Japan
A couple of articles on some of the regions and attractions of the Chūgoku region. Predominately off the beaten track.
Eager to explore both near and far as funds permit.
Old Hino Bridge
Written by: adekun on 9 August, 2008 10:48 am - Filed under: tottori — 2 Comments »
Crossing the Hino River, Yonago
A relatively long standing feature of Yonago is the Old Hino Bridge. Completed in 1929, the bowstring truss bridge was damaged in the 2000 Western Tottori Earthquake and subsequently closed. Recently reopened to pedestrians and cyclists (incl. those motorised?), the bridge’s six arches offer a calmer crossing over the Hino River (日野川); with views of the sea, Mount Daisen and nearby paper factory.
Ame no manai
Written by: adekun on 6 August, 2008 10:17 pm - Filed under: tottori — No Comments »
ame no manai waterwheel
At the base of Mount Daisen sits the tiny village of 天之真名井 (ame no manai). I’m told the name of the village has something to do with an angel appearing and bathing in the water. A tourist brochure mentions it being amongst the Environment Agency’s Top 100 Select Waters. It also lists fireflies as a famous sight. When we arrived at the old watermill the wheel wasn’t turning but soon gathered enough force to slowly start spinning.
35th Gaina Matsuri
Written by: adekun on 3 August, 2008 10:56 pm - Filed under: tottori — No Comments »
Mantou
Gaina is a local word for big. The weekend played host to Yonago’s big festival. Over the two days the event included taiko drum performances, dancing and mantou.
Mantou team looks on
Kento especially liked the last; watching as teams balanced mounted lanterns high in the air.
Nichinan
Written by: adekun on 21 July, 2008 11:54 pm - Filed under: tottori — 3 Comments »
Just off route 180 in the town of Nichinan is a small set of waterfalls near an old ryokan. It’s just a short walk from the road. Inside the former hotel we watched a weaver at work on an old loom. Hanging on the walls were many traditional patchwork pieces. Coffee was served with a danshaku potato and miso wrapped in hoba. (more…)
Iwami ginzan
Written by: adekun on 27 May, 2008 11:15 pm - Filed under: shimane — 4 Comments »
If you want to see a couple of sights in Japan it usually works out cheaper to sign up to a package tour. The downside is they run a tight schedule to allow plenty of shopping time at the numerous ‘gift’ stops. We got a call the previous evening to say the visit at the most interesting point on the itinerary was cancelled. There was still Iwami Ginzan a significant silver mine that operated during the 16th and 17th centuries. After being set down in the bus park the old folk (everybody else) took another bus up to Ryugenji Mabu; one of the mine shafts.
The two of us walked, quite briskly up a street through Omori Town which housed many of the people the profited from the mines. On the way we passed a couple of temple guardians; the one on the left UN, and right A(ah). The entrance of the shaft was a welcome relief as the midday sun was approaching the thirty degrees. It only takes a few minutes to walk through and back out. You can stop to peer in the nooks and crannies, and look at old sketches depicting scenes of the mines in operation. After hurrying back we were whisked off to a rather tame replacement stop at a sand museum. Last stop was at wada-chinmi (the latter meaning rare taste or delicacy). It specialises in dried fish. I got hooked on the dried fugu at thought it would make a good gift.
Sanbutsuji
Written by: adekun on 6 May, 2008 9:46 pm - Filed under: tottori — 6 Comments »
Nageiredo Hall, Mitokusan
A little way from nearby Kurayoshi is the town of Misasa. While the town is famed for it’s radon spas, Sanbutsuji set upon Mitokusan (Mt. Mitoku) really draws the crowds. The temple’s pinnacle is Nageiredo hall. Back in 706 it is said to have been thrown in the mountain by a monk. It rests between two and three hundred metres above a steep gorge, seemingly defying gravity.
Having just visited you have to wonder. To reach it from the main complex takes half an hour; up tangles of exposed tree roots, chains and ropes. In bloom were yama tsutsuji (mountain azalea) and fuji (wisteria). The last Sunday in October the entrance fee is waived for yamabushi (fire walking festival).
At the entrance, those lacking sufficient grip on there footwear are sold wara-zori (straw sandals). It’s not difficult and doesn’t deter people of all ages and sizes - if it’s busy expect the clamber to take a lot longer.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Written by: adekun on 5 February, 2008 7:14 am - Filed under: hiroshima — 5 Comments »
On Sunday we spent a few hours at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park. Although the setting is at odds to the camps at Auschwitz, it is none the less moving. I was keen to find out what the museum cited as reasons for the attack and what mention it gave to activities in Asia prior to WWII.
For me the often stated reason never answered the questions. Reading at school, it was easy to spot contradictions. It just seemed the most palatable. What does seem common is Truman’s and Tibbets’s sentiments, and that of Bomber Harris.
I was unaware of the forced demolished of homes to provide fire breaks. In addition to the civilians from neighbouring towns, schoolchildren were mobilized for demolition duty. At the time of the attack they were outside. The bomb was a little off target and detonated above the Shima hospital. A plaque marking the hypocentre can be found in front of an apartment block a street back from the Dome.
Above, the targeted T shaped Aioi bridge and Hiroshima Peace Memorial (A-Bomb Dome).
There didn’t seem much information on the subsequent bombing of Nagasaki. The focus was on the after effects, the rebuilding and peace activities. Towards the end of the exhibition, of note was the numbers of times nuclear weapon use has since been contemplated. The 13 kiloton yield of ‘Little Boy’ compared to the 50 megatons of ‘Tsar Bomba’. While it’s all too easy to comment on the past, only the other week NATO’s top five were asserting “first strike nuclear option remains an indispensable instrument”.
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