Fukuoka Castle

 

Fukuoka Castle is said to have been the biggest castle in Kyushu, though I believe that means covering the largest area.

Much of the former castle is now Maizuru Park, a huge park with multiples sports grounds and stadiums within it.

The park is also home to numerous gardens planted with different seasonall plants and trees like a Cherry garden, Plum Garden, Iris Garden, and an Azalea Garden.

I visited a little after the peak of the cherry blossoms around the inner area of the castle ruins and on an overcast day.

Other than extensive walls, the most impressive of the remaining original structures is the Tamon Yagura Turret featured in the first few photos.

The castle was constructed between 1601 and 1607 for Kuroda Nagamasa who had been given the domain and nearby Najima Castle which he decided was too small and inconvenient for the building of a catle town.

One of the men responsible for the construction, Noguchi Kazanari, also worked on Osaka Castle and Edo Castle.

When Kato Kiyomasa, the famous Daimyo from Kumamoto, visited he was so impressed with the extensive stonework he named it Seki Castle, literally stone castle.

Covering 47,000 square meters, and with an impressive 47 yagura, much of the stone was quarried on nearby islands, though stones from the dismantled Najima castle and even stones from the fortifications built in preparation for the Mongol Invasion were also used.

Also impressive was the moat system which included a 600 meter wide section to the west that was mostly mud flats at low tide, now turned into Ohori Park.

There are conficting theories on whether a Tenshu, main tower or keep, was actually built. A base was but there seems to be no evidence that one existed, although that may be because in his hatred of Chrsitianity, Kuroda Nagamasa destroyed all documents with the word "tenshu" because it also meant "Christian God".

Like many castle in Japan, in 1871 when the han system was abandoned most of the buildings of the castle were dismantled or destroyed but a couple have recently been returned to ther original site from temples where they had been reassembled.

Maizuru Park and the Fukuoka Castle Ruins are free to enter

The previous post in this series was on Ohori Park, previously the very wide moat that protected the castle from the wesr.

Yomeiji Temple Garden

 

Yomeiji is a Soto Zen temple in the former castle town of Tsuwano in the mountains of western Shimane.

It was founded in 1420 and has been the family temple for successive lords of the domain since then.

It has a thatched roof and many "treasures" to be seen, but for now I will concentrate on the garden.

Actually there are two gardens, with the last two photos of this post showing the older garden in front of the main hall.

It, however, can only be seen from a distance, though it is said that in earlier times a corridor surrounded it.

The main garden is to the rear of the priests residence.

It is not known when the garden was created nor who designed it.

The temple was rebuilt in the mid 18th century following a major fire, so it is believed the garden dates from that time.

The main focus is a Turtle Island connected by a bridge in a Koi pond.

A small waterfall runs in the hillside behind.

While the garden can be enjoyed from within the main viewing room, it is actually a stroll garden so can be explored a little.

The temple is located a short walk up a small valley off of the main area of town and is well worth a visit, especially with the Fall foliage.

Entry is only 300 yen and includes access to the temples Treasure House.

The garden is suitable for viewing all year round. These photos were taken over several visits at different times of the year.

In the next post in this series I will show the architecture and art of Yomeiji.

The previous post in this series exploring Tsuwano was on the Sagimai Heron Dance held every year.

Ohori Park

 

Ohori Park is a huge park in central Fukuoka with a large pond at its centre.

Hori literally means moat, and the pond was originally the outlet of the Kusakae River which had been engineered to become the outer moat of Fukuoka Castle, the ruins of which are still next door in Maizuru Park.

With a circumference of 2 kilometers, the path encircling the pond is very popular with walkers, strollers, and joggers.

The pond is bisected by long bridges that connect to the three small islands in the pond.

When a Chinese-style gazebo was moved here from the zoo in 1949 the notion that the park was modelled on West lake in China began to take hold, though the designers of the park and all early literature never mentioned it.

There children's play areas, a waterside cafe, a Noh Theatre, rental boats, and a traditional Japanese garden. Marilyn Monroe and Joe Dimaggio visited on their honeymoon.

When I visited it was an overcast day in April. For photo in full sunshine see this earlier post.

The previous post on day 74 of my Kyushu Pilgrimage was on the delightful Japanese Garden in the park.

Tengawa no Mizu Spring

 

Tengawa no Mizu spring is one of the Top 100 Spring Waters of Japan and is located on Ama, one of the inhabited Oki Islands off the north coast of mainland Shimane.

A more poetic translation would be Top 100 Exquisite and Well Conserved Water of Japan.

The name, said to have been given by the famed monk Gyoki who is said to have visited the spot in the early 8th century, means River of Heaven's Blessing.

He is said to have carved a Kannon statue. A Kannoin statue resides in a small "temple" building above the spring, but around the spring are plenty of other statues. You don't see many temples or Buddhist statues on the Okis as every single temple was destroyed in the anti-Buddhist movement of early Meiji.

It is said that the spring produces the same amount of water, 400 tons a day, as it has always done, even when other nearby islands suffered droughts.

The previous post in this series exploring the Oki Islands was on the undersea world.

Ohori Park Garden in Spring

 

Day 74 I stayed in Fukuoka and rested up to try and kicj a cold or flu bug that was ailing me..... but going stir crazy i my room I tooke a gentle exploration around the Ohri Park area...

The Japanese garden in the park was built in 1984 to celebrate the opening of the park.

It was designed by Nakane Kinsaku who is probably most famous for designing the gardens at the Adachi Museum in Shimane.

The largest section is a pond garden that with three islands  is possibly modelled on the large pond of Ohori Park itself.

Ohori Park was modelled on the West Lake in China, at least according to most postwar sources. Earlier sources make no mention of it.

The garden has a teahouse designed by Masao Nakamura.

The teahouse is rarely open so I have yet to see the assocaited roji, teahouse garden.

There is also a smaller karesansui garden with stoms from Miyazaki.

As is often the case, while I was visiting a young couple were having their wedding photos taken.

It was a spring day and overcast. Photos from the garden on a sunny day in Autumn can be found in this earlier post.

The previous post in this series on the Kyushu Pigrimage was on Chinkaiseki Hachimangu Shrine.