Tanokami the God of the Rice Paddy

The god of the rice paddy, literally "Tanokami" , unsurprisingly can be found throughout Japan, though they are never mentioned in any of the ancient chronicles that nowadays are used as historical records. In my area I encountered a small shrine to a tanokami and was told that after the harvest the god returns to the mountains in his role as yamanokami. This seems somewhat widespread an idea.

However, in what is now Kagoshima and part of Miyazaki, in the old domain of Satsuma, ther is a type of tanokami somewhat different and also very prevalent. Believed to date back to the early Edo Period, hundreds of statues of Tanokami can be found, many along the roadsides, and function much as a protective kami in the same way as for example Jizo statues.

On the 37th day of my Kyushu Pilgrimage, I walked from Sendai up the Sendai river and along the way encountered these 4 examples. They are all pretty weathered. Over the next few days I will be encotering many dozens more, some of which are painted......

Satsuma Denshokan Museum

Satsuma Denshokan Museum

Ther Satsuma Denshokan is a private art museum located on the outskirts of Ibusuki in southern Kagoshima. The museum's primary focus is on ceramics produced in Satsuma, the former name of Kagoshima.

The architecture is based on Buddhist temples from the Heian Period, and with the large pool of water makes for some dramatic photography at the right time and under the right conditions.

The museum is a little pricey, but is well laid out, spacious, and with good displays with a fair amount of English.

Satsuma-ware was mostly made for export to the West and like the pottery traditions of many areas in West japan was based on Korean potters "brought" from Korea after Hideyoshi's failed war there.

The museum does have othere examples of arts from historic Satsuma too.....