From the Amakusa Islands, Mount Unzen on the Shimabara Peninsula can be seen nearby, and many wild dolphins live here where the Ariake Sea exits into the East China Sea. In any case, as soon as we set out on our fishing boat, the dolphins started chasing us as if they were enjoying the competition. Several of them work together to blow the tide and pass under the bottom of the ship. It’s like a messenger of peace.
Although it is advertised as a sightseeing boat for viewing dolphins, the hull is essentially a fishing boat. The price includes lunch. I was wondering to myself what would happen if I ate it, got on board, and got seasick.
dolphin watching1 almost fisher boat
dolphin watching2
dolphin watching5
dolphin watching3
A detour
As you head north along the west coast of the island from Sakitsu Church, you will see “Myoken-ura”, a sea cliff shaped like an elephant, “Tits Rock”, which is difficult to take photos with women, and a lighthouse floating off the coast that looks like “the Statue of Liberty”. In Amakusa City, you can buy Amakusa pottery “Kohiki” that was introduced from Korea, and Gion Bridge, which is a stone bridge but has multiple girders lined up instead of arches, is a must-see.”
myokenura1
myokenura2 elephant
amakusa beach3 tits rock
amakusa beach4 statue of liberty
amakusa beach1
gionbashi1 amakusa
gionbashi3 the top
asanijigama2 gallery
Another detour
At the tip of the Misumi Peninsula, where the bridge to the Amakusa Islands crosses, there is a stone wharf called Misumi Nishi Port that remains from the Meiji period, and has been designated as a World Cultural Heritage Site. If you have time, it’s a place where you can relax.
The colonial policy hidden behind the sale of Christian missionary work and trade as a set terrified the Edo shogunate, and with the isolation of the country, Christians fell prey to the banning policy. Shortly after the establishment of the shogunate, there was a large-scale battle to suppress Christianity (the Shimabara Rebellion), and the victorious shogunate suffered heavy losses, and many Christian farmers in the region died or were dispersed. As a result, they were unable to harvest any crops at all. Even so, there were still many Christians remaining in Amakusa and Shimabara. It is said that 90% of the people in the town of Sakitsu were Christians, and since they all survived as they were, it seems that even if they were hidden Christians, it was an open secret.
sakitsu 15 suwa shrine hiding christians
sakitsu 13 fisherman’s workspace
sakitsu 13
The villagers who were accused of being Christians claimed to believe in a local deity inherited from their ancestors, while Shogunate officials, fearing a repeat of the Shimabara Rebellion that had endangered the Shogunate and the subsequent sharp decline in the agricultural population, denied the truth and did not disclose it publicly.
ohe-tenshudo
Perhaps it was wisdom that determined that the villagers had a “misunderstanding of the sect” (they did not believe in Christianity, but that he believed in the wrong religion without realizing it was a mistake) and did not certify them as Christians. I am impressed that there were officials with such good sense at that time. There are many churches in the Amakusa Islands. Many believers still maintain their faith.
Sakitsu downtown is a part of World Heritage “Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region”, although not in the Nagasaki Region.
sakitsu 9 70% of population is hidden Christian
sakitsu 8 downtown
sakitsu church2
sakitsu church3
sakitsu church4
sakitsu church5 backside made of wood due to money short
sakitsu church6 altaar on the former place where to have hidden Christian step on a picture of Christ
sakitsu church7 Japanese style tatami inside
sakitsu 10 sweets shop
sakitsu 12 sweets
sakitsu 11 sweets
sakitsu 14
On the way to the Amakusa islands
Mt.Unzen on the way to Amakusa islands
You can reach the Amakusa Islands by crossing a number of beautiful bridges from the Misumi Peninsula. On the way, you can clearly see the Shimabara Peninsula and Mt. Unzen across the Ariake Sea. However, driving while looking away is prohibited.
go to amakusa islands1 yatsushiro sea
go to amakusa islands2
go to amakusa islands3
go to amakusa islands4
go to amakusa islands5
Cave hot spring inn Yurakutei (Yumigahama beach in Ohyano island)
Guests are welcomed by writing their names on the sake jar at the entrance of the inn. The owner has dug a cave by hand and you can enjoy hot springs inside it. Anyway, for dinner there will be more fish dishes caught in the Ariake Sea than you can finish.
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.
itsukushima shrine5
itsukushima shrine3
itsukushima senjokaku2
itsukushima senjokaku1
itsukushima shrine2
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.
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
onomichi road indication to Izumo
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.
onomichi3 joudo temple
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
onomichi cherry blossom seasongo back to itinerary
It is easy to approach the entrance to World Heritage, but places inside where a tourist could reach by himself were limited. Furthermore ‘Anmon Fall’* was closed due to typhoon damages. You should chose between to be satisfied with a glance or to spend all day. Next time I would like to challenge with a guide.
kumagera tapping the tree
*)There are many approach routes to the heart of Shirakami mountains. ’Twenty ponds walking course’ is easily accessible from the sea side with public transportation and you can feel variety of nature.
‘The Summer grasses / Of brave soldier’s dreams / The aftermath’
by Basho
Basho traveled to Tohoku district during the Edo period and left many famous haiku poems. One of them is the battlefield of the distant past. The view of the flowing Kitakami River where Basho wrote this haiku was impressed and too sad because this was just the place where Yoshitsune harmed himself being surrounded by his brother’s army and where the glory of Hiraizumi began to collapse. Almost the same fate as the one of Emishi was repeated.
Stories of Aterui and Yoshitsune in another post >read more
Motsuji Temple, World Heritage
motsuji temple pond
It was said that Hiraizumi had the same scale and brilliance as the capital of Kyoto during its Golden Age. Being far from the political center brought peace and prosperity to Hiraizumi. The garden in Motsuji Temple has been restored and remind us of Uji-Byodoin Temple in Kyoto.
‘Eary summer rains / Fall not here / Temple of light’
by Basho
chusonji temple basho
Basho traveled to Tohoku district during the Edo period and left many famous haiku poems. One of them is the Chusonji Temple, especially the golden hall. The hall was shining with a dazzling light, which seemed to have prevented the rain. It may have something to do with the discovery in Tohoku as a result of exploring the whole country because a large amount of gold was needed to manufacture the Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple in the Nara era.
chusonji temple oi
You can’t reach the golden hall unless you climb a fairly long slope. There are many highlights, so let’s save your physical strength. One of highlights I thought was the backpack ‘oi’ Benkei used when he came back to Hiraizumi to accompany his master Yoshitsune and escaped from the army of Yoshitsune’s brother Minamoto no Yoritomo. I was surprised that there was something like this. It was made of wood with ‘Kamakura’ carving. How ironic it is that the name of carving method came from the capital name where Yoritomo put the political center.
koromogawa saku
Here around Chusonji Temple is strategic region that have been important since ancient times. It was the forefront base when the Yamato Imperial Court was trying to expand its power to the north in Heian period, and it was also the forefront of Emishi defense. The captured leader of Emishi, Aterui, was killed in Kyoto, almost the same as the fate of Yoshitsune. You can look down on Japan’s oldest ancient battlefield from the place you climbed up, but the only trace is the lush river. Against this background, another Basho haiku has been created.
chusonji temple big treeschusonji temple basho haiku
