Honzoin Temple 55 of the Kyushu Pilgrimage

 

Honzoin is a very small, urban temple in downtown Kumamoto and number 55 on the Kyushu Pilgrimage  Its honzon is a Fudo Myoo, but I did not get into the main hall to see it. However there were multiple small Fudo statues in the grounds.

The Daishido was a simple, modern, concrete structure that was open. There was also a statue of Kobo daishi outside. The temple has been here since the 1930's but its origin lie with Mount Aso and Shugendo.

Mount Aso was a major shugendo center, and there were 37 sub temples scattered around the mountain as well as a main temple that was connected to the main shrine of the mountain. These were Tendai temples, and the other two major shugendo centers on yushu, Hikosan and Kunisaki, were also Tendai based. On Honshu the most dominant form of shugendo was Shingon related.

On early Meiji shugendo was outlawed and all of the temples on Aso wete closed down. One however moved to Kumamoto and converted to Shingon and then a few decades later moved again to its current location.

Kumamoto Station Koban

 

For those who don't know Japan so well, Koban is often translated as "Police Box" and they refer to  small police stations, not always manned 24 hours a day, that are scattered around the cities and rural areas.

I've seen several that were architecturally interesting, but perhaps the best is the one outside Kumamoto Station. It is one of the Kumamoto Artpolis projects.

An overhanging balcony extends out from the second floor, punctuated by circular holes of various sizes that allow the viewer to see the interior walls that are painted in a variety of pastel shades.

Unusually, for the Kumamoto Artpolis project,  the design was by a couple of non-Japanese architects, Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham, though they both had previously worked for Toyo Ito.

Kongoji Temple 56 on the Kyushu Pilgrimage

 

Kongoji is a small, urban temple in downtown Kumamoto. Like all the temples on the Kyushu 88 (108) temple pilgrimage it belongs to the Shingon sect. The konzon is an 11-faced Kannon.

The temple was originally built at the end of the 16th century and was located NE of Kumamoto castle. It was the Urakimon, or "rear" kimon for the castle. The Kimon is often called the demon gate as it protects a site from the evil forces that approach from the NE. Enryakuji temple protecting Kyoto is the most famous example, though most castles had temples that were kimon.

The temple was moved to its current location in the early Meiji period due to the Haibutsu Kishaku, the anti-Buddhist campaign of the period that was more violent in some areas than others. Like anything with a negative connotation, it is usually not talked about much in Japan.

Its current form is obviously quite recent as it is all concrete, and like quite a few temples in cities, raised up to allow parking underneath the building.

Kokin Denju no Ma Teahouse

Kokin Denju no Ma Teahouse

Kokin Denju no Ma teahouse is an old, thatched building with fatastic views out over the large pond in Suizenji garden in Kumamoto. The teahouse is actually a bit older than the garden, but it was not moved here until 1912.

For more than 300 years it had stood inside the grounds of the Imperial palace in Kyoto but it probably had a different name then.

Kokin Denju is an esoteric teaching on classical poetry. Yusai Hosokawa, the grandfather of the man who established Suizenji garden in 1637, was a samurai scholar who passed on the Kokin Denju to his student Prince Hachijonomiya, the brother of the then current emperor. This took place in the teahouse when it was in the Imoerial palace in Kyoto in the 16th Century.

It is now free to enter and enjoy the best views of the garden.

Buy dokudami tea from Japan

Mount Fuji at Suizenji Garden

Suizenji

It is believed that the earliest Japanese gardens, based on Chinese gardens, were representations of mythical and legendary landscapes that were Daoist ind later Buddhist in origin. The extremely common Crane or Turtle Islands being examples.

Later actual famous landscapes, usually again Chinese, that had been immortalized in poetry and painting were the inspiration. Later still came the idea of gardens representing actual jaoanese landscapes..

Suizenji Garden in Kumamoto is said to be based on the 53 stations of the Tokaido, the highway that connected Kyoto with Edo, and the most famous view along that route is of course Mount Fuji.

The garden was built for the tea-drinking pleasure of the Lords of the Kumamoto Domain and also has a Noh stage as well as several teahouses within the grounds.

Autumn Colors at Suizenji Garden

 

Suizenji garden is probably the most well known garden in Kumamoto and is registered as one of the top 100 scenic spots in Japan.

It is a stroll type garden built originally as a tea retreat for the daimyos of Kumamoto.

The largest part is a representation of the Tokaido, the main road between Kyoto and Tokyo in the Edo period, and perhaps its most famous spot is a representation of Mount Fuji.

I visited at the end of November which meant that this far south the autumn colors were almost at their peak. It also meant the large grassy areas were yellow rather than green.

Honmyoji Temple

 

At the end of the long approach to Honmyoji Temple, visitors arrive at the Chuomon gate which, to me, looks quite Chinese in design and style. Honmyoji belongs to the Nichiren sect and is the highest-ranking temple of the sect in Kyushu. It was founded by the famous warrior Kato Kiyomasa who was a fervent follower of Nichiren.

It was originay founded by Kiyomasa in Osaka in 1585 to console the spirit of his deceased father, In 1600 the teple was relocated to within the grounds of Kumamoto Castle where Kiyomasa was based. In 1611 Kiyomasa was buried in a grave on the hilltop above where the temple now stands, looking over Kumamototo the castle.

The temple was moved to its present site in 1614. The current main hall however ony dates back to 1884, being rebuilt after it was burned down during the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877. There is a museum devoted to Kiyomasa in the temple grounds. 

The temple and the park around the grave on the hilltop are very popular during the cherry blossom season, and on the last weekend, in March the cherry trees and the approach road up to the temple are illuminated. 

The Approach to Honmyoji Temple

 

Honmyoji is probably the most important and most visited temple in Kumamoto City. It was built by the great warlord Kato Kiyomasa and his grave lies above the temple. After climbing an intial flight of steps you pass through the huge Niomon, a modern, concrete structure.

High up in the Niomon are a pair of Nio guardian statues, but they appear small and not at all imposing. From here a long approach heads up the slope to the temple itself.

Lining each side of the approach are twelve smaller temples called Tatchu which were originally small buildings that interred the ashes of head priests but which grew into small sub-temples.

The route is lined with many stone lanterns, and a few of the temples have statues and small gardens. I visited on  Saturday November 39th, 2013 on the 46th day of my walk around Kyushu and so there was still plenty of autumn foliage to be seen.

Modern Ikebana: some works of Shogo Kariyazaki

 

A few days ago I paid a visit to Yuushien, the Jaoanese garden located on a small island in the Nakaumi Lagoon that is bordered by both Shimane and Tottori.

It was a drizzly day, so I spent more time inside the buildings and the various covered areas scattered around the gardens, and so the large Ikebana displays were perhaps more noticable. I had seen similar displays on previous visits but had not paid them much mind, but these were more attention-grabbing.

For the last ten years a Shogo Kariyazaki has been installing his flower arrangements at Yuushien. I must admit I had no idea who he was, not being a particular fan of flower arranging, nor watching any Japoanese TV, but he is perhaps the most well-known "flower artist" in Japan.

Yuushien is famous for its Peonies, and almost all the Kariyazaki pieces on display featured them. They are in bloom around the garden too and also in a special Peony House.

His work is obviously bolder and brighter than I would have expected Ikebana pieces to be. He has exhibited widely outside Japan and also collaborates with artists and designers in other media. This years exhibition runs until the end of March.

A few photos of Yuushien can be found here. and some shots from the Dahlia festival last November

Hosshinmon Oji

 

Day three of my walk along the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage and I leave Hongu and start to head west towards the coast. It was very misty. The first week or so of the Saigoku pilgrimage follows the same route as the Kumano Kodo, though in the opposite direction.

The next section of the route is by far the most popular of the various Kumano Kodo routes, and I expect to pass lots more people heading in the opposite direction to me.

A few kilometers outside of Hongu and I arrive at Hosshinmon Oji. The 99  shrines along the route are called oji, and on the first few days I passed very few, but the next few days there should be dozens.

Hosshinmon Oji is considered to be one of the gates into the sacred area of Hongu, though for me it signifies i am leaving Hongu. It was known as "the gate of  awakening of the aspiration to enlightenment" and formerly pilgrims would change their staffs at this point. All very Buddhist on what is nowadays touted as a shinto pilgrimage.