Blog | Japanese Countryside Travel Notes

2024-11-20

Another Zenkoji Temple

A huge wooden building that stands out by far even from a distance. You can see the form that is exactly like the original Zenkoji Temple in Nagano. The layout of the buildings on the site is also the same as the original. It turns out that Shingen had transferred a lookalike to avoid the ravages of war with Uesugi Kenshin, his rival.

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zenkoji hondo

(left) another Zenkoji (righ) original Zenkoji

However, the entire main hall is colored in red to match the red uniform of the Takeda corps, which is very typical of Shingen. In addition, original Zenkoji was originally the Honda family residence, and Buddhist statues and ancestors were enshrined on the left and right sides of the inner shrine, and were treated equally, but another Zenkoji, which was built by Shingen, did not enshrine the Honda family ancestors. As proof of this, at another Zenkoji temple, the Takeda family crest and the Tokugawa family crest, which was rebuilt after the temple was destroyed by fire, are displayed on the front of the main hall.

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Additionally, a singing dragon is painted on the ceiling, and if you clap your hands in a specific spot, a tremendous echo will be heard between the ceiling panels and the floor. You can really feel the influence of Zen Buddhism during the Sengoku period. On the other hand, I remember that the original Nagano ceiling painting was a gift from the imperial family.

zenkoji (1) Sanmon

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When you think of Zenkoji Temple, you are guaranteed to visit a place under the Buddhist altar in pitch darkness to connect with the Buddha through the key (alter tour), but of course there is a similar experience at another Zenkoji. However, the length of the walk in the dark is short and the turns are sharp, so those who have experienced the original will be surprised at how different it is and occasionally bump their heads. If you are careless, you will pass by without touching the key, so be careful. Don’t forget to see the war drum before going to the darkness. This is the real one used by the Takeda army in the Battle of Kawanakajima. Let’s tap it a little bit without being noticed by the people around you.

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The treasure hall here is a must-see and contains the oldest wooden statues of Minamoto no Yoritomo and Sanetomo. The year of manufacture is close to the year of death, so it seems that it is almost a copy of the real face. Sanetomo has the look of a court noble, but in contrast, Yoritomo has a stout face and an aquiline nose. You can see from his face that he is highly suspicious.

erinji (10) letters written on military flag — Go back to itinerary

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Shosenkyo Gorge, the source of power stones

There are three parking lots along the 5km promenade. There is also a bus stop at each parking lot, which connects these parking lots once almost every hour, so it is convenient because you can walk one way and then use the bus to return to the parking lot.

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As you climb the gentle promenade, you will see one after another of strangely shaped rocks carved out of granite by rapids. The amount of water is huge, and large rocks that appear to have fallen in chunks are scattered along the mountain stream. The scenery looks like something out of a Chinese ink painting. And at the end, there is a waterfall that falls violently vertically.

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Yamanashi Prefecture has long been famous as a crystal production area. It is said that since the Jomon period it was used as an arrowhead instead of the precious obsidian mined in nearby Suwa, so in retrospect, it is quite expensive, so I hesitate to shoot it carelessly with a bow. Quartz is formed when silicon dioxide dissolved in water gradually crystallizes under high temperature and pressure underground for a long time. At a souvenir shop, a stone cut in half (a geode) is on display, and you can see how the cavity is filled with crystals that have grown. It was strange that it was inside the stone, but I heard from the man at the crystal processing craft shop that it was the result of water containing silicon dioxide entering granite or igneous rock and gradually growing crystals. That made sense to me.

shosenkyo stone (1) tiger eye

shosenkyo stone (2)

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I was completely taken in by the store owner, and in the end I was forced to buy a bracelet made of terahertz stone, which was made by melting and alloying crystals. It is said that the power stone activates the body with terahertz. However, when I got home and put it on ice, I was surprised to see that the ice quickly melted into the shape of a bracelet. By the way, if you buy some tourmaline and add it to your tap water, it will remove the chlorine odor and make the water mellow, which will make the coffee you brew delicious.

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A town where time has stopped, Tatsuno

I thought I had seen the approach to the castle located on the north side of town, but I was surprised to see that it looked exactly like the Obi Castle ruins on the Nichinan coast. It is also very similar that the historic townscape remains intact along with the town layout and this townscape was registered as “Traditional Buildings Preservation District.”

tatsuno castle entrance

obi castle entrance

Obi’s stone walls surrounding samurai residences are impressive, while Tatsuno’s rows of merchant houses formed by lattice windows and storehouses are impressive. Most tourist brochures highlight only the most beautiful parts of the scenery, but it is rare to find a historic wooden building of this size remaining. If possible, it’s best to take enough time to wander aimlessly.

tatsuno city old map

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tatsuno castle entrance

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tatsuno city (7)dragon pine

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In Japan, children’s songs urging children to “go home” are still played from loudspeakers in many towns in the evening. The representative children’s song is “Aka-tombo,”(red dragonfly) and the lyricist’s hometown is Tatsuno City. The lyrics are interpreted in various ways due to the poor lifestyle, but they give the impression of being melancholic and making people feel anxious and want to go home. Red dragonfly designs can be found on various street corners in Tatsuno City.

tatsuno city (17)red dragonfly design

tatsuno city (18)red dragonfly design

tatsuno city (19)red dragonfly design

Many souvenirs are based on fermented foods and soy sauce. The brick chimney of the soy sauce factory seen from the castle ruins is impressive.

2024-10-30

Engyoji Temple, filming location for The Last Samurai

When you take the ropeway to the top of Mt. Shosha, you will notice that the Niomon gate, which marks the entrance to the temple, is not there. After climbing quite an uphill slope, we finally reached the Niomon gate. However, I still couldn’t see the temple grounds. The entire mountain itself is within the precincts, and there are continuous climbs and descents. It takes a lot of determination.

This place is called “the Mt. Hiei of the west” (in the Harima area, it is often called “〇〇 of the west”), but it is true that the entire mountain of Mt. Hiei is within the temple grounds, and it is difficult to move around within it. By the way, the Tendai sect is naturally the same.

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“Maniden,” located in the center of the temple, was built using the same construction method “Kake Zukuri” as Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto, with the stage protruding from the cliff

engyoji(5)center

When you reach the end, your field of vision suddenly opens up and you can see “San-no-do,” the place where monks practice and live. A scene from The Last Samurai, tranquil and tense, comes back to life. In the domain of the surviving samurai in the early Meiji era, Tom Cruise, an American officer inspired by the military commander Katsumoto played by Ken Watanabe, is depicted here in a brief moment of peace before they head off together as samurai for their final battle.

engyoji(4)left

engyoji(5)center

engyoji(6)right

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After immersing yourself in the world of the movie and descending the mountain on the ropeway, you will find a famous Japanese confectionery shop waiting nearby.

2024-10-29

Points that everyone misses at the World Heritage Site Himeji Castle

Himeji Castle was the first place in Japan to be registered as a World Heritage Site, along with Horyuji Temple in Nara. In addition, there are 12 castles that still have castle towers from the Edo period, and of these, the castle with its imposing appearance is the one you want to visit first. The reason for this is that in its 400-year history, it has never been destroyed by war, nor has it suffered any damage in modern wars, so it remains as it was in the past. Furthermore, the tiles and walls are hardened with white plaster to protect against wind, rain, and enemy attacks. This gives the entire castle a pure white appearance, and it is so elegant that it has been compared to the white heron, which is common in western Japan.

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himeji castle(4)approach

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himeji castle(5)from the top

The structure of the castle is made up of many layers of moats and walls, like a spiral escargot, making it difficult to reach the castle tower. If you take a photo with the castle tower in the background, you will end up having to press the shutter too often, so be careful. By the way, there was a shortage of stones for the stone walls when castles were being constructed, so sarcophagi from the Kofun period were used as the stone walls for the gates and the stone mills that the residents used in their homes are embedded in the stone wall, so don’t forget to keep an eye on them.

There is also a ghost story about Himeji Castle called Banshu Sarayashiki. There was an incident in which an undercover female spy sent against a vassal who betrayed his lord was killed for losing one of ten family heirloom plates, and was thrown into a well by the vassal. After that, every night a woman could be heard counting the number of plates up to nine from inside the well. This well is located within Himeji Castle and is named after a woman, “Okiku no Ido” (the well of Okiku). It’s below the castle tower. Don’t miss it.

By the way, there is a famous rakugo story based on this ghost story. It is said that if you hear Okiku counting nine or more pieces, you will die, so a show hut was built around the well. The hut is crowded with customers who have seen something scary, and Okiku counts up to nearly nine, but the customers are in a state of panic because the exit is narrow and they can’t escape. Okiku finally counts more than 10 cards to 18, but no one dies. What did Okiku say at that time? To find out what happens next, please go to a vaudeville where rakugo is being performed. Looks like things are going well later.

2024-10-26

First texture, fermented food

I don’t think there are many Japanese people who can read this (宍粟) about Shiso City. There are many difficult-to-read place names in Osaka, but it is called Yokozuna of the West (the strongest sumo wrestler in the west side), based on the sumo ranking. So, the Yokozuna of the east is Sosa City. This (匝瑳) is also a completely unfamiliar character.

Now, the name Shiso comes from the fact that it is rich in ingredients. Although it is famous for its fermented foods, it also promotes itself as the birthplace of Japanese sake. Akasai Valley, which is located in the same city, is promoted as the Oirase Valley in the west, but I don’t think there are many Kansai people who have ever been to Oirase Valley, so Kansai people have no objections to this point, probably. However, there are probably quite a few Kansai people who disagree with the idea that it is the birthplace of Japanese sake. It seems like there are a lot of people in this area who exaggerate things.

shiso city (1)

Well, in this town, such a famous sake brewery is serving lunch in a building from the Edo period, so I stopped by. In particular, the soup made from sake lees had a strange flavor that I can’t describe in basic tastes such as sweet, spicy, or salty, and even now when I think back on it, it was delicious. The Ibo River basin, which flows out of the Akasai Valley and runs from Shiso to Tatsuno City, is a treasure trove of miso, soy sauce, sake, and fermented foods. In addition, since it’s the Ibo River, one thing you shouldn’t forget is the somen noodles.

shiso city (2)

shiso city (4)menu in japanese

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By the way, I tried to take a walk around Shiso City, but a linear rain band had just appeared and it was pouring down so I couldn’t walk around the city at all. I stopped by just for lunch, but it was worth it.

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Kaikei’s Amida Triad statue and hall that embody the Western Pure Land (National Treasure)

It is said that there is a world of ease in the far west where lotus flowers bloom, free from suffering and worries. Buddhism associates the fear of death with the west, where the sun sets, and preaches that paradise lies in the west. Therefore, Amitabha Buddha is enshrined in the west. Jodoji Temple is the embodiment of this idea in its original form.

This is one of temples which were built in various places to collect donations for the reconstruction of Todaiji Temple in Nara. It is such a magnificent temple that if they had that kind of money, they should have used it to rebuild Todaiji itself. The shape of main hall’s roof reminds us of Gangoji Temple in Nara.

jodoji(2)main hall

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jodoji(5)hydrangea in summer

Once inside, the setting sun shining through lattice doors illuminates the floorboards, and the giant Amida Triad shines golden in the reflected light. It gives a sense of the great imagination that came with this effect at the time. Please note that the closing times are different in summer and winter. Maybe it’s because the sunset time is different. On the other hand, there is also a lunch break time. Interestingly, there is Hachiman Shrine, which cuts through the flow of traffic within the temple grounds.

The chief priest of the sub-temple, Kanki-in adjacent to Jodoji Temple is making cute dolls made of clay. They also have seasonal dolls, which is a great appeal to repeat customers. However, even though it’s a temple and not a shrine, the dolls come with fortune telling fortunes.

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promenard to sub temple (2)

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Detour

In summer, a huge sunflower field appears just around Jodoji Temple.

Today’s INN

A hot spring inn located in the back of Himeji City.

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Too exaggerated to call it “Oirase Valley in the west?”

The name of the valley is “Akasai Valley”. It is usually read as “Akanishi”, but this is the Kansai way of reading it. I happened to see a website that said “Oirase Valley in the west,” but I think the people of Tohoku might have hurt their pride by saying something outrageous (⇒ see a trip on Oirase Valley).

oirase river 6 — The above is Oirase valley resemble to Akasai valley, simiar to Oirase valley?

I had a suspicion that I had never heard of a valley comparable to Oirase Valley, so I thought I had been fooled and wanted to check it out, so I decided to make this my main purpose for this trip.

akasai valley map

The valley is located on the border with Tottori Prefecture, making it difficult to reach. Moreover, cars are not allowed inside the valley, so you will need to rent an e-mountain bike at a nearby roadside station. However, this is cheap at 1000 yen for 2 hours. After being thoroughly instructed on the functions of the bike by a kind clerk (Listen carefully as this will be important later), we set off. After getting used to the controls on the first paved road, we finally headed out onto the gravel road in the valley. If you get stuck in a rut and try to force your way out, there is a risk that the handle will be grabbed and you will fall. Come to think of it, if one person gets hurt and can’t move, the other one should abandon him and come back to the roadside station to inform the emargency. In other words, there is no cell phone service in the valley.

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The road along the valley used to run on a forest railway used to transport lumber, so there are no steep slopes, and the valley runs along the road all the way, so you can enjoy forest bathing while looking out at the valley as you head deeper into the valley. I thought the water would be murky because of the heavy rain that came in the linear precipitation belt early in the morning, but the clear water was flowing down between the moss-covered rocks of various sizes. Ah, this feeling definitely reminds me of Oirase Valley. As I went deeper, that belief became more and more certain.

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akasai valley (14)batterfly

Along the way, you will also see the scenery that was used as the title back for the NHK historical drama “Gunshi Kanbei,” who was a tactician for Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Even though it was a hot summer, I was able to get to the place where I could ride my bike in the natural air conditioning of the forest within an hour without meeting anyone. I was able to enjoy a rich time. I brought a bear bell just in case, but no bears have been spotted in this valley yet. In autumn, the entire area could be covered with autumn leaves.

The return trip is downhill, although the slope is small, so be careful and brake only on the rear wheels. I was so fascinated by the Oirase Valley that I almost slipped and fell twice. The water from the valley is the drinking water for the city and the brewing water for sake breweries.

2024-10-13

National Treasure Temples in Harima region that can be enjoyed better than Kyoto

ichijoji (1)steep stairs — ichijoji; steep stairs start

The three-storied pagoda is a national treasure. The hanging scrolls with portraits of Prince Shotoku Taishi and Founder of Tendai sect Saicho in the treasure hall are also national treasures. However, advance reservations are required for the latter. After paying the entrance fee at the foot of the temple mountain, I made my way up the more than 400 stone steps to the main hall where tickets to the treasure hall are sold, keeping an eye on the three-storied pagoda on my left but caring about the reservation time at the treasure hall. Then, I paid the ticket to the treasure hall to the monk at the main hall, and he told me that the treasure hall was down the stone steps and next to the entrance! Why aren’t they sold at the entrance? Seeing the disappointed look on my face, the monk told me that I could take my time to see the main hall and then visit the treasure hall on my way home. I’m thankful for that, but I’m starting to wonder why.

ichijoji (3)main hall — ichijoji; still stone steps to main hall

From the main hall, you can look down on the three-storied pagoda standing dignified in the middle of a dense mountain, and the gentle breeze is refreshing.

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ichijoji (4)pagoda national tresure

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On the side wall of the main hall, I found large letters that looked like they had been scrawled in ink. They are nice letters, but the content doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the temple. Later, when I stopped by Jodoji Temple (see next post) and saw almost the same on display, I realized that it was a doodle made by someone who had visited the temple at the time. Although it’s common in any era, it’s still a bold doodle.

ichijoji (8)ancient graffiti

ichijoji (9)inside of main hall

ichijoji (7)corridor of main hall

Well, I took my time touring the main hall and the three-storied pagoda, and finally stopped at the treasure hall on my way back, but it didn’t have a particularly strict entrance, and I was told that I could come in freely, which made me feel strange. There were various Buddhist statues from that time, and at the very back there were portraits of Shotoku Taishi and Saicho, but they were so sharp that I wondered, and when I read the description, it turned out to be an exquisite reproduction. Real national treasures are stored in museums, right? If that’s the case, what’s the point of requiring advance reservations, and of not selling tickets until you’re on top of the mountain?

It’s a temple full of questions, but at least it’s better than the crowded and uncomfortable temples in Kyoto.

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Don’t believe the time required on the Ojira River Valley flyer

I made the mistake of entering the valley with a lighthearted attitude, believing in the information flyer that appeared to be a flat road running along the valley with an appropriate time required, hoping to feel the natural cooling effect of the valley during the hot summer. At the entrance to the valley, a suspension bridge with a sign that says max 5 people are allowed invites a sense of adventure, but all we pass are children in swimsuits with floats. Apparently, the waterfall basin (Senga-Fuchi) at the very entrance of the valley had been turned into an improvised pool. The bright green waterfall basin looks like it has been filled with bath salts, and if you miss your chance to take a photo, it will be crowded with people.

valley (3)play ground for children

valley (4)senga-fuchi

ojira valley flyer

Since it was a valley with so many small children around, I saw a flyer that said it would take 35 minutes to get to the next stop (Asahi-Fall), so I headed deeper into the valley, thinking it would be a nice walk. After that, I could no longer hear the sounds of children playing, and after 35 minutes of climbing up a steep mountain path that took a long detour to get over a waterfall with steps, and climbing up and down chains and iron ladders, I finally arrived at Asahi fall after 50 minutes. I’m already drenched in sweat, my throat is parched, and my legs are tired. However, there was no signboard for the waypoint mentioned in the flyer, and after walking up the mountain road for another 20 minutes, there was a signboard (Asahi-Fall) for the waypoint. The flyer said it would take 35 minutes, but it actually took 70 minutes. After that, I continued walking faster and faster until I reached the turnaround point (Jinja-Fall), but I still couldn’t get there in the time specified in the flyer. Normally, I think the time written on such flyers is written with sufficient margin, but don’t believe the time required on the flyer for Ojira River Valley.

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valley (11)asahi fall behind cliff

valley (12)Building blocks that are about to collapse

valley (13)yuriga-fuchi

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valley (16)return point

valley (17)jinjya fall

I was only complaining about the time required on the flyer, but the valley itself is full of large white granite rocks, their whiteness is dazzling, and the clear water is flowing everywhere, making it refreshing. My clothes are soaked with sweat, which is the exact opposite. The ridge path on the way back was relatively flat, and we stayed on time here. In the end, it took about 3 hours to turn around at the turnaround point.

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Detour

Today’s INN

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