Nakasendo Walk (8)：Takasaki-Annaka；April 29, 2016

It is the Golden Week holiday season. I walked Nakasendo.

Today’s course was from Takasaki, the 13^th shukuba station from Nihonbashi, Tokyo, through Itahana to Annaka.

Takasaki is one of important transportation hubs in the eastern Japan. It is the railway junction of Hokuriku and Joetsu bullet train (shinkansen) lines. It is also a junction of highways.

Takasaki is known as a city of music as it has a local orchestra. The ruin of the castle is now used as a park and cultural centers including a music hall. Open-air music performances were played there.

The city is also known for its Bodhidharma dolls. About 80% of the dolls in Japan are produced in Takasaki. There are tens of factories and shops of the dolls along Nakasendo. I visited some of them. (see also the top photo)

I walked about 8 kilometers and enter into Itahana shukuba station. A part of the main guest house, or honjun, is preserved. Kazunomiya, a royal family member and one of the heroines at the end of the Edo era, stayed here when she moved to Edo (Tokyo) from Kyoto to marry to Tokugawa shogun. It is one of well-known historical episodes in Japan.

Public water is running along Nakasendo. It was made in the Edo era. Historical memories exist in the town.

The country’s oldest church built by a Japanese person remains in Annaka. It is Annaka Church. Niijima Jo, a famous priest and one of leaders of the country’s education at the beginning of the Meiji period, opened the church.

Annaka is also famous as a birth place of Japan’s marathon. The landlord ordered his men to have long-distance runs for exercise in the Edo era.

A marathon race is held every year to commemorate the historical event. Flags and illustrations of the historical event are displayed in many places.

I also visited Isobe, a town of hot spring, near Annaka shukuba station. The place is where the design of hot spring was first used in the Edo era. It is now used nationwide. (see the photo 3rd from thr top)

The town offers public footbath service. I enjoyed it.

Cherry Blossom @ Western Tokyo: April 2, 2016

The cherry was fully open in Tokyo today.

Hundreds of thousands of people seemed to have enjoyed cherry blossom. The Imperial Palace is open to the public at this moment. Ueno Park, Chidorigafuch and other famous places were crowded with cherry watchers.

I enjoyed cherry in Setagaya ward, western Tokyo.

Hundreds of cherry trees are planted along a walking path. I saw many people sitting under the trees and enjoying foods and drinks. Dogs walked around.

Some people were playing music. Audiences looked happy.

I also found birds flying over the trees and tasting the flowers. Their sounds were beautiful.

At Hanegi Park, I saw hundreds of people enjoy picnic. 

The combination of cherry and gingko trees were impressive.

Iguana and lemur @ Nodai Biorium: March 26, 2016

I sometimes visit the Food and Agriculture Museum and neighboring “biorium” (space for natural animals and plants) of the Tokyo University of Agriculture in Setagaya ward during my walks.

I was lucky enough today as I met an iguana at a short distance.

It usually stays in its house about three-meter high from the ground. It walked on the walkway today.

Kids were shouting around it.

They also keep various lemurs in the biorium. Ring-tai l lemur is one of them.

A small one extended its arm through the open space of the cage. It was interesting.

They sell agricultural goods outside the facility. Relax.

Kusanagi, Nihondaira & Kunozan in Shizuoka: March 20, 2016

Shizuoka City has various historical spots and places of good view. I walked the hillside ways from Kusanagi Shrine through Nihondaira to Kunozan.

Kusanagi Shrine was built to enshrine Prince Yamato Takeru, a hero of ancient Japan. It is at the foot of hilly area. The statue of Yamato Takeru stood at the entrance.

The first gate locates about 1 kilometer from the shrine.

I moved up the mountainous road and arrived at Nihondaira. It is a plateau at the top of Mt. Udo. It is about 300 meter high.

People can enjoy the landscape of Mr. Fuji from here. It was unfortunately cloudy today and I could not see Mt. Fuji. There many tea fields on the side of the mountain.

I took the Nihondaira Ropeway which connects Nihondaira and Kunozan Toshogu Shrine in about 10 minutes. The shrine stood on the top of Mt. Kuno. (See also the seconf photo from the top).

It enshrines Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa government in the early 17 century. The building is a national treasure. There were many tourists there.

There spread the Suruga Bay under the mountain. There are many vinyl plastic hothouses to cultivate strawberry and other fruits and vegetables.

A long stone-made stair links the shrine and the coastal area. It was pleasant to walk down the stair. (See the top photo).

Traditional performing arts of Tohoku @ Zojoji Temple: March 12, 2016

Yesterday (March 11^th, 2016) was the fifth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake. More than 20000 people were killed or missing (including those who died of the damages caused by the disaster). About 170 thousand peoples are now forced to live away from their homes.

The Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant continues leaking wasted water. Sendai nuclear plant in Kyushu island restarted its operation. People’s interest in saving electricity seems fading.

It is the reality of Japan five years from the quake and nuclear accident.

Today, I visited Zojoji temple in Minato ward, central Tokyo to see traditional performing arts of Iwate Prefecture. The performances were organized as parts of the events to console the spirits of the victims of the disaster.

One of the performances was the Kanazu-school deer dance. They danced with deer masks and drams. (see the second photo from the top)

Another performance was sword dance. The players wore demon masks and danced with fans and swords. (See also the top photo)

They first played danced on the stage. Then, they walked in the garden of the Zojoji Temple.

The temple developed with the support of Tokugawa Shogun house about 400 years ago. The Tokyo Tower stands behind the temple.

A Buddhist monk prayed for the victims. The leader of Save Iwate, who support the event, burned incense for them.

The dancers prayed outside the temple building. (the thirs photo fro the top).

Local govt. facilities@ Hirakawa-cho: March 10, 2016

There are many governmental offices, including the Diet, Prime Ministar’s house, and ministries, in the neighboring areas westwards from the Imperial Palace. Thy have the buildings and facilities related to the local politics and the local governments at Hirakawa-cho and Akasaka-mitsuike district. I visited there today.

Many city governments have their offices in the Japan Municipal Building. 

Various information of the cities were displayed at the corner in the ground floor.

I had a short visit to the office of Shizuoka City. The office is used as an information center of the city in Tokyo. I saw various pamphlets in the office. The office is also used as a station of the local politicians when they come to Tokyo to talks with the central government, according to the office staff.

I also found the displays of 47 prefectural governments along the walkways to the Akasaka-mitsuke subway station.  (see the top photo). They emphasized the local foods, tourism and local football teams.

There are many construction works in the area. The Prince Gallery Hotel is scheduled to open in July. (see also the second photo from the top). 

Spring Flowers and Birds: Feb 27-March 5, 2016

The season is turning from winter to spring. I walked around the parks and walk paths in western Tokyo in the weekend days of late February and early march.

I saw Japanese bush warblers (uguisu) on the branches of ume (Japanese apricot) trees. The combination of the bird and the flower is regarded as a happy couple.

The ume festival attracted many visitors in the Hanegi Park in Setagaya ward. The festival continued about a month till March 6^th.

Yellow rapeseed flowers were open in the Roka Park. (See the top photo)