)Remains of the checkpoint where potters were imprisoned
During the Edo period, the ceramics industry was under the control of the feudal domain, and talented people were gathered there, enriching the domain’s finances. Imari ware (Nabeshima ware) is said to have confined its potters to narrow mountainous areas and installed a checkpoint to prevent the outflow of its techniques.
Hasami ware, which is used for everyday use, was apparently launched as an independent brand from Arita ware after regulations for the labeling of origin were established, and it has maintained a strong position as a product for everyday use. What originally prompted me to visit the Hasami ware workshop in Nakaoyama was the workshop’s name (reverse seal) engraved on the back of the rice bowls I use every day. Hasami ware is made for everyday use, so large quantities are fired at once, and so there are still traces of climbing kilns built along the mountain slopes. From the walking path around these kilns, you can see the many chimneys of the kilns, which is quite picturesque, but there are quite a few ups and downs, so we recommend taking a walk before shopping.
pottery village Hasami (6)
There were no foreign tourists at Nakaoyama, but there were many foreign visitors in the world-famous Okawauchi town of Imari. They hold pottery markets in different seasons, so it’s easier to stop by at those times and there are many bargains to be had. However, it can get very crowded. There is still a workshop in Okawauchi Town, but it is so small that most of the factories are located outside.
pottery village Hasami (1)
pottery village Hasami (2)
pottery village Hasami (3)Climbing kilns for mass production
pottery village Hasami (4)
pottery village Hasami (5)
pottery village Hasami (7)
pottery village Hasami (9)
pottery village Hasami (8)
The autumn pottery market was happening at the time, and there were a few stalls set up along the way. It has nothing to do with pottery, and I was caught by an older man from the Ureshino tea producing area in Saga, who gave me a lecture on how to brew tea. The key is to use a teapot with a deep tea strainer so that the tea leaves can move freely, and not to move the leaves inside once the hot water is poured in. To avoid bitterness, do not turn the teapot, and do not steep the tea for too long, in order to preserve its vibrant color. This certainly makes the tea flavor linger in your mouth for hours, but the amount of tea leaves that tea makers generously add is impossible to replicate at home.
Detour
When you think of kappa, you probably think of the Tono Monogatari(Story) from Iwate Prefecture or the trademark of Kyoto’s Kizakura Sake Brewery, which is famous for its commercials. However, Matsuura Ichi Brewery has had a connection with kappa for even longer than that. The reason is that a kappa mummy was discovered in the brewery. The real thing is enshrined here. We don’t know if it’s really a kappa, but we don’t know why it was kept in this storehouse. I think it’s better to leave it as a mystery without investigating.
Matsuuraichi Sake Brewery (3)Kappa Mummy
The aroma of the Junmai Ginjo had a gorgeous melon aroma, and I remembered that Matsuura City is a melon-producing region. Surprisingly, this brewery specializes in plum wine, made by soaking pickled plums in undiluted sake, not shochu. You’ll be surprised at how rich the flavor is, so be sure to give it a try.
Due to global warming, squid catches have been declining nationwide. Squid used to be a food for the common people, but now it is considered a luxury item. They cut up the squid while it’s still alive and you eat it while it’s still moving, so it’s a completely cruel story. It’s certainly delicious, and if you can’t finish it, they’ll make tempura out of the rest. This is even more delicious than raw squid. No wonder it’s expensive.
Squid dishes (1)
Squid dishes (2)
Yobuko Morning Market (11)
Yobuko Morning Market (12)
Yobuko Morning Market (10)
Although Yobuko’s morning market is one of the four major morning markets, there are not many stalls. Perhaps because it is a weekday. On the other hand, there are many police crackdowns on vehicles everywhere you enter the city. Tourists are not squid, so what’s the point of increasing the catch, or rather the number of arrests, in such a place? Drivers, please be careful. Recommended souvenirs include salt harvested from the mineral-rich Genkai Sea, mozuku seaweed that can be frozen in salt water, and dried mackerel, horse mackerel, and barracuda.
Yobuko Morning Market (5)
Yobuko Morning Market (9)nice smile
Yobuko Morning Market (1)
Yobuko Morning Market (3)
Yobuko Morning Market (6)Whales in the past, squids now
Yobuko Morning Market (4)
Yobuko Morning Market (7)
Yobuko Morning Market (8)
By the way, I don’t know who decides the top three or four, but I don’t like that Hachinohe’s Tatehana Wharf Morning Market isn’t included. I think that place is number one.
If you go to Cape Hado, you can see Iki, of course, and if you look closely, you can even see Tsushima. However, when I asked the locals, they said it was impossible to see Busan, South Korea, even in good weather. But it really made me realize how close we were to the border.
The fact that more than 130 Sengoku Daimyo(Regional rulers during the Sengoku period), who had previously fought bloody battles, were able to gather together to make up one team was possible only because of the command of Hideyoshi, who had unified the country. Moreover, Nagoya Castle, which was the same size as Osaka Castle, was completed in just a few months, and this walled city, which housed 200,000 troops dispatched to Korea and 100,000 people stationed there, only lasted seven years, falling into ruins with Hideyoshi’s death. There is an anecdote that Hideyoshi was pleased because the name Nagoya, where the castle was located, is pronounced the same as Nagoya, Hideyoshi’s hometown, but it seems that Nagoya in Kyushu was a more famous place name at that time.
Nagoya castle (3)
Nagoya castle (4)
After it was abandoned, the castle walls were reused as raw materials for Karatsu Castle and other buildings, and no longer retain their original form. However, there was an example of Hara Castle, which remained intact during the Shimabara Rebellion, becoming a base for an armed uprising by oppressed Christians, and it seems that the castle was actively demolished out of fear that a similar incident might occur. This is why there are few clear traces, and it is understandable that only some stone walls and earthworks remain. Furthermore, it is unusual for feudal lords to have their castles concentrated in such a densely packed area, especially on hilly terrain.
The dispatch of troops to Korea is seen as Hideyoshi’s ambition to invade the Ming Dynasty, but in any case, this battle caused a division among the Toyotomi clan’s vassals after Hideyoshi’s death between those who dispatched troops to Korea and those who remained behind to take charge of the supply routes, and Ieyasu‘s cunning took advantage of this, leading to the downfall of the Toyotomi clan. On the other hand, Korea’s land was devastated, and the Ming Dynasty lost its national power and was destroyed by the Qing Dynasty, a foreign ethnic group from the north. No one involved gained anything. It is clear that Korea and the Ming Dynasty were the ones who suffered the most.
pottery village Imari (10)
However, it wasn’t all bad. The soldiers who went to war had a hard time, but the feudal lords stayed behind and indulged in the tea ceremony, which helped spread Momoyama culture throughout the country. Potters brought from Korea laid the foundations for pottery in this area. The museum, located in a corner of the castle, is free to visit and is packed with historical documents. It even features a reproduction of the gold tea room where Hideyoshi held his tea ceremony. The construction of the tea room alone cost 30 million yen, and 16,000 sheets of gold leaf weighing 500 grams were used, with two layers of gold leaf. The shoji screens are made of red silk and feature a watermark of the paulownia crest. Apparently, a tea ceremony is held in this tea room once a year, and even the participation fee of 10,000 yen may be worth it. However, it is unlikely that you will be able to fully experience the feeling of wabi-sabi.
Nagoya castle (1)Golden Tea House in Museum
Nagoya castle (2)
Detour
Nanatsugama(Seven pots) is a place where the columnar joints have been eroded by the waves of the Genkai Sea, creating seven hollowed-out caves.
Nanatsu-gama (4)A wind-weathered sign
Apparently, the deepest cave is 100m, and when the sea is calm, you can go all the way to the back by sightseeing boat. The sea was raging on the day we went, and it was terrifying. I can imagine that it must have been extremely difficult to row out to Korea from here during the Korean War.
