Kintai Bridge, an arch bridge completed by the feudal lord’s obsession

I thought it was near Iwakuni Station, but I was shaken by a nice local bus and arrived when I was about to get worried. Original story is that, the castle town was small and divided by a river, so it seems that the feudal lord wanted to

build a large bridge so that the low-ranking samurai who lived on the other side of the castle would not have to use boats all the time. It is said that the arch bridge in the scenery of the West Lake in the Chinese literature ordered from Nagasaki was referred to. This bridge has a structure in which short girders are piled up from both sides and protrude little by little to form an arch. It is splendid because it is said that the 100% wooden bridge has not been washed away for nearly 300 years since its construction. I thought that the steep slope of the arch bridge was really slippery, but this time I learned for the first time that that part was the stairs.

kintai bridge6 wooden constraction method

kintai bridge2 surface

In “Miyamoto Musashi” written by Eiji Yoshikawa, Tsubame-gaeshi, which is said to have been mastered by Kojiro Sasaki, Musashi’s opponent in a serious match with his life on the line, was created through practice on this bridge. Tsubame-gaeshi literally translates into English as cutting off a swiftly-circling swallow. However, it is charming that the bridge will be completed after the decisive battle between the two swordsmen. A bronze statue of Kojiro Sasaki stands by the bridge, and he is a splendid young warrior.

kintai bridge7 Kojiro Sasaki

kintai bridge5

kintai bridge3 kikkou park

itsukushima shrine1 — go back to itinerary

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Still, I can’t help but stop by Itsukushima Shrine

I wrote that Hiroshima is not only about the World Heritage Itsukushima Shrine, but, still, I can’t help but stop by Itsukushima Shrine.

Just the other day, the G7 leaders visited Itsukushima Shrine. A shrine floating on the surface of the sea is beautiful, but a shrine at ebb tide isn’t bad either. Oh, don’t be disappointed if the time doesn’t match, feel like you’ve come to dig clams and touch the red big torii that you usually can’t get close to.

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itsukushima senjokaku2

itsukushima senjokaku1

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itsukushima shrine4

Kasuga Taisha Shrine in Nara had many wild deer, messengers of the gods, and there are also many wild deer here. However, since they are not treated as messengers of the gods, feeding them is prohibited. Even with the same deer, the difference in treatment is considerable. But there was a person who gave them momiji manju with the shape of maple. Momiji manju is certainly delicious for humans to eat, but I definitely recommend eating the plump conger eel before crossing over to Itsukushima. No high-end restaurant can match the taste.

itsukushima shrine6 deer

itsukushima ferry

itsukushima anago1 special2000yen

itsukushima anago2 without sauce

Morning walk in Hiroshima and …

Western Japan has many feudal lord’s gardens right in town. At that time, feudal lords competed to have a garden with large ponds built. Shukkeien in Hiroshima is one of famous gardens. There are trees that survived the atomic bomb. Okonomiyaki when you are hungry. People in Hiroshima seem to eat okonomiyaki from lunch, but I’m impressed that they can eat it without beer.

hiroshima shukkeien park1 feudal lord’s garden

hiroshima shukkeien park2

hiroshima in the morning

hiroshima atomic bomb dome

hiroshima okonomiyaki1

hiroshima okonomiyaki2

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Cruising to Tomonoura, a historic town

There are no unsophisticated people who come to the Seto Inland Sea and travel by land from Onomichi to Tomonoura. On the way of sea, you can see a large suspension bridge, a shipyard, and Kannon who prays for maritime safety. However, please note that this cruise ship makes two round trips a day only on weekends and holidays.

Crusing from Onomichi to Tomonoura

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cruising3 shimanami kaido

cruising4 fishing boat

cruising5 shipyard

cruising6 shipyard dock

cruising7 utsumi ohashi

cruising8 abuto kannon

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cruising12 goal

Well, Tomonoura is located right in the middle of the Seto Inland Sea and was a port of waiting for the tide in the age of ships that depended on the wind and currents. The high tide coming from the east and west channels of the Seto Inland Sea collides offshore, and the force is used to enter the port. When leaving the port to advance offshore, it uses the power of the ebb tide that pulls it to the east and west .

The place where the Korean envoys stopped by still remains, and it is also the place where Japan’s first maritime casualty negotiations occurred between steamships on the late Edo period. Here is the site of a true story in which the Kishu Domain (almost Wakayama prefecture), which was under the control of the shogunate, was defeated by the Kaientai led by Ryoma Sakamoto, according to the World Public Law.

It’s fun to take a leisurely stroll through the nostalgic port town. This is the stage of “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea” produced by Studio Ghibli. Furthermore, ‘Hohmeishu’, sweet sake with Japanese herbs, is famous, but you should also try original sweet sake ‘mirin’ which enhances the flavor of the dish.

tomonoura1 fukuzenn temple

tomonoura2 hohmeishu sake of life

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tomonoura4 allnight lighthouse

tomonoura5 meien temple buddha birthday decoration

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tomonoura7 ankoku temple

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The cat road full of slopes is photogenic. Onomichi is a mecca for movies and anime.

Anyway, Onomichi has a lot of slopes, cats and temples. If you get lost in the narrow roads friendly to cats, you are sure to come across a photogenic scenery.

Since Onomichi has a quiet channel between it and Mukaishima island on the opposite shore, it has been used since the Middle Ages as a shipping port for rice as annual tribute from inland manors and a shipping port for

silver from Izumo’s Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine, which has become a World Heritage Site.

Takauji Ashikaga, who established the Muromachi Shogunate, also used this place as a foothold to advance to Kyoto.

A town packed with various elements. That’s why it may be used in movies and anime scenes. Walking route is as below.

onomichi1 joudo temple

onomichi2 joudo temple

onomichi3 joudo temple

onomichi4 saigo temple

onomichi5 onomichi east highschool brick fence on cinema

onomichi6 cat road

onomichi7 saigoku temple gate

onomichi8 cat heaven

onomichi9 misode shrine on cinema

onomichi20 retro alley

onomichi21 under railway

onomichi22 shopping street without people

onomichi24 yamato hot spring on the street

onomichi27 ramen

The ropeway in the town is quite crowded, but from the top you can see the beauty of islands in the Seto Inland Sea. The time of sunset is the target. During the cherry blossom season, the whole mountain is dyed in cherry blossom color.

onomichi10 ropeway

onomichi11 ropeway

onomichi15 senkou temple with giant rocks

onomichi16 rock

View from the top

onomichi12 skyaview left

onomichi14 skyview right

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That island occupied by rabbits

After landing that island you are immediately surrounded by huge number of rabbits. There are lots of stories as to why rabbits were brought in Ohkuno island and bred. Looking at the rabbits lying on their bellies and too relaxing even when people approach, it seems like a peaceful island. However, ruins where the former army conducted poison gas experiments remain everywhere. My delusion (story) is that after World War II, the GHQ (occupying American army) released the rabbits to confirm the safety of the poison gas removal process.

chukai port1

chukai port2

rabbit island3

rabbit island7 ruin of poison experiment

Don’t forget to procure rabbit food before crossing the island. Rabbits don’t care about people who don’t have food.

rabbit island10

chukai port3 this store sells rabbit food

rabbit island1 ferry

Rent a bicycle when you get to the island. You can go around in about 30 minutes. However, if you want to see the beauty of the many islands, you need to leave your bicycle and climb a little.

rabbit island4 top

rabbit island5 top

Detour

Did you know that Chukai, Takehara City has a headquarters and a factory that holds more than 50% of Japan’s jam market share? It is Aohata, which is the first company in the world to canned mandarin oranges grown in the Seto Inland Sea. It is said that the president of Aohata, who watched a regatta race between the UK’s most famous universities, was impressed by the cheering of the blue flag. English replacement of Aohata is a blue flag. Visitable factories and photogenic shops are near Chukai JR station.

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Takehara was once connected to Kyoto

It is said that Takehara began when Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto developed the land based on the law of the Nara period that allowed the land that was cultivated by oneself to be owned by oneself. This law was the beginning of the manor system, and wealth was concentrated in those who had the financial power to cultivate the land by themselves, and it triggered the collapse of the world centered on the emperor.

takehara1

takehara9

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takehara2 chosei temple

takehara12 golden tree

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Anyway, Takehara has a connection with Kyoto and still retains a townscape called Little Kyoto. Incidentally, the Kamo River, which has the same name as Kyoto, runs through the center of the city.　Also, like Kyoto, sake brewing is thriving, and one of its descendants founded Nikka Whiskey in Japan.

takehara4 takezuru sake brewery

takehara5 frontier of japanese whisky

takehara6 massann and lita

A feature that is completely different from Kyoto is salt making in salt fields. At that time, 80% of the salt produced in Japan was produced in Hiroshima Prefecture.