Vacation 2010 Day3: Warwick

On my third day of vacation I took a 20 minute bus ride to the castle and market town of Warwick.

I have vague memories of visiting the castle here when I was a young kid, but essentially I didn't know the town at all.

My first stop was St. Marys church in the middle of town, where, for a small fee, you can climb the church tower for some wonderful views out over the town, the river Avon, and some typical English countryside.

The church was founded in the 12th Century, but it, along with most of the town, was destroyed in a great fire in the 17th century, so the rebuilt church dates from that time.

probably due to the number of shrines and temples I visit in japan, I now have become fascinated by churches and cathedrals. One of the chapels in St marys is particularly fine.

Warwick is most well known for its castle on the banks of the Avon. The oldest parts date back to the 11th century. It is now a tourist trap, so I couldnt be bothered to pay the exorbitant entrance price.

warwick has many fine examples of 17th century architecture, including this pub.

Parts of the Lord Leycester Hospital were built in the 13th century, but most buildings are a bit older. Its not a hospital in the medical sense, but a home for retired and injured soldiers and their wives, something it is still used for today. In the garden is a vase over 2,000 years old. I would have liked to look around inside, but it was closed that day.

Takano-Ji inside

Inside Takano-Ji is like stepping into another world. The ceiling is painted with bright murals of dragons.

All the colums and architectural details are also brightly painted.

If this was in Kyoto there would be a hefty entrance fee and crowds of people.

Above the main altar a huge mandala.

There are some amazing statues. I think this must be one of the Shitenno, the four heavenly kings.

There is also a collection of paintings.

One could easily spend hours taking it all in.

Takano-Ji above

Takano-Ji, founded almost 1200 years ago, is also known as Iwami Koyasan, as the kanji for takanoji can also be read that way.

It's one of my favorite temples, partly due to the fact that it is so far off the beaten track that it is always quiet.

There are lots more statues up around the main hall, and a sign commemorating that here was a huge, magnificent bell until it was melted down to make cannons. This bell links Takano-Ji with my own village through the Enko legend.

When I first saw the covered walkway that climbs the hill from the priests quarters to the main hall I thought "wow" the peasants get to climb in the rain but the priests are protected", but of course it is not the priest whi is protected but the sacred things he carries.

There are some wonderful carvings of dragons on the outside of the main hall, with outspread wings, something I've not seen elsewhere.

There are some nice views down from the main hall. Behind it a path goes to the mountaintop where there is a small shrine, and half way up a small building where Kukai supposedly spent time.

The real surprise of Takano-Ji though is to be found inside.

Takano-Ji below

Takano-Ji is a wonderful old mountain temple in the middle of nowhere just north of where I live. Its not on any main roads, and only has a small handpainted sign pointing to it.

The 2 Nio guarding the entrance to the temple are not intricately carved, but quite vivid.

The temple was founded in 814, and legend has it that Kobo Daishi himself spent time at this spot. Of course, according to legends Kobo Daishi managed to be in six places at once performing miracles the length and breadth of Japan, so I havent been able to confirm if he really was here.

Largely due to its isolation, I think, the temple is quite atmospheric.

There are statues dotted around all over the place.

The priests house is quite old and very traditional. Buddhist priests often get to live in some remarkable places.

The main hall of the temple is higher up the mountainside, about 160 steps higher up!

The Atrium at Kunibiki Messe

The Kunibiki Messe is a large convention center and exhibition hall in Matsue, Shimane.

Designed by Shimane-born architect Shin Takamatsu.

The central atrium features the forms common to much of Takamatsu's work... cones, cylinders, spheres, etc.

Running through the space is an elevated walkway that connect the 4th and 5th floors.

Up to the 5th floor

Down to the 4th floor.

Mukade Giant Japanese Centipede

Mukade

Caught this little bugger yesterday crawling across my floor. In japanese it is called Mukade, which means "100 legs", and in english we call it Giant japanese centipede. It was mid-sized, about 12 cms long. They do get bigger, though not as big as the desert centipedes I know from Arizona. It was unusual to see it during the daytime as they are usually active at night. They usual travel in pairs, and sure enough later I caught its mate.

Found a really nice, short video about Mukade on youtube.

Mukade are venomous and a couple of years ago I woke up in the middle of the night with the feeling that someone had put out a cigarette on my face. We found a baby centipede on the inside of the mosquito net. Ive been bitten by poisonous critters many time before,.... I slept outside many hundreds of nights in the desert, but this bite was particularly painful and the pain and swelling stayed for a full 2 weeks.

The centipede in Japan is associated with success in battle, so it was adopted as a symbol by the samurai. The great samurai Takeda Shingen had one on his battle flag, and these ceiling paintings from a small Bishamonten temple had several centipedes.

On of the Shitenno, Bishamonten is known as the god of success in battle, so the connection is obvious.

105 years ago today.

On May 28th 1905 the Russian ship Irtysh ran aground on the Shimane coast just off the fishing village of Waki (now part of Gotsu).

The villagers took to their boats and helped to successfully save and bring to shore the more than 200 crew and officers.

The Russians were given food and shelter and helped in every way by the mostly poor fishermens families.

Every year, this year on June 13th, Waki celebrates a Russian festival and dignitaries come from Russia to thank the village once again for their kindness.

In the small Waki Community Center is a small museum with photos, documents, items salvaged from the Irtysh, and gifts from Russia.

The story of how the Irtysh came to its end is pretty interesting.

In 1904, without a declaration of war, the Japanese attacked the Russian Far East Fleet in Port Arthur (Manchuria). Comparisons with Pearl Harbor are obvious. So began the Russo-Japanese war.

In a bold move the Czar ordered his Baltic Fleet to sail 18,000 miles, half way round the world, to hook up with the remnants of his Far East Fleet at Vladivostock. The Irtysh was a supply ship attached to the Baltic Fleet.

In the straits between Japan and Korea the Japanese navy engaged the Russians in a great naval battle that has been equated with Trafalgar. Known now as the Battle of Tsushima, the Russians were soundly defeated, and the damaged Irtysh was seen limping away from the battle and the next day ran aground off Waki.

A winter walk up Maruyama

Driving from my place to Iwami Ginzan, which I used to do regularly a few years ago, you pass through the village of Mihara, and as one is doing so the 480 meter high Maruyama (Round Mountain) is distinctly visible for quite a ways.

One fine January day the weather was warm and the light was bright so I decided to to find out what the views were like from the top.

I drove up the long, narrow valley that runs up from Tanijyugo, parked and headed up the forest track that climbed over the ridge and dropped down to the base of Maruyama.

Half way up Maruyama there was a clearing in the trees that offered a wonderful view over Mihara to the saddle of the ridge called Oe-Takayama. The highest point is a little over 800 meters, and behind it lies Iwami Ginzan. According to a painted signboard in the village at its base, there is a trail that goes up and along the ridge that I've always hoped to climb one day, though I suspect that the trail, like so many others around here, has long since disappeared by not having been used for decades.

The road up to the top of Maruyama switchbacks up the north side, so there was still unmelted snow.

Just below the highest point are the foundations of what used to be a castle, though fort or watchtower might be a more appropriate english word.

From the top, the view roughly south. Somewhere down in there is the Gonokawa River and my village.

But this is the view I had hoped to find. About 25k away, the snowy peaks of the volcano Mount Sanbe, at 1,126 meters the highest point in Iwami.

Kunibiki Messe

The Kunibiki Messe is a large convention and conference center up in Matsue.

Kunibiki means "land pulling", and refers to an ancient Izumo legend. Messe is the German word for "Fair".

It opened in 1992 and was designed by Shin Takamatsu.

We have a lot of buildings by Takamatsu in Shimane as he is a local man, from Nima.

It doesnt look like much from a distance, but close up one can discern something interesting inside......