Around Kawado on the Gonokawa River

 

I begin the second leg of my walk up the Gonokawa River to its source from my home. I live on the other bank to the one I am walking up. My plan is to later walk down the river from the source to the sea on this other bank. Looking across the river you can see a section of the river that has no road on that bank, hence my reason for starting this leg here, rather than Kawahira where I finished the first leg.

Behind me is my village.

Across from my village is where te Yato River enters the Gonokawa. This is a decent-sized tributary with a dam and reservoir and it starts up in the mountains around the ski resorts of Mizuho. The bridge carries the now closed rail line, the Sanko sen that used to follow the river all the way up to Miyoshi in Hiroshima.

On the walk up to the bridge that crosses over to Kawado I pass by the big sacred tree where Tanijyugo has their giant Onusa, purification wand, that pacifies the turbulent water god of the river.

The bridge that crosses the river to Kawado is painted in a very distinctive colour scheme that , I believe, represents the river, the sjy, and cherry blossoms. Not sure when the bridge was built. There was a major flood of Kawado back in the 1960's so it certainly postdates that. I have seen an old photos of a low wooden bridge in the 1920's, but for most of history the on,y wa to cross was by ferry.

Now protected, somewhat, by a high embankment, Kawado used to be the main town of the area. The large building is a traditional soy sauce brewery.

On top of the cliff at the first bend in the river is the Kawado suijin Onusa. This is the biggest one in the area and the main focus of the local Suijin Matsuri.

Looking upstream, that house is the only habitation in the several kilometers between Kawado and Tazu.

Kawabune, a generic term for riverboats. Traditionally made of wood, aluminum, and fibreglass are now more common, as are small outboard motors. I am guessing they are primarily used for fishing for Ayu, sweetfish, similar to trout. Larger, flat-bottomed boats were used for freight.

Looking back downstream to the Kawado Bridge. This next section of the road has no buildings and very little traffic, the main road being on the opposite bank, as it is for most of the river. The rail line is overgrown.

The previous post was on Kawahira.

The Month of Little Sleep part 2

Walking back from the matsuri at Ichiyama we stopped in at the matsuri at Kaewado. We got there about 3am.

The kenmai dance has just started....

Followed by a different version of Kakko.....

And then a really good version of Jinrin.....

The finale was Kurozuka with the demonic white fox.....

and the sky was lightening and time to wander home across the river....

Tsubame Japanese Swallows

The local railways station, (5 trains a day in each direction) is a small wooden structure that is home to a colony of swallows.

From late spring its enjoyable to stand and wait for a train while watching the swallows acrobatically swooping around catching bugs to feed to their young safely ensconced in the numerous nests in the waiting room and under the platform roof.

They may be barn Swallows, Im not sure, but I believe they are not migratory.

I quite like the impresionistic effect that is created by photographing them at a slower shutter speed.

Kawado Suijin Matsuri

Not only was Thursday Childrens Day and the Kawado Childrens Matsuri, but also the annual Kawado Suijin Matsuri. Following the ceremony in the shrine the mikoshi procession heads down to the river. The men on the right are carrying a huge length of giant bamboo which has an Onusa (purification wand) attached to it. It will replace the previous years one and will project out over the river to purify the area Suijin is believed to like to spend time.

To the accompaniment of drum and flute the procession heads along the riverbank to the two traditional wooden river boats waiting to take them upstream.

The smaller boat will carry the young men and a bunch of bamboos with banners attached. Each banner has been offered by a household that has a new child or grandchild born since last years matsuri.

The main boat carries the heavy mikoshi, 2 musicians, 3 priests, a village representative, a local TV cameraman, and 2 boatmen.

Both boats head upstream a few hundred meters to where further ceremonies will be held.

More details and photos can be had in earlier posts by clicking on the suijin tag below.

Kawado Childrens Matsuri

Thursday was the annual Childrens Matsuri acroos the river in Kawado. As well as a small mikoshi, the kids pull a small float of a family of Enko, the local name for Kappa.

The matsuri begins, as all matsuris should, with a ceremony in the local shrine. This year it seemed to be better attended than last.

And then they are off, parading the mikoshi and float around the village to the accompaniement of drum and flute.

I dont have the stats to hand right now, but the birth-rate here in the countryside is just about sustainable. Its in the cities, Tokyo especially, that the birth rate is way below the level needed to sustain the population.

Anyway, the kids had a great time, and if they didnt then their parents did

Along the tracks

On Sunday I went down to Gotsu for the annual Kagura Festival, but after a few hours indoors I couldnt stand it any longer... outside was another beautiful clear day and as we have had so few this month and as the good weather was not likely to last, I headed off for another walk.

I got off the train in Kawahira and headed up the tracks.

This section of the river has no road on this bank, and as it was 90 minutes or so till the next train I reckoned I could get along the tracks before it came.

There are a few abandoned farms along this side of the river....

Closer to Kawado I passed by a place that has fascinated me since I moved here, a hidden valley. The entrance is very narrow and choked with bamboo and undergrowth and there appears to be no trail in, but one of these winters when the undergrowth has died back Im going to try and find a way in...

Though its the longest river in West Japan, the Gonokawa is not well known but I have yet to see a river in Japan that is more beautiful.

I arrive safely into Kawado without encountering the train.

Kawado, the bustling commercial hub of Sakurae Town.......

OMMMMK 2

On the way back from the matsuri up in Yamanaka I stopped in at the matsuri at the Futonorito shrine in Kawado.

Kirime was being performed. This is the second half of the dance that begins with Kakko, and sometimes only the Kakko section is performed.

In Kirime, the kami of benevolence (kirime) takes pity on Kakko and descends with an aide to teach the proper etiquette for rituals. In essence it is a primer on shugendo ritual. The dance originates from and is set in the area of Wakayama that was the center of shugendo.

It had beenb raining on and off all night, and that may be why there were not many people in the audience.

The next dance was a shinji, a ritual dance, called a sword dance though no swords are used. It was originally a part of the Kamimukae, welcoming the gods dance, but at some point split off and became a seperate dance.

Around 4;30am I headed home. Walking through a village in the wee hours of the morning while the sound of the drums and flute waft over the rooftops is a defining experience of Japan for me. Quite probably the experience I would miss the most if I lived in a city or outside Japan.

Crossing the bridge over the misty river, the sound still carries one kilometer away.

Kawado Suijin Matsuri. part 2

The procession reaches the riverbank where two boats are waiting to ferry the mikoshi upstream.

One boat carries the young men with the bamboo and banners to replace last years. The giant Onusa is taken by road. By now the young men are inebriated. Drunkeness and matsuri go together and always have. The earliest records of japan from China in the 3rd century make mention of the Japanese love of alcohol.

The second boat carries the mikoshi, priests, musicians, kasaboko, and a couple of other village representatives.

Both boats head upstream a few hundred meters to the spot where suijin is venerated

A rocky outcropping at the base of a cliff. On the cliff above the Onusa is replaced. This one extends horizontally out from the cliff top so the Onusa is above the water below. You can just make it out in the top right of the photo. Here is also where the string of koinoburi are strung across the river in honor of Boys Day.

The young men pass up the bamboo and banners to the group above. Last years bamboo and banners are lowered down and disposed of in the river.

The priests read norito and make further offerings to Suijin.

The boats then return to the riverbank and the procession proceeds to a second spot on the Yato River. It used to go by boat,, but since the damming of the river it is too shallow and no longer navigable, so it goes by truck.

It seems to be a tradition that some of the young men end up in the river.