Yamagata and Yonezawa; April 17, 2024

I visited Yamagata City and Yonezawa City in Yamagata Prefecture.

Both cities locate in basins surrounded by mountains. Cherry blossom was its peak when I visited the cities.

Yamagata City is a capital of Yamagata Prefecture. It developed as a castle town in the pre-Meiji era.

Cherry, dandelion and other flowers were beautiful in Kajo (Yamagata Castle) park.

 

There were creeks in the town in the Edo era. One of them is now used as a part of a shopping district.

 

Traditional houses remain and are used as shops and other commercial facilities.

 

There is a bus terminal in front of JR Yamagata Station. Many people use buses to commute to Sendai. It takes an hour between Yamagata and Sendai.

 

Yonezawa was a capital of Yonezawa domain (han) in the Edo era. Uesugi family was a ruler of the area.

 

Uezugi Kenshin, the founder of renewed Uesugi family in the 16^th century, is popular among people for his strength at wars and his deeply religious attitude.

Uesugi Yozan in 18^th century famous for his management of the domain. He had contributed in restructuring the domain’s expenses and in developing new businesses. Former U.S. President J.F. Kennedy named him as “the most respectful Japanese politician.”

The site of former Yonezawa Castle is now converted into Uesugi Shrine. We can see the statues of Uesugi Kenshin as well as Uesugi Yozan.

 

Mogami River flows in many part of Yamagata Prefecture. The cherry blossom was beautiful in Yonezawa.

 

I

took Yamagata Shinkansen bullet train to move between Yamagata City and Yonezawa.

 

 

Sendai: April 16, 2024

 

I visited Sendai, the largest city in Tohoku area, during my trip to the region.

Sendai developed under Date family in the Edo era.

Date family lived and ruled the land from Aoba Castle. Now the area is a public park.

There stands the statue of Date Masamune, most famous ruler from late 16th century to early 17^th century, on the top of the castle. We can see the buildings of current Sendai city from the castle.

The stone walls remain.

 

Sendai is famous for its Tanabata festival held in summer. A festival car decorations are displayed in a visitor center near the castle.

 

Sendai station’s building is a large commercial facility. The photos of baseball stars were used for the commercial of mobile phones there.

 

The coastal area of Sendai city was severely hit by the quake and tsunami disasters in 2011. I visited the area 14 years ago. (article on Sept. 17-18, 2011)

 

The building of Arahama Elementary School is now a “ruin of the Great East Japan Earthquake.”

The situation in 2011 was preserved.

 

Basements of destroyed houses are also preserved in the coastal area.

 

Reconstruction and developments proceeded in the area. A subway line was open in 2015. Many commercial facilities and houses have been built around a terminal station (Arai Station).

There is an exhibition center of the earthquake disaster and reconstructioin from it in the subway station building. 

 

 

Rikuzentakata on Sanriku Coas, Iwate: April 13-14, 2024

 

More than 13 years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.

People in Tohoku district have made great efforts to reconstruct their towns and villages after the disasters. Some plans have been realized while some have not.

 

I visited Rikuzentakata on the Sanriku coast in Iwate Prefecture for the first time since 2015. The city was severely hit by tsunami and more than 1800 prople (about 7% of total population) were killed or missed.

Various works, such as elevation of lands, construction of seawall, building of new houses in the higher places, were under way when I visited the city in 2015. (article on Nov. 1, 2015)

 

Some ruins and monuments are preserved. One example is a tsunami-washed building of Michi-no-eki shopping center. 14.5 meter-high tsunami attacked the building. 

We can see new houses (stand on higher land) behind Michi-no-eki building. (See the top photo)

 

There were about 70 thousand pine trees on the coast. All trees except one were washed away by tsunami in 2011. They started planting new pines after the disaster. Now, more than 40 thousand trees are on the shore.

 This is a scene of the pine-covered coast and the sea. (See also the 2nd photo from the top)

 

The only survived tree was called the miracle pine tree. It died, unfortunately, a year after the disaster. A replica was built later.

 

“Tsunami memorial” facility was open in 2019. Various materials on tsunami and earthquake are displayed.(See also the 3rd photo)

 

Many temporary houses were built after the quake and tsunami disaster. Some are preserved and are now used for educational purpose.

I stayed in one of the houses. I also had a lecture on disasters.

 

 

Spring flowers @ Roka Park: April 2, 2024

 

Japan had cold days in March. Cherry blossom started later than usual.

In Tokyo, cherry blossom has just started. The blossom was declared by Japan Meteorological Agency on March 29. Full open is expected around April 5^th

I visited Roka Park in Setagaya City to enjoy cherry and other spring flowers.

Turip, rape seed flower, cherry and other flowers were open in the park.

Many people were there to enjoy flowers.

 

Cherry was also open along Karasugawa footpath. 

 

 

Kure: April 1, 2024

I visited Kure, a navy city in Hiroshima Prefecture, and had many opportunities to think about war and peace.

Kure's history as a navy city started in Meiji era. One of the navy headquarters was placed here. Ship building and ather related industries developed.  

 

Battleship Yamato and other famous ships were built in Kure before the World War 2.

In the post-war era, one of five regional bases of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force was placed in Kure. Shipbuilding and related industries prosper here.

There are bases of Marine Self-Defense Force and naval dockyards along the port.

We can see several submarines mooring alongside a pier.

Some crews were on the submarines.

A ship was places in a dockyard.

 

Battleship Yamato was built in the place between 1938 to 1940. It was the largest battleship in the world when it was completed.

Yamato was sunk by the attacks of U.S. forces in 1945 during the World War 2. Various information was displayed in Yamato Museum, in central Kure. There is a 1/10 size model of Yamato in the Museum.

 

Marine SDF has a information center near the museum. A part of the facility is a retired submarine. It is76 meter long.

An anime movie titled “In This Corner of the World,” made in 2016, was widely watched and made an impact in Japan. The movie was produced based on a comic published in 2009.

The movie draws the daily lives of ordinary people in Kure at the wartime. Their lives were torn apart by massive air raids and a drop of atomic bomb.

The main character is a young woman named Suzu-san. The site of her house is preserved. 

We can see the port from the house.

 

 

Miyajima; March 31, 2024

It is not only the Atomic-bomb Dome. Miyajima is also a must-see place in Hitroshima.

I visited the island.

The island locates about 20 km west from Hiroshima City. It has a world-famous Itsukushima Shrine and attracts tourists since ancient time.

Japan has about 80 thousand shrines, but Itsukushima Shrine is unique in many points.

Its main gate (O-torii Gate) is placed in the sea.

It is 16 meter high.

The base parts appear when the tide is low.

 

The shrine buildings are built on the shore. They are in the sea water when the tide is high and stand on the sand when the tide is low.

The island was worshipped by people in the ancient time and the shrine was first built in the late 6^th century.

In the 12^th century, Taira no Kiyomori, the ruler of the nation at the time, developed the shrine. Many historical events, including the Itsukushima Battle in 1555 took place in the island.

Many people visit the shrine to pray for happiness and safety in the Edo era (17-19 century).

 

Now, the island has about 1400 residents and attracts more than 4 million tourists every year. It takes about 10 minutes by ferry to go to main island.

We can find various aspects of history, culture, religion, nature, and people’s life in the island.

 

I found many tourists in the island. The shopping street was very crowded.

 

I also found deer hear and there.