The stonework in Obi is too manic

obi walking
obi (9)ito connection
obi (9)ito connection

How many Japanese people can read the kanji “Obi”?   This land was the site of a dispute between the Ito clan and the Shimazu clan, both of whom were officials dispatched from the Kamakura shogunate, but it is said that after the Toyotomi administration, the Ito clan took over the land.    The Ito clan is said to have immigrated from Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture during the Kamakura Shogunate era, and took the surname Ito, so it has a really long history.   That’s why a commemorative tree (Cherry Blossom) was planted in Obi Castle by Mayor Ito.

It was the first in Kyushu to be selected as an Important Preservation District for Traditional Buildings by Agency for Cultural Affairs.   The town layout from the early Edo period remains intact, and it is one of the Little Kyotos throughout the country.   The beauty of the stonework of both Obi Castle and samurai residences is unparalleled in the world.   What’s more, the techniques used are too maniacal, such as stacking them in a large curve or at an angle instead of stacking them straight.   The nearly 500-year history gives the moss on the stone walls a wabi-sabi feel.    I have never seen such beautiful stonework.    Definitely worth seeing.

Also, the Obi cedars, which can often be seen inside Obi Castle, are beautiful as they grow straight through a carpet of moss.    There is a wonderful cedar forest on the hill at the very back of the castle ruins.   Because they contain oil inside and grows quickly, it is also light, so it was valued as a material for ships and construction.

obi (37)
seated archery with cat

There is a seated archery course near the tourist information center that was popular among samurai at the time, so be sure to give it a try.   8 arrows cost 500 yen.    If you underestimate them because they are close, your arrows will have a hard time hitting the target.    If you miss too many arrows, the person in charge will feel sorry for you and add a few more arrows.   By the way, there is a black cat living at this archery range, and he appeared on the NHK program Iwago-san’s “Cat Walks,” and when I was struggling with my bow and arrow, he came and sat behind me quietly.

 

Detour

Miyazaki is the home of sweet potato shochu.    Strangely enough, the alcohol content shipped outside the prefecture is the usual 25%, but the one distributed within the prefecture is as low as 20%.   It is said that the technology for making shochu was brought to Miyazaki from Okinawa, and  people who moved from Okinawa to Miyazaki after the world-war2 created moonshine with a low alcohol content, and it was legalized by setting a low alcohol tax on it.    It is still distributed in Miyazaki Prefecture.   There is a famous sake brewery in Nichinan City, and a dojo where young people can learn brewing techniques has opened.

 

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Who decided to throw the luck ball with the left hand?

udo shrine

Udo Shrine is called “Jingu,” so it has a high status among shrines.    The myth is a continuation of the story of Aoshima Shrine, where Yamasachihiko, who had a great time at the Sea Palace, formed a vow with the daughter of the Sea God.    The origin of Udo Shrine is said to be that a birthing house for his wife was built in a cave that was created when the strata rose diagonally.

The name Udo was given because its roof was covered with cormorant feathers, and since the rabbit, which has the same zodiac sign as the pronunciation of cormorant, has been worshiped as a messenger of the Gods, rabbit figurines have been donated everywhere in the shrine.   Japanese people really like playing with words.    At temples, for example at Zenkoji in Nagano, there are statues “Nade-botoke”(Buddha being stroked) who heal people’s diseased parts by be stroked on the same parts of them, but this is the first time I’ve seen statues “Nade-usagi”(Rabbit being stroked) moreover at a shrine.

Now, the famous attraction here is the luck ball toss.   If you can toss and place an unglazed ball into a 60cm square hollow on the back of a stone resembling a turtle at the bottom of a cliff, your wish will come true.   If that’s the case, why do people visit shrines?    Moreover, women are told to use their right hand and men are told to use their left hand.   Although it doesn’t say that left-handed men should throw with their right hand.   This is complete sexism.    Who decided that?    That’s strange!

By the way, the luck ball that goes into the hollow is later collected by the shrine staff, placed in an amulet bag, and sold for 500 yen.    They charge you 200 yen for throwing balls, and sell them for an additional 500 yen, so you’re paying double.   If someone does not realize this and is making a fuss and throwing luck ball, please think carefully about what he is doing.

By the way, there is a similar attraction as above at Geibikei Gorge in Iwate Prefecture where you throw a luck ball into a hole in a cliff.    There is no right or left hand restriction here.   I got in 3 out of 5 times.    Each ball you throw has a different letter engraved on it, which is supposed to help you read your fortune, but I completely forgot to check what was engraved before I threw it.

udo shrine (12)concretion
udo shrine (12)concr etion

Another highlight is the concretions, which are spherical calcified bodies of dead jellyfish and other creatures trapped in the sandstone, which can be seen all over the cliffs.   The water that permeates through the ground contains lime and falls into the cave as water droplets, creating a structure similar to a limestone cave.   Although it does not have icicles like a limestone cave, from a distance, the water droplets look like a mother’s nipples, and there is an explanation that says that these are the milk for the baby born in the birthing center.    At shrines, these water droplets are collected and sold as milk candy.

The concretion at Udo Shrine is broadcast on the NHK program Buratamori, and the details are written on a signboard inside the shrine grounds.    It’s in Japanese though.

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