Hunting the Fall Color 2016 Day 7

Across from where Nobunagas Azuchi Castle once stood I climbed the mountain on my way to Kannonji, the penultimate temple of the pilgrimage. Halfway up the mountain was Kuwanomidera, a little known but ancient temple that was a real deight not only for its fall colors but also for the statuary.

On top of the mountain was the ruins of a small castle from the warring-states period, then a short way down the other side Kanninji itself, where the Buddha himself was enjoying the Fall colors.

Jizo seemed also to be enjoying it.

The real surprise of the day, and perhaps the whole trip, was Kyorinbo, a small sub-temple located below Kannonji. In terms of Autumn display it rivals anything Kyoto has to offer. The thatched roof covered in maple leaves was particularly stunning.

I was disappointed that I would not be able to make it here for the night time illumination, but the final temple of the pilgrimage beckoned and so I headed off in the sunshine north along the Nakasendo.

Hunting the Fall Color 2016 Day 6

Mid morning I reached Chomeiji temple number 31 on the pilgrimage, and it was a riot of color

A little further on in Omihachiman at Himure Hachimangu they were preparing for some kind of fire festival later that evening. Unfortunately I wouldnt be able to stay for it.

I took the ropeway up to the top of Hachimanyama and found more color among the ruins of the castle there.

I finished walking this section of the pilgrimage early and headed back to Hikone. In the grounds of the castle there this guy was obviously enjoying the view.

The Genkyuen garden next to the castle was, as expected, a blaze of color

Hunting the Fall Color 2016 Day 5

Day 5 started out with a short ferry trip across Lake Biwa to the sacred island of Chikibujima and the shrines and temples there.

Across the lake at Nagahama I visited the Keiunkan, a villa built for Emperor Meiji to stay in. It has a lovely garden.

In front of the reconstructed Nagahama Castle was a small park.

Wandering through the Kurokabe area I glimpsed some nice color along the water.

The Ando house had a very nice, compact, town garden

Hunting the Fall Color 2016 Day4

Fall Colors in Japan

Day 3, the walk from Takahama to Obama was fairly dreary and overcast with showers so offered little in the way of fall colors, but day from Obama to the shores of Lake Biwa was fantastic. Instead of taking the direct route I took the opportunity to visit some of the many temples in the mountains south of Obama. This first was at Tada-ji, one of the lesser known temples of the area.

Not far away the Lower Wakasahiko Shrine, one of the main shrines of the aream was carpeted in Gigko leaves.

On the opposite side of the valley a little further up was Montoku-ji, known for its delightful garden.

Even further up the valley, Jingu-ji was superb and I had a real hard timer choosing from the many photos I took there....

High up in the next valley south was Myotsu-ji, and it too was a blaze of color throughout the temple grounds.

Carp Streamers in Japan

Hunting the Fall Color 2016 Day 3

The third day was overcast and showery, but while taking shelter at the train station in Takahama in the late afternoon I was blessed with a full 180 degree rainbow that over time shrank as the rain passed.

At the start of the day I stopped in at Iwamuroinari Shrine and the splash of color against the colorful honden was nice.

At Matsunoodera, temple 29 of the Saigoku Pilgrimage there was some color, especially the gold of the Gingko tree.

In front of the temples treasure hall was a small garden with sacred rock.

At Nakayamadera temple, part of another Kannon Pilgrimage, but not part of the Saigoku, I had hoped to see inside at some of the special statuary they have, but unfortunately there was no-one about.

Another plant that very much signifies Autumn was susuki, commonly called Japanese Pampas Grass.

Hunting the Fall Color 2016 Day 2

Early on the second day I visited several temples along the base of Mount Atago in Nishi Maizuru. It was still foggy but color was to be found.

Not far away a small park/garden in the grounds of the ruins of Tanabe castle.

When I reached the top of Mount Gorodake it was still early enough to catch another autumn phenomenon, Unkai, the sea of clouds. With 360 degree views I tarried here a while until the fog/clouds had burned off.

Heading out from Higashi Maizuru I stopped in at Kongo-in, the premier fall colors spot in the maizuru area, and was not disappointed.

With the beautiful blue skies it was not surprising to find hundreds of people out enjoying the scene

Hunting the Fall Color 2016 day 1

Just got back from what has become an annual tradition of mine, a nice long walk looking for the autumn colors. This year was a 200 kilometer, 10 day trek that was the final leg of my Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage.

The walk took me from northern Kyoto Prefecture into Fukui and then into Shiga, across Lake Biwa and then finally just into Gifu. The first day I passed through Miyazu, though it was rather overcast and so the colors I found were somewhat muted.

The first photo is at the Sannoguhiyoshi Shrine. The second photo was right next door at a small temple, Nyoganji, where the Gingko tree had only just started to turn. Just in front of the temple was a very small park which is where I took the third photo.

Further into town I stopped in at a wealthy merchants home, the Mikami Family Residence. The main garden was all green, but a smaller side garden had a splash of autumn color.

Kyushu Pilgrimage Day 8 Nakatsu to Usa

Sunday, January 6th, 2013, was going to be a fine day weatherwise, though when I started walking it was still dark. I had recently spent a few days exploring Nakatsu, so today I just headed straight to the first pilgrimage temple, stopping in at the local shrine as I passed it.

Yesterday had not included any pilgrimage temples, the first of such days, but today would include a total of four. From Nakatsu I headed inland to a mountain used by ascetics before backtracking and taking a fairly main road east towards Usa.

The main road was fairly uninteresting, much of it being newer road that bypassed villages.

The final stop of the day was across from the famous Usa Hachimangu at a temple that now housed many of the Buddhist treasures removed from the shrine complex when all the pagodas and other temple structures were removed in the 19th Century. Last day of this leg so I headed back home for a month before starting the next section of my walk around Japan.

Ocho on Osaki-Shimojima Island

Ocho, now known as Yutakamachiocho, is a small port on the NW coast of Osaki Shimojima in the Aki Nada chain of islands in the Seto Inland Sea.

In the past when the Inland Sea was the superhighway of Japan it must have been quite a busy and prosperous place, but since the advent of powered ships and then the railways and finally the roads it lost its prosperity and is now little more than a fishing village.

In the afternoon of my second day walking along the Aki Nada Islands via a series of bridges that connect them to the mainland, it was from here that I needed to take a small ferry across to the bigger Osaki Kamijima Island.

I like these kind of places. Slow quiet, and absolutely without pretensions, they are to me typical Japan, which is after all,  thousands of islands with countless little coastal communities. Though I often read that growing rice was the base of Japanese tradition, I think living by, from, and on the sea, is a stronger historical tradition.

Nakatsu Sunset

At various times in my life I have lived in places where I could view either the sunrise or sunset. For some years before moving to Japan I lived where I could see both.

For the last 14 years I have lived in a narrow valley and so see neither, unless I am off travelling somewhere, so apologies if these pics are boring to you

I approached the castle town of Nakatsu as the sun was setting at the end of my seventh day walking the Kyushu Pilgrimage.

Not outstandingly spectacular, but novel enough for me to enjoy.....