Takayama Festival Museum

This article is based on a visit made on Friday, 18 May 2018.

Previously on Sekai Ichi, I embarked on a day-trip to Takayama, starting with the Hida Folk Village just outside of town.  Now, the city of Takayama is especially famous for its festivals, held twice-yearly: the Sannō Matsuri (山王祭り) in spring (14-15 April), and the Hachiman Matsuri (八幡祭り) in autumn (9-10 October).  From what I have gathered, it is supposed to be a stunning experience, especially in the presence of the massive shrine-floats, or yatai (屋台), that are carried about the old town.  But, as you can tell from the dateline at the top of this article, I obviously missed out on either of the festivals.  Fortunately, there are places where one can witness glimpses of the festival experience year-round, and one such place is the Takayama Festival Hall (高山祭屋台会館, Takayama Matsuri Yatai Kaikan), where some of the actual yatai used in the processions are stored when not in use.

This museum is located in the grounds of Sakurayama Hachiman-gu (櫻山八幡宮), the Shinto shrine which serves as the base of the autumn festival.  The spring festival is based at Hie Shrine in the south side of town.  The bus from Takayama Station drops you off near this wooden torii gate.  It's one of the larger toriis I've yet seen in person, and it would have to be in order for the festival floats to fit underneath (which I'm not sure if they do).

For a shrine in a city of this size, Sakurayama Hachiman-gu has a nice bit of woods surrounding it to the back.  I think the unpainted wooden tones of its main hall fit in nicely.

As a Hachiman shrine, also related to the one in Kamakura, it is dedicated to the Shinto war god of the same name.  Hachiman is the second-most prevalent deity out of all the Shinto shrines in Japan, second only to Inari-Okami (as in Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Shrine) [1].  As such, the bronze horse statue near the entrance does fit the theme of cavalry soldiers or archers.

Paying your way into the museum, you will enter a giant hall, and follow the path around the windowed-off centre of the room where the floats are parked.  The floats on display in this museum are the same ones that are used in the festivals every year.  The selection is rotated three times a year, in March, July, and November; the rest are privately stored elsewhere around the city.  When it's time for them to be moved out, one of the room's walls has a massive sliding door big enough to move the floats out through.

The shorter golden float shown above is the mikoshi (神輿), which temporarily houses the patron deity of the shrine.  In essence, a mikoshi is a portable shrine.  The one here weighs in at a massive 2 and a half tons (2,267 kg), and takes 80 people to move it!

The other yatai are much taller than the mikoshi --  the "Jinma-tai" (神馬台), shown above, is the tallest at 8 metres (26 feet and 3 inches) -- but come equipped with wheels and require fewer people to pull them about, about 20 to 30.  A hidden fifth wheel is used to turn the yatai in place.

Another testament to the intricate adornments of these yatai are the moving puppets that occupy the upper tiers.  For example, on the "Hotei-tai" (布袋台), a larger figure stands out and waves, while a smaller figure swings itself across the bars hanging out to the side, one at a time, before ending up on the bigger guy's shoulder!  The whole thing is operated by eight puppeteers, and even if I can't say whether or not they were working the thing in person while the float was at rest in the museum, it was impressive to watch!

Another fun thing to watch would be the video that plays on loop in a back room.  It shows footage and explanations about both festivals, with Japanese narration and English subtitles.  Visitors may check it out on their way up and around the museum, culminating with close-ups with a few more artifacts from the festivals such as yatai wheels or happi coats (shown), before reaching the exit.

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Also located in the shrine complex, and included with admission to the Yatai-kan, is the Nikko-kan (桜山日光館, Sakurayama Nikkō-kan).  This large hall contains scale models of Tosho-gu Shrine (東照宮, Tōshō-gū).  The real Tosho-gu is located in Nikko, all the way back in the Kanto region.

Tosho-gu (the real one, that is) serves as the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康, 1543-1616), a successful warlord who kicked off the Tokugawa Shogunate, the shogun dynasty which effectively ruled Japan from Edo (modern-day Tokyo), for over 250 years.  In respect to his grand status, his initially-simple mausoleum was expanded upon by his grandson, Tokugawa Iemitsu (徳川家光, 1604-1651).  Pictured above is the Yomei-mon (陽明門), the giant gate which stands in front of the shrine's main hall.

To end this article, let's appreciate the detail of the miniature Tosho-gu with a close-up shot.  The full-sized counterpart is no less ornate.  After all, it is the origin of the famous "three wise monkeys" woodcarving.  I hope to see it myself in person some day, along with the rest of Nikko.  But for now, I have another one of Japan's must-see places to cross off my bucket list.  Next time on Sekai Ichi, I shall venture into Takayama's old town!

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Hours: Open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM; closes at 4:30 PM from December through February.  No regular closing days.

Cost: ¥900; includes entry to both the Yatai Kaikan and Nikko-kan.

Address: 178 Sakura-machi, Takayama-shi, Gifu-ken 〒506-0858

Access: From the Takayama Bus Centre, take the Machinami loop bus to Sakurayama Hachiman-gu (¥100).  The Counterclockwise route takes 12 minutes to get to this stop, while the Clockwise route takes 17 minutes.

Website: (English) (Japanese)

[1] Motegi, Sadazumi. "Shamei Bunpu (Shrine Names and Distributions)" (in Japanese). Encyclopedia of Shinto. Retrieved 17 October 2019.  http://k-amc.kokugakuin.ac.jp/DM/detail.do?class_name=col_eos&data_id=22988

Arashiyama Walk and Tenryu-ji

This article is based on a visit made on Monday, 14 May 2018.

Edit 10 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax.

Previously on Sekai Ichi, I wrapped up a day-trip from Kyoto to Iga City.  In contrast to the rainier, hectic-paced day before, the next day, which we spent around Kyoto, was far sunnier and more leisurely. And it began with a trip over to Arashiyama (嵐山, lit. 'storm mountain'), a district in Kyoto's western outskirts.

We didn't spend too much time in Arashiyama, only an hour and a half.  The three spots I focused on were the Tokgetsu-kyo bridge, Tenryu-ji temple, and the adjacent bamboo forest.  All three spots are within short walking distances of the local tram station.  Speaking of...

To get there from our hotel, we took the Tozai subway line to its western end, where we hopped on to the Keifuku tram line at an adjacent station.  This car had a small advert for Toei Kyoto Studio Park on its bumper.  All in good time, my friend...

The last stop on the tram line is right in the centre of Arashiyama.  The platform is lined with pillars of kimono fabric patterns.  I think they get lit up at night, too!

The central part of Arashiyama is a charming, if touristy, neighbourhood of shops and restaurants.  In that way, it's much like Higashiyama on the other side of town.  Arashiyama is also a pleasant place to get a rickshaw tour.  We passed on it for the time being, but there would be other places ahead offering the same services...

One of Arashiyama's most famous landmarks is the Togetsu-kyo (渡月橋, lit. 'moon-crossing bridge').  This 150m (500-foot) bridge crosses the Katsura river to a small island.  The first version of Togetsu-kyo was built way back in the Heian Period (9th-12th centuries AD), but the current one dates back only to the 1930s.  This river is one of the places in Japan where cormorant fishing (鵜飼, ukai) is performed nightly during summertime.  Just beyond this river is the Arashiyama Monkey Park, a popular attraction which I personally have no interest for.

Our next stop was Tenryu-ji (天龍寺, lit. 'sky dragon temple') a Buddhist temple of the Rinzai Zen sect.  Originally an imperial villa, it was converted to a temple by the shogun Ashikaga Takauji (足利 尊氏, 1305-1358) in 1345, as a tribute for the deceased Emperor Go-Daigo (後醍醐天皇, Go-Daigo-tennō, 1288-1339).  Tenryu-ji is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing for Kyoto's historic shrines and temples.

Admission to the temple's buildings and garden are separate; we opted just to tour the garden.  Although most of Tenryu-ji's original bulidings were destroyed, the current reconstructions dating back just over a century, the garden is the original one from the temple's inception.  As brilliant as this place was in May, I'm sure this would be even more so during the autumn colour season.  I actually thought of visiting Arashiyama the last time I was in town during that season, but that didn't quite work out.

The garden path follows the edge of this pond.  I got another nice panorama out of it, so here it is.  Blogger's a bit funny about how it handles pictures, so click this link to see it in full resolution.

One of Arashiyama's back roads, which the exit of Tenryu-ji's garden leads right out onto, cuts through a large, dense bamboo grove.  The bamboo from this little forest has been harvested for use in crafts for centuries.

This is just about the largest and densest mass of bamboo I've ever seen, but unfortunately, this applied to the people visiting, too.  Keep in mind that this is a public road, so you may have to make way for the occasional car or taxi, too.  If you want to have the place to yourself, you'll want to come as early as possible, in particular before 8 AM.

Still, if you just look up, it's not that bad.  In fact, it makes me wonder how, despite how thin and top-heavy bamboo plants can be, and how easily they sway in the wind, they are so resistant to falling down.  Amazing, eh?

Just past the east side of the bamboo grove is a Shinto shrine, Nonomiya-jinja (野宮神社).

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By Hiroyuki0904 [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

There's so much else to see in Arashiyama, however, that my barely-an-hour visit couldn't do it justice.  If you have more time on your hands, there are other places I would recommend, starting with the Okochi Sanso.  This villa was owned by a famous film actor named Denjiro Okochi (大河内 傳次郎, Ōkōchi Denjirō, 1898-1962), and was converted to a public attraction after his death.  At ¥1,000, the admission fee is slightly expensive compared to nearby temples, but it includes a cup of matcha tea and a sweet snack.

By Daderot [CC0 or CC0], from Wikimedia Commons

To the north are a row of three Buddhist temples.  The first two, Jojakko-ji and Nison-in, have sweeping views of Arashiyama from their upper grounds.  And the third, Gio-ji (pictured), has a brilliantly green moss garden.  All three are also famous for autumn foliage in November.

Photo by 663highland [GFDL, CC BY-SA 4.0 or FAL], from Wikimedia Commons

And if you have even more time, go further north and walk up the Saga-Toriimoto Preserved Street.  At the end you will find Adashino Nenbutsu-ji, a temple with a vast field of stone mini-statues.

By pang yu liu from Taoyuan, TW (2016-08-26 09.22.59) [CC BY-SA 2.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons

Alternately, you could take a ride on the Sagano Scenic Railway.  This leisurely-paced, 25-minute train ride snakes above the Hozu river (the upper section of the Katsura river), on a section of what used to be the JR Sagano line before it was re-routed in the late 1980s.  On your way back, you can choose to return by a two-hour boat cruise down the river, ending right around the Tokgetsukyo bridge.

But back to the present. The garden at Tenryu-ji includes a viewing platform of the bamboo grove, and that's where my grandmother and I took today's sign-off selfie.  I would definitely enjoy a return visit to Arashiyama someday, but for now, it's off to Toei Kyoto Studio Park, next time on Sekai Ichi!

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Access: Three train lines service the area: the Keifuku Arashiyama (A) tram line, the JR Sagano (E) line, and the Hankyu Arashiyama (HK) line.  The tram line starts at Shijo-Omiya, and ends in central Arashiyama (25 minutes, ¥220).  The JR line starts at Kyoto Station, and stops at Saga-Arashiyama (12-15 minutes, ¥240, JR Pass OK).  Central Arashiyama is a 10-minute walk from this station.  The Hankyu line starts at Kawaramachi station in east-central Kyoto, requires a transfer at Katsura, and ends across the river at Hankyu's Arashiyama station (20 minutes, ¥230).  Central Arashiyama is a 15-minute walk from this station.

Tenryu-ji

Hours: Open 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, or to 5:00 PM from late October to late March.  No regular closing days.

Costs: ¥500 for entrance to the gardens, ¥300 for the temple buildings.

Address: 68 Saga Tenryū-ji, Susukinobaba-chō, Ukyō-ku, Kyōto-shi, Kyōto-fu 〒616-8385

Access: Tenryu-ji is 5 minutes on foot from the Arashiyama tram station.

Directions: From Arashiyama station, turn right, then take the next left.  Keep straight until you reach a dead-end, then turn right and left around the temple building to reach the entrance.

Website: (English) (Japanese)

Kawaguchi Asama Shrine

This article is based on a visit made on Friday, 11 May 2018.

Edit 9 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax.

Previously on Sekai Ichi, I embarked on a private day-tour of the Fuji Five Lakes.  After stopping at a pleasant little craft shop restored by our tour guide, he took us to our first destination, Kawaguchi Asama Shrine (河口浅間神社, Kawaguchi Asama-jinja).

Asama Shrines are a sub-set of Shinto shrines devoted to the god of volcanoes, Sakuya-hime, whom I mentioned before.  Their purpose is to placate her spirit, with the intent to keep Mt. Fuji from erupting.  They are all built within sight of Fuji-san, or failing that, feature a model of the mountain within their grounds.  In 2013, a selection of Asama Shrines, including this one, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site listing for Mount Fuji.  More information: (English)

Some of the more famous Asama Shrines include the Fujisan Sengen Shrine (富士山本宮浅間大社, Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha), to the southwest of the mountain in Fujinomiya, and the Fujiyoshida Sengen Shrine (北口本宮冨士浅間神社, Kitaguchi Hongū Fuji Sengen Jinja), just south of our location in Kawaguchi-ko.  The more famous ones were also used as starting points for climbing the mountain, although most people nowadays get a ride up to one of the 5th stations and climb from there.  Like its bigger brother, the approach to Kawaguchi Asama Shrine is lined with tall cedar trees.

Approaching the main hall.  This shrine may not be the biggest or most lavishly-decorated of the Asama Shrines, but there were few other visitors, letting us explore and appreciate the grounds in peace.

But whilst there weren't many people to disturb me, the mosquitoes and other bugs were another story...

A few sake barrels are lined up to one side of the main hall.  Kawaguchi Asama Shrine holds two festivals throughout the year: the Magomi Matsuri (孫見祭り) on 25 April, and Daidai O-kagurasai (太々御神楽祭) on 28 July.  On both occasions, a ritual dance called the Chigo-no-Mai (稚児の舞) is performed, meant to placate Sakuya-hime and, hopefully, stave off eruptions and earthquakes.

The shrine grounds are dotted with many tall cedar trees, but seven of them, the Hichi-hon Sugi (七本杉, lit. 'seven cedars'), were deified -- note the shimenawa around them -- and designated as official monuments of the shrine.

Two of the cedars are tied together with a shimenawa.  Together, these trees are called a futahashira (父母, lit. 'father and mother').

I have never seen a shimenawa knotted like this before, but am nonetheless intrigued by this fashion.  It seems to symbolise marriage, from what I've read.

This tree is not one of the seven cedars, but its bark was imbued with a swirling pattern which I also found fascinating.

No sign-off selfie this time, but Chris volunteered to pose for a picture, in front of the last of the seven cedars.  And with that, he drove us up to one of his secret spots for one of the best views of Mt. Fuji, next time on Sekai Ichi!

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Hours: Open 24 hours.  No regular closing days.

Costs: Free.

Address: 1 Kawaguchi, Fujikawaguchiko-machi, Minamitsuru-gun, Yamanashi-ken 〒401-0304

Access: From platform 5 at Kawaguchiko Station, take a bus bound for Kofu Station (K) or Oishi Petit Pension (P), and get off at Kawaguchiko Post Office (#210 / 河口局前, 10 minutes, 1-2 per hour, ¥440), then walk for 4 minutes down the road.  The shrine will be on your right side.

Website: (English) (Japanese)

Itsukushima Shrine

This article is based on a visit made on Tuesday, 22 November 2016.

Previously on Sekai Ichi, I visited the Senjokaku shrine pavilion on Miyajima.  It is, in fact, an auxiliary shrine of the Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社, Itsukushima Jinja) complex, whose most famous parts are the ones built off the shore, over the water.  It is the most famous sight of Miyajima island, so no more putting it off.  Let's go!

For those arriving from Miyajima's main port, the shrine is a ten-minute walk along the coast.  If you come across this stone torii gate, you're on the right path.  However, this isn't the torii everyone thinks about...

...this is.  The grand torii of Itsukushima Shrine is 16 metres (52½ feet) tall, and is built out of camphor wood to resist decay from the seawater.  The four posts supporting it on either side mark it as a Ryobu torii (両部鳥居, ryōbu torii).  Believe it or not, the posts are not dug into the ground, but simply stand atop a hard base of some sort.  The top bar, or kasagi (笠木), is filled with stones to help weigh it down.

Edit 29 Mar 2019: Itsukushima Shrine's floating torii will be covered up by scaffolding during renovations, starting in June 2019.  It is currently unknown how long this will last, but they are expected to take about a year's time.

The shrine is built on stilts atop a small bay.  It was constructed this way because the island behind it was so sacred, that for some time, commoners were not allowed to set foot atop it.  They would instead travel to the shrine by boat, passing under the torii gate in the process.  Even today, nobody is supposed to give birth or die on the island, and should head back to the mainland if either is imminent.  Fun Fact: A similar arrangement exists for the small Greek island of Delos, which also has strong religious significance.

There are three deities enshrined at Itsukushima shrine: Ichikishima-hime (市杵島姫命, Ichikishima Hime no Mikoto), Tagori-hime (田心姫命, Tagori Hime no Mikoto), and Tagitsu-hime (湍津姫命, Tagitsu Hime no Mikoto).  They are the three daughters of Amaterasu, the sun goddess, and Susano'o, her brother.  If you've played Okami, at least some of those names should ring familiar.  Also, yes, there was brother-sister incest involved.  That sort of thing happens among quite a few pantheons around the world.  But, that aside, the shrine which has been dedicated to them is very pretty.  A straight line connects the torii, the kagura stage, and the main hall behind it, for a spot of stunning symmetry.

Some views were not as crowded as others, such as this look back towards the entrance.  The Senjokaku hall and pagoda can be seen in the back.

The bay atop which Itsukushima Shrine was built rises and falls with the tides.  At high tide, the shrine and its torii appear to float atop the water.  There are boats which cruise under the torii in such conditions, much as they have in the days of old.  And at low tide, visitors may walk out to the torii on on solid, albeit muddy, ground.  The predicted peak times for both high and low tides are posted near the shrine's entrance.  As you can see, I came here closer to high tide, which makes for a prettier picture, I'd say.

A collection of goods donated to the shrine is stacked along the west corridor, near the exit.  I presume most of these to be barrels of sake, except the ones on the left.  The sign above them reads the name and logo of the Kikkoman corporation, so they must contain soy sauce instead.  (Although, they do produce sake and other beverages as well.)

Also along the back way, we can see this large curved bridge.  It is called Sori-bashi (反橋, lit. 'curved bridge'), and/or Chokushi-bashi (勅使橋, lit. 'imperial messenger's bridge').  The railings are painted in the same vermilion colour as the rest of the shrine, while the posts holding it up are dyed black with sumi (墨) ink.  The contrasting colours and its shape make for a striking appearance, I'd say.  If I recall correctly, it was closed to pedestrians, though.

Traffic through the shrine flows in from the northeast side, and out through the other end on the west.  When you walk out, there are a couple of places in front of you that you might be interested in visiting.  The closest is Daigan-ji (8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, free), a Buddhist temple (some of its auxiliary buildings are pictured).  Itsukushima Shrine itself has a separate treasure hall (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, ¥300) across the street from Daigan-ji.  And behind them you can find the Miyajima History and Folk Museum (8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, ¥300) and the Miyajima Public Aquarium (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, ¥1,400).  Alas, I was unaware of those places, and instead aimlessly wandered uphill until I reached the ropeway up to Mount Misen.  But that's a story for another day.

So until then, I shall leave you with a new sign-off selfie.  Taken on the pier pointing towards the grand torii, this one is a particular favourite among my family.  Because of all the people who come to visit the shrine, there is liable to be a small queue of people who are doing the same.  So while it may not be all that of an original view anymore, it is no less pleasant.  But, all those other people in line behind you mean you'll have to move on soon, and move on I did -- to Momijidani Park, next time on Sekai Ichi!

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Hours: Open from 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM from March to mid-October; hours vary with season.  No regular closing days.

Costs: ¥300.  A combined ticket with the treasure hall costs ¥500, and must be purchased from the shrine's main entrance.

Address: 1-1 Miyajima-chō, Hatsukaichi-shi, Hiroshima-ken 〒739-0588

Access: Itsukushima Shrine is 10 minutes on foot from Miyajima Pier.

Directions: From Miyajima Pier, turn right and walk along the coastline.  If you pass under the stone torii, you're on the right path.  The shrine entrance will be on your right.  Note that the exit is on the other end of the shrine grounds.

Website: (English) (Japanese)