Matsushima Shrine Usuki

Matsushima Shrine

Located on a long, narrow island near the mouth of the Usuki River, Matsushima Shrine was founded in 1707.

The three main kami enshrined here are Sokozutsunoo, Nakazutsunoo, & Uwazutsunoo, three kami that were created when Izanagi was purifying himself in water after fleeing from the Underworld.

There is no agreed upon meaning for their names, though they are the three kami that collectively are enshrined at Sumiyoshi shrines. The inclusion of Jingu as a secondary kami further suggests the connection to Sumiyoshi. Why it is a Matsushima shrine and not a Sumiyoshi shrine is not clear to me.

There are other Matsushima shrines so quite probably this was founded as a branch of the main one. Also enshrined here is Sugawara Michizane, Tenjin.

Yuzukosho is a signature product from Usuki

The Pagoda at Yokei-ji

At the start of my second day walking the Chugoku Kannin Pilgrimage I was at Yokeiji Temple on a hilltop overlooking the Yoshii River.

The temple dates to 749 but the pagoda is much more recent. The lotus were blooming and I posted earlier on that here

There were numerous shrines and temples within the complex which was a site of Shinbutsu Shugo since the Heian Period, that is to say the kami and the buddhas were worshipped together.

Yokeiji is the third name for the temple here, having been renamed twice.

Yasaka Shrine Usuki

Yasaka Shrine

This is  branch of the famous Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto that was known as Gion-sha, and is still referred to by that name locally. As a Gion shrine is enshrines Susano and his "wife" Kushinadahime. I'm not sure exactly when it was founded but when Otom Sorin became a Christian and destroyed the shrines and temples the goshintai of this shrine was moved around various places and hidden.

It seems to be the main shrine of Usuki now, and in the late Meiji and early Taisho eras many subsidiary shrines who moved into the grounds as part of the shrine closure program.

There is a Hachiman Shrine but that was established in 1683 as a branch of Iwashimizu. There is also a Tenmangu with its Ox statue.

There is an Inari shrine and an Awashima Shrine and a cuple of others......

Yuzukosho (yuzu pepper) is a signature product from Usuki

Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum

Located in the capital, Naha, the Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum share the same massive structure and have a common lobby.

It opened in 2007 and was designed by Ishimoto Architetcural & Engineering, a company founded in 1927 by Kikuji Ishimoto, a contributor to the New Architectural Secession Movement.

It's made out of local limestone and is modelled on the forms of the gusuku, traditional Okinawan castles. In bright sunshine it appears almost white, but in other conditions looks quite drab.

Both museums are worth a visit if you are in Naha.

Inaba Shimo Yashiki

The Inaba were the feudal lords of the Usuki Domain in present-day Oita for most of the Edo Period. When the domains were abolished in the late 19th Century the famiy were made peers and moved to Tokyo

Shimo Yashiki means "lower samurai residence", bvut what it means in this case is "second home". In the first decade of the twentieth century this large residence wwas built for them to stay in whenever they visited Usuki.

Though built in modern times it is a traditional set of buildings and also has some nice gardens.

It is located not far from the castle ruins in downtown Usuki, and if you enjoy traditional japanese architecture it is worth a visit.

Yuzukosho (yuzu pepper) is a signature product from Usuki

Kumanosha, Kunisaki

As I wander around Japan I notice that some areas seem to have a lot of shrines, and in some areas they are far less common. In the areas with a lot of shrines they usually seem to be well visited. There are plenty of signs of activity, though usually they are empty. In the other areas the shrines seem almost abandoned, with little decoration and grounds not well kept.

The Kunisaki Peninsula is one of the first types of area,... there are a lot of shrines. This one, a Kumanosha, was the fifth one I visited in this morning of my second day walking around the peninsula hunting the fall colors.

According to the signboard it was founded in 725 during the reign of Emperor Shomu. The ony kami listed is Izanami.

The sign also mentioned that in the early Taisho era it was registered as an official village shrine. I suspect this was in response to the governments program of the time that ended up closibg half the shrines in the country. Many more would have been closed but in some areas, like Kunisaki I suspect, the people resisted the governments program and found ways to keep more of their shrines open.

Usuki Gokoku Shrine

In the grounds of Usuki castle was another small shrine, founded in 1879 after the castle had been dismantled, the size of the trees and the pond and landscaping certainly suggests something was here before that.

It is a Gokoku Shrine, basically a local version of the infamous Yasukuni Shrine that enshrines the spirits of those who died fighting for the emperor.

In pre-modern times the castle was the focus of political power, and once the castles were dismantled upon the creation of the modern state of Japan many of the castle ruins had Gokoku shrines built within them to give these new state-worshiping shrines legitimacy.

I suspect that there was a shrine here before but I may be wrong

Yuzukosho (yuzu pepper) is a signature product from Usuki

Ocho to Akashi Ferry

The small ferry that connects Ocho on Osakishimojima Island with Akashi on Osakikamijima Island is only a ten minute journey and the distance is probably less than 3 kilometers.

It passes right under the Okamura Bridge, the last of the seven bridges that connect the islands along the Tobishima cycle path.

I recently published a piece on that cycle route over at JapanVisitor.....  https://www.japanvisitor.com/japan-city-guides/tobishimakaido

Like all the short ferry journeys throughout the Inland Sea area, the views are pleasant and ever changing......

Seasons Greetings

Every year in December and January I take advantage of the cheap travel provided by the Seishun 18 train ticket and head off for a walk or two. This year was no different.

I took the early morning train from the local station and headed up the Gonokawa River towards Hiroshima. The line will be closing in March of 2018 so this was probably the last time I will be taking this particular train.

When the sun comes up an hour or two later the train is up around kasabuchi and the winter mists filling the valley begins to burn off, making for pretty scenes.

I'm not sure how many people ever read this blog, but to those of you who do, seasons greetings to you and yours.........

Usuki Castle

Originally situated atop a small island that connected to the mainland by a sandbar at low tide, Usuki Castle is now in the middle of the town.

It was built by Otomo Sorin in 1562 who moved here from Funai Castle a little north. It's position was much better for defense and he left his son in charge of Funai castle.

The Shimazu attacked the fortress aided by a troop of Buddhist monks. Sorin had become  Christian and the Buddhist monks sacked and burned all Christian churches in retaliation for the destruction of their temples in the area. Sorin used a cannon against the Shimazu, possible the first time a cannon had been used to defend a castle in Japan., but was eventually defeated though first all the Christians in the castle had been evacuated by Portugese ships.

In 1873 the castle was decommissioned and almost all structures dismantled and a few years later the castle easily fell to Saigo Takamori. The main gate was rebuilt in 2001.

Yuzukosho (yuzu pepper) is a signature product from Usuki