An extended visit to some of Center and South areas, looking for gardens, temples and all other kind of beauties this county has to offer to visitors
My visit has included some of the main cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Okayama, Hiroshima, Kanazawa, Takayama and Osaka (the latter a kind of japanese Las Vegas?) as well as some of their surroundings.
As usual, in the following you may find my pictures (in general the extended text in captions are taken from the various signs tourists can read when visiting the landmarks):
- Tokyo
- Mount Fuji(yama)
- Shirato Falls and Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba (Traditional Japanese Village)
- Pagoda Chureito
- Kyoto
- Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Tei Gallery and surroundings (Kyoto)
- Nishi Hongan-ji Temple (Kyoto)
- Fushimi Inari-taisha Temple and its Torii (Kyoto)
- Nara
- Osaka
- Himeji Castle and Lord’s Garden
- Okayama
- Hiroshima
- Miyajima
- Kanazawa – the City and Kenroku-En Garden
- Kanazawa – Nomura-ke Samurai Residence
- Takayama
- People of Japan (Mainly Ladies)
- Pictures Shot Along The Railroad Tracks, While The Local Trains Run Free (But Hopefully Under Control…)
- Miscellanea
Shirato Falls and Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba (Traditional Japanese Village)
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Tei Gallery and surroundings (Kyoto)
Nishi Hongan-ji Temple (Kyoto)
Fushimi Inari-taisha Temple and its Torii (Kyoto)
Himeji Castle and Lord’s Gardens
Kanazawa – the City and Kenroku-En Garden
Kanazawa – Nomura-ke Samurai Residence
[The following text is taken from the official leaflet with the title: An Introduction to The Ancient Site of a Samurai House (The Family of Nomura) – The text is ©NOMURA. To have further information please visit their site here. My site, this site, is a non-profit site]
The Ruins of Nomura Family
This is part of the ruins of samurai houses.
Lord Maeda Toshiie took over Kanazawa castle in 1583, and he established the foundation of the following three centuries of peaceful and prosperous Kaga clan, thanks to Kaga’s 5 million bushel (a million Koku) annual rice yield. At that time, one of the high-ranked followers, Nomura Denbei Nobusada, was granted by Lord Toshiie a fief of one thousand Koku and later was promoted to twelve hundred Koku. His descendants also served as senior retainers, each given a 1000 tsubo (3305 square meters) estate. The
old family estate had been retained for the twelfth generation by the time of the Meiji Restoration. However, because of the break-up of the feudal system, samurai houses have been destroyed; some have been changed into vegetable gardens, others sold out, etc..
Only parts of the old gate and the wall around the ancient houses are left as they were. The Nomuras also had to submit to the same fate. The last piece of property was bought in the early Showa period by a local industrialist, Rubo Hikobei, who lived in Hashidate Village in the south of Ishikawa Prefecture and traded with people in Hokkaido. Kubo Hikobei moved the drawing room, part of a beautifully constructed old house from Daishôji town near his native village.
Today we are expected to imagine the prosperity of the old industrialist in olden times through the gorgeous architecture, and at the same time, to imagine our ancestors’ way of life, overlooking the beautiful garden attached to a formal samurai house.
Jodan-no-ma Chamber
This is a drawing room with the Japanese cypress wood, with elaborate designs in rosewood and ebony. The alcove panel is made of paulownia and every nail is kept out of sight with black persimmon – wood designed in open-work style. There are sliding thick-paper doors with a catch making of an Indian ironwood and a sliding paper door with cut glass window which reflects the winding stream near the veranda. These are unusual architectural features, so it must have been a great surprise to people in those days. Every sliding thick-paper door has a grand landscape drawn by Sasaki Senkei, who is highly ranked in the Kano School. Especially one door has a picture called “a figure of tortoises” (Yüki no zu) which is believed to be his first-rate work, one of the most valuable pieces of cultural heritage in Japan.
Wonderful Garden
Sitting down in Jyodan-no-ma Chamber and its study, we can enjoy the beautiful garden so skillfully laid out. There is an exquisite waterfall, a clear winding stream running through several stones, a bridge made of cherry granite, various kinds of garden lanterns, and a many-storied tower arranged here and there. In addition, there is a unique, more than four hundred-year-old myrica which is said to be hard to plant here in the Hokuriku district.
This garden is highly honored as one of the most typical works among so-called Kobori Enshu style gardens. So now we can fully appreciate the cultural heritage of Japan here in Kanazawa.
[The following text is copyright of Takayama City Archives Museum]
Takayama City is situated in the central part of the Japanese archipelago, and it boasts the largest area in the country. It was built as a castle town in the late 16th century and remnants of its history can still be found in the old town district.
Takayama City’s main industries were previously centered around agriculture and forestry, but tourism has recently become increasingly important. The city’s attractions include its quaint old town, traditional events such as the Takayama Festival, and crafts such as Ichil Ittobori woodcarvings and Hida Shunkei lacquerware. The area is also renowned for its scenlc farmland and mountain landscapes.
Takayama City aims to preserve its cultural heritage while continuing to innovate and create new and exciting experiences for visitors.
From the 17th century, there has been an an official role in Takayama City known as Machi-doshiyori (ward head). This role was responsible for tasks related to family registers, lawsuits, and coordination with the Jinya, a branch office of the shogunate. The Machi-doshiyori worked at the Tsumesho (guardhouse) located in Takayama Jinya or at the Machi—kaisho, which was a town hall used for various meetings and events held by different groups.
Today, the former location of the Machi—kaisho is the Takayama City Archives Museum.
After the Meiji Restoration in the 19th century, the Machi-doshiyori was replaced by other roles such as Ri-sei (village head) and Kocho (village mayor). The Machi-kaisho
continued to function administratively, changing its name to Ku-kaisho (ward office) or Kocho-yakuba (district office) while retaining its functions.
In 1878, the Government of Japan enacted a law on local autonomy, which enabled the town of Takayama-cho to carry out tasks such as tax collection, family registrations,
and conscription. In the following year, the town council was established through elections, with elected town councilors making decisions on budgets and methods of tax collection. In 1889, the national law on municipalities was enacted, granting legal status to local authorities and the power to establish regulations.
In order to cope with the increasing workload of local authorities, the Takayama Town Hall, which is now the Takayama City Archives Museum’s building, was completed in 1895. It was an impressive building that utilized the latest materials and technologies available at that time.
In 1936, the towns of Takayama-cho and Onada-cho came together to form Takayama City, and a grand celebration was held in honor of the occasion. However, the following year brought the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, and subsequently World War II, leading to a trying period that persisted until the end of the war in 1945.
In the post-war years, Japan’s economy grew rapidly, and Takayama City improved its infrastructure to keep up with this development, including the development of water and sewage systems. In parallel, Takayama City also worked together with its residents to preserve its cultural and historical heritage. These efforts led to notable achievements, including the accolade of three Michelin stars and the registration of the floats of Takayama Festival as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Hida, with its mountainous terrain, is a remote and challenging region for travelers. As a result, the people of Hida have developed a culture of hospitality, welcoming visitors with open arms.
Until the early 20th century, tourism in Hida primarily consisted of visiting temples and shrines and admiring the natural beauty of the mountains. However, efforts to improve transportation infrastructure and develop mountain tourism have been underway since then. In the 1960s, initiatives to beautify the town began, and after it was designated as a Traditional Architecture Preservation District in 1979, tourism centered on the townscape began to flourish.
Takayama City actively seeks sister and friendship cities relationships with both Japanese and international cities in order to deepen cultural exchange. Japanese sister and friendship cities: Matsumoto City, Hiratsuka City, Echizen City, and Kaminoyama City.
International sister and friendship cities: Denver City in the United States, Lijiang City in the People’s Republic of China, Sibiu City in Romania, Urubamba Province in Republic of Peru, and Kunming City in the People’s Republic of China.
People of Japan (Mainly Ladies)
Thanks to Paolo Vimercati and Foto-Corsi school, to whom I am grateful, a sound reality in the italian travel agencies business that organizes tours especially designed for photographers.
