Ise Shrine (off Tokyo): May 5, 2014

Visiting Ise Shrine once had and still has a special meaning for Japanese people. It was believed one of must-do events in your life in the Edo era (just like the hajj for Muslim people). It is still a must-visit place for sightseeing lovers now.

I visited the shrine for the first time in my life today.

Ise Shrine is the complex of total 125 shrines in the area around Ise city. Ise Shrine stands at the top of the country’s about 80 thousands shrines. It is also a shrine of the Emperor family.

The shrine was first built before the 7^th century.

Ise Shrine has two main shrines – inner shrine (naiku) and outer shrine (geku). The inner shrine enshrines Amateras-omikami, the goddess of the sun. The outer shrine enshrines Toyouke-no-omikami, the goddess of agriculture and industry. Many smaller shrines are built in the woods and mountains.

I first visited the Outer Shrine area following to traditional order. People walked through the wood and arrived the main shrine (the top picture).

I moved to the Inner Shrine area passing a bridge over the Isuzu River which flows outside the place.

There were many visitors in the shrine. They purified themselves with water before entering into the shrine area. In the Inner Shrine, some visitors walked down to the Isuzu River, which flows outside the area, and cleaned themselves with the river’s water (3rd picture from the top).

Visiting the main Inner Shrine (2nd picture from the top) was the highlight of the tour.

I felt a special feeling –- mixture of sacredness, importance of history, greatness of the nature etc. –- inside the place.

Old and huge trees were everywhere.

Shrine buildings are rebuilt every 20 years. It is not only a matter of construction, but is a religiously important event. The move means that they change the place to enshrine the god from the old building to the new building.

The latest shift was made last year at both the Inner Shrine and the Outer Shrine. It is now followed by other smaller shrines.

It becomes an open space after the old shrine building is removed. The space will be used again to build a new shrine 20 years later.

The shrine buildings are constructed in the way which the ancestors did more than 1000 years ago. They do not use even a single nail. Japanese cypress is used for the building itself and Japanese silver grass is used for the roof.

Plain woods appealed their freshness in the new-built shrines while mossy roofs appealed the history of 20 years in the old buildings. Old buildings will be dismantled and the wood will be used by other smaller shrines throughout the nation.

There developed commercial streets outside the Inner Shrine. Visitors enjoyed the local foods, sweets and souvenirs. Swallows flied over the street.

Tokaido Walk (29) Yokkaichi-Sakanoshita: May 4, 2014

It was a nice day today and I had a long walk.

I left Utsube in Yokkaichi City, walked through four shukuba stations -- Ishiyakushi, Shono, Kameyama, Seki -- and arrived at the entrance of Sakanoshita, the 48^th station. 

It was about 25 km.

Ishiyakushi was one of the smallest stations in Tokaido in the Edo era. It is now a small town in Suzuka City. However, the impression was strong for me.

I found white flowers on the low bushy trees in various places in the town. It was U-no-hana or deutzia crenata. The flower is one of the symbols of early summer in Japan. 

I also found the plates of tanka poems written by Sasaki Nobutsuna. Sasaki was born here in the early Meiji period and became a famous tanka poet. He also wrote a lyric of U-no-hana song.

I had the impression that Sasaki and Tokaido were effectively used not only to attract tourists but also to enhance cultural activities in the community.

I visited Ishiyakushi temple. It was beautiful.

I moved into Shono, the 45th shukuba station from Nihonbashi. It is also a small town in Suzuka City. Wide rice fields spread outside the town. 

It was a season of rice planting. I saw old women working hard in a small field.

The Tokaido road became hilly as I passed Kameyama, the 46th shukuba station. The roads goes into the Suzuka Mountains.

I arrived at Seki, the 47th station. The old buildings are well preserved here. There are no utility poles and electric cables found. The town is registered as a nation's historic site.

I moved into a mountainous area and arrived at the entrance of Sakanoshita station. There were also rice fields in the small space in the area (the 2nd picture from the top). It is the last station in Mie Prefecture.

Tokaido Walk (28) Kuwana-Yokkaichi (off Tokyo): May 3, 2014

I resumed my Tokaido walk using the “Golde Week” holidays. It was from Kuwana, the 42^nd shukuba station from Nihonbashi, Edo (Tokyo), to Yokkaichi, the 43^rd station.

Kuwana is the first shukuba station in Mie Prefecture. It locates at the side of Ibi River. The river flows downwards together with Nagara River and Kiso River into the sea.

People from Edo arrived in Kuwana by boats, not on foot. Miya (41^st station) – Kuwana was the only part which was connected by the sea route, not by the land route.

The scene is completely different from that in the Edo era. Huge river banks have been built. Huge barrier (weir) was built at the month of Nagara River. The Nagara Barries cased a big debate on the balance of economic development and environment protection throughout the nation.

We could see the barrier from a sightseeing tower (in Japanese castle style) in former Kuwana port area.

Tokaido goes down to Yokkaichi. The street signs for tourists are well arranged.

Mie Prefecture is famous for its Ise-ebi lobster. I enjoyed it for dinner.

Fresh green and spring flowers @ Jindai Botanical Gardens: April 13, 2014

Following yesterday, I had a walk to enjoy spring flowers and plants.

I visited Jindai Botanical Gardens in Chofu City, western Tokyo, and walked down (southward) along Nogawa River to Setagaya ward.

The forest of the botanical gardens was colored in fresh green. New leaves were rapidly growing in the trees. Birds sand and butterflies flied there.

Various spring flowers, including late-blooming cherry, azalea, violet, dandelion, and dogwood, were open. The combination of fresh green, dark green, pink, red, yellow and white colors were impressive.

The banks of Nogawa River were covered with rapeseed flowers. Walking in the area made me happy.

Fresh green @ Setagaya walking paths and Gotokuji Temple：April 12, 2014

Finishing cherry blossom season, Tokyo has entered into the fresh green season.

It was a beautiful day today. The sunshine was bright. I had a walk along walking paths in Setagaya ward and visited Gotokuji Temple.

Late-blooming cherry was open in the path. People enjoyed walks there. 

New leaves started to appear in Tulip trees. Leaves were only five to ten centimeters large. It will grow to 20-30 cm soon.

There were many maples trees with fresh green leaves in Gotokuji Temple.

I found several visitors, including a group, in the temple.

It is spring.

Cherry blossom @ Chidorigafuchi, Imperial Palace: April 7, 2014

Tokyo is in cherry blossom season.

Its peak was last weekend (April 4-6), but it was still beautiful today. I visited Chidorigafuchi of the Imperial Palace.

Cherry flowers began to fall and leaves started to grow. The sky was blue and the air was fresh.

Many people were in small boats in the moat. Others were walking on the bank and taking pictures.

Only eastern gardens of the Imperial Palace are open to the public and western parts are closed. A cherry street in the western gardens is open to the public between April 4 and 8 this year for the first time in history. People are making long line to enter the site.

I was too busy to join the queue in the weekend.

Shenzhen : March 17-19, 2014 (Off off Tokyo)

I had a business trip to Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.

The development of the city in the last 34 years, after it became China’s first special economic zone in 1980, is remarkable. It now has about 15 million people (including surrounding areas) and its par capita income is highest among the country’s major cities.

I did not have enough time to walk around the city, but I stopped at several interesting spots.

I had a dinner at a restaurant on a hill in Shekou, a ferry port in the western area of the city. Pictures of the old days (in the 1980s and 90s) were displayed. Deng Xiaoping’s pictures and words were impressive.

I visited Shekou about 30 years ago. Open air markets and shops were unsanitary. The situation has been completely changed.

I stayed in a hotel in the Mission Hills golf resort in the northern part of the city. They can play the games even in the night. Golf is becoming popular in the country.

I passed Hong Kong - China border by car. Check is made by both China and Hong Kong officials. Cards were making long lines.

Spring flowers @Roka Park: March 9, 2014

Unseasonable cold days continue in Tokyo as cold wave stays over Japan.  Still, the day is becoming longer and it is getting brighter.

I visited Roka Park in Setagaya Ward.

Many trees were still bald, but spring flowers started to open. Rape seed flower was full open.

Spring is around the corner.

Snow & Election: Feb. 9, 2014

Tokyo had the heaviest snow in 45 years last night. The amount of snowfall was 27 cm. Traffic system was paralyzed. Some people were injured in a fall.

The roads were covered with snow in the following morning.

People clear away the snow from the sidewalks of main roads. The snow remained in the walking passes even in the afternoon.

We had an election of Tokyo Metropolitan Government governor. People moved carefully to the voting stations. I voted in an elementary school.

Former Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe, backed by the ruling LDP and Komei Party, defeated former PM Morihiro Hosokawa, who opposed to resumption of nuclear stations in the country, and other candidates. The new governor is expected to host the Olympic Games in 2020.

Traditional houses in Minka-en @ Ikuta Ryokuchi: Feb. 2, 2014

It is still cold, but signs of spring are seen here and there. Sunshine hours are getting longer and the sunlight is getting brighter.

I visited Nihon Minka-en, or an open-air museum of Japan’s traditional houses, in Ikuta Ryokuchi (green zone) in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture.

About 30 houses are there. Most of them were built in the Edo, Meiji and Taisho era (more than 80 years ago) in Tohoku (northern Japan), Hokuriku (Sea of Japan coastal area), Kanto (around Tokyo) and other areas in Japan. They have been moved from original places to the museum.

There are several gassho-zukuri houses. They are from Gifu-Toyama boarder area, where they have heavy snow. The houses have steep roofs so that the snow easily drops from the house. The roof is made with straws.

Most houses have fireplaces inside. People took meals and had communications around the fireplaces.

There spreads woods outside the park. They include a wood of Metasequoia (Dawn Redwood). People enjoyed walks with their dogs.

They also have a museum of Taro Okamoto (1911-96), a famous modern artist who was born in Kawasaki City. His impressive works were displayed.