Concrete Wabi sabi: Tetrapods

Continuing with a further look at Japan's favorite building material, concrete.

In Japan tetrapod is the generic name for a variety of concretes shapes used in "coastal defence" and riverside erosion control. There are dozens of variations in size and shape other than the true tetrapod which has 4 legs.

There is a lot of evidence to suggest that they often cause more problems than they solve, not least of which the uglification of the coast. More than 50% of the Japanese coast has been concreted. Less than 2% of Osaka Bay is natural.

Of course, some might say that the main function of tetrapods is to provide profits for concrete and construction companies.

In Junior High Schools in Japan kids are taught that "We Japanese love nature, but the West (by which is meant the USA) try to control nature"

Happy New Year of the Tiger

This is the bottom half of a huge painting titled "Mukai Tora" (Welcome Tiger)
The painting is 4.3 M high, and was painted by Sato Koetsu in 1959.
It hangs in Kokura Castle.

Ichibata Yakushi revisited

I paid another visit to Ichibata Yakushi, the mountaintop temple to the buddha of healing Yakushi Nyorai, located between Lake Shinji and the Japan Sea up in Izumo.

There are more than 8,000 of these little statues left by pilgrims who come here from all over Japan, mostly to pray for relief from eye problems.

The bronze statues are 24 cms high and depict a Kenzoku, a guardian of Yakushi Nyorai.

Each one costs 30,000 yen ( approx $300). Inside each one is a small piece of paper upon which is written the prayer of the pilgrim.

Inside Riverwalk

Some shots from inside the Riverwalk complex in Kokura.

For details see yesterdays post.

I recently learned that the Jerde Partnership that designed this complex have designed a new city centre for my hometown of Coventry. Could be interesting.

Riverwalk at Kokura

Riverwalk, designed by the Jerde Partnership. is located in Kokura, Kitakyushu.

Opened in 2003, the complex houses shops, cinemas, auditoriums, museums, and TV studios.

The color scheme has the following meaning.
Brown for earth
Black for rooftiles
White for plaster
Red for lacquer
Yellow for ears of ripening rice.

The Jerve Partnership has designed several other multi-use complexes in Japan, including Namba Parks in Osaka, and Canal City in Hakata.

Meri Kurisumasu!

The Emperor didn't sleep here.

Today is a National Holiday in Japan in celebration of the Emperor's birthday. Actually his correct title is "Tenno" which translates as "heavenly Sovereign", but when the Japanese came to translate the word into English they chose "emperor" as China had an emperor and Japan wasn't going to be outdone by the Chinese.

The new government of Japan in 1868 had the task of molding a unified nation out of the many seperate domains that had existed up till then, and the chose the new emperor as the symbol of the new nation. Problem was that the vast majority of Japanese had no idea who or what the emperor was. Part of the solution they come up with was for the Meiji Emperor to travel the length and breadth of the country on a series of Grand Tours. Like much of the "Imperial traditions" that were invented around this time it was based on the traditions of European royalty.

So all over Japan local authorities scrambled to build suitable accomadation for the Emperor.

Above is located in the grounds of Matsue castle and was built in 1903. Now it houses a local history museum, the Kyodokan.

The Emperor never did stay there.

The Gobenden is now located underneath the castle hill in Hamada. It was constructed in 1907 in case the Meiji Emperor visited Hamada.
He didn't.
The Crown Prince Yoshihito, the future Emperor Taisho, did stay here for a couple of days however.

On a related note, this is the Goseimon at Gakuen-ji temple. It's a gate that is only used by members of the imperial family. The current Crown Prince, Naruhito, used it a couple of years ago.

The view from Hemp Mountain

At 599m, Taima-San (Hemp Mountain) is the highest coastal mountain in the Hamada area. Among the many antennae and towers that bristle from its peak is an observation tower.
This first view is looking NW out to sea. More than 200k away is Korea.

Looking SW down the coast, Misumi Power Station, burning coal, is where we get our electricity. The mountain in the distance is in Yamaguchi. Old legends indicate a conflict between the tribe that poulated the area around Taimasan and the tribe around the Yamaguchi Mountain.

Inland to the SE. Hiroshima City is about 100k away.

NE to Hamada Port.

At the base of the mountain is the town of Sufu, home to the largest kofun (burial mound) in the Iwami area.

The Chugoku Nature Trail passes over Taima-san, and there is an interesting shrine and garden just below the peak.

Catholic Church in Tsuwano

Tsuwano

Must be in the Christmas spirit to be posting all these churches :) The Catholic Church in Tsuwano was built in 1931.

It's a replica of the Oura Tenshudo, the church built by the French in Nagasaki in 1865.

Inside, no pews or chairs, only tatami to sit on.

The church is open daily. On May 3rd there is a procession from the church up to the Chapel at Otome Pass followed by a Mass in front of the church.

Round Windows: looking in (traditional)

Not much I can add to the title, except to give locations. This first one is from a farmhouse in the village of Yairoishi, up in the mountains of Iwami.

This is of the Tea Room at Kennin-Ji, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto.

This is at Komyozen-Ji, a delightful small temple in Dazaifu, Fukuoka. It has my favorite temple garden.

Just a house in Tsuwano.