Japan (October 2018): Uwajima
and around
Uwajima is a port town with a small but beautiful
castle donjon, an intriguing fertility temple (Taga Jinja), some notable traditions such as bullfighting and
pearl farming, and two nearby Henro temples (#41 and
#42). Moreover the seafood is fresh, delicious, and affordable.
Early morning view of Uwajima from my hotel room.
Views over Uwajima
from the castle, first toward the sea, next toward the inland mountains.
The initial Uwajima
castle (Uwajima-jo) was built in 1595 by Todo Takatora, a daimyo (feudal
lord). In 1666 the castle was reconstructed and expanded by Date Munetoshi, the second lord of the Date clan that ruled Uwajima and its region for nine generations. The remaining
donjon is one of the twelve donjons that survived the Meiji restoration. It is
15.7m high and sits on an 80m-high hill overlooking the town.
Old stone stairway leading to the
castle.
Views of the castle.
Tenshaen garden, located southwest of the
castle. Created in 1866 by Muneta Date, the seventh
ruling lord of the Date clan, it consists of a promenade around a pond that is
shaped like the Kanji character for ″heart″. Muneta
Date, who reached the age of 100, is famous for having been the oldest feudal
lord in Japan. He is said to have enjoyed his old age spending much time in
this garden.
Majestic gate at the entrance of the
Date clan′s gravesite, southeast of the castle.
Uwajima is one of the few places in Japan
holding bullfighting tournaments. Each fight involves two bulls and is somewhat
similar to a fight between two Sumo wrestlers. It starts when the bulls lock
horns and ends when one bull runs away or no longer shows any fighting spirit.
Such tournaments occur only 5 days per year; unfortunately, I was not in Uwajima on anyone of them. The statue below, located
outside the Uwajima train station, represents a bull
dressed for a fight.
The three shrines and temples below (Warei-jinja, Jonen-ji, and Taga-jinja) are all located north of Uwajima′s
city center, on the northern side of the Suka-gawa.
They are close to each other.
Massive stone torii
gate with Warei-jinja (Shinto) behind it, on the
other side of the Suka-gawa, with the Miyuki bridge between them.
Miyuki bridge
leading to the entrance gate of Warei-jinja.
Egret in the Suka-gawa.
Warei-jinja.
Inside Jonen-ji
(Buddhist).
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The entrance of Taga-jinja
(Shinto), with its strange alignment of stone statues. People come here to pray
for longevity, good health, and fertility. A number of fertility-related objects
are scattered around the shrine precinct.
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Main building of Taga-jinja.
(Note the wood carving partially visible on the left of the shrine in the first
photo below.)
View of the wood carving located on the
left side of the shrine. Approximately two meters in length and cut from a
single tree log, it is certainly the most emblematic object in the shrine
precinct. In the past such fertility-related objects were more common across
Japan, but the spread of puritanical values from the West led to their partial
removal during and after the Meiji period.
In Iyo-Yoshida, a small village located
roughly 6km north of Uwajima city center (see aerial map
below): views of the river, a small old lantern tower on the riverside, and the
fishing port.
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From Uwajima I
went to two Henro temples, first Butsumoku-ji
(#42), and then Ryuko-ji (#41). A convenient local
bus goes from the Uwajima train station to the
entrance of Butsumoku-ji. A pleasant 3.4km walk in
the countryside (among rice fields, but along a road with little traffic)
connects Butsumoku-ji to Ryuko-ji.
Another 1.5km walk from Ryuko-ji leads to the Muden station with trains to return to Uwajima.
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Entrance gate of Butsumoku-ji
(#42).
Shoro (bell house) of #42 with thatched roof.
Main hall at the center and Daishi-do
(hall dedicated to Kubo Daishi) on the left.
Inside the main shrine.
Henro pilgrims praying in front of the
Daishi-do.
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Carvings mounted on the two wooden
pillars that support the roof overhang of the Daishi-do.
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Small shrine next to the Daishi-do.
Statues in the temple grounds.
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Ryuko-ji (#41).
The seven lucky gods (Shichifukujin) present in many of the 88 Henro temples. The ″missing″ one below is
hidden behind the god on the right.
Ryuko-ji was originally associated with an Inari
shrine (Shinto), but the two were separated in 1868 when Shinto and Buddhism
were forced to break apart at the beginning of the Meiji restoration. The weathered
buildings in the photos below are located behind a torii
gate above the two previous Buddhist temples. They are the remains of the
former Inari shrine. However, they are certainly not abandoned and at least one
of them is still clearly in use.
This building in the back is not
remarkable, except that it protects a smaller, but much more interesting red
building (second photo below).
Carving of a fox on the red building
(left) and stone statue of a fox in the precinct (right). Such fox representations
are typically found in Inari shrines where they serve as guardians.
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