Japan (April 2019): Matsue and Izumo
The largest city on the San-in coast, Matsue
(pop. over 200,000) is the capital of the Shimane prefecture. It is a pleasant
city with a center wedged between two lakes (Shinji and Nakaumi),
a short distance south of the Sea of Japan. It is home to one of the twelve
feudal castles that have survived the Meiji restoration and are considered
original. Izumo, some 35 km west of Matsue, is the
location of the Izumo Taisha
shrine, the second most important Shinto shrine in Japan after Ise. The entire area has been ruled for a little over 200
years by 10 successive lords of the Matsudaira clan,
until the beginning of the Meiji era in 1868.
Matsue:
View over central Matsue from the top
floor of the castle, on a gloomy-weather afternoon.
The Matsue castle was built in 1611 (Edo
era). Its keep stands on top of a small hill surrounded by a wide moat and
other canals. Despite (or perhaps because of) its dark silhouette and
intimidating martial look it has never been attacked. It is the second largest
original castle in Japan.
The Matsue′s castle keep seen from
different viewpoints.
Views of the castle moat, known as Horikawa.
Moat and lower walls of the castle at
night.
Jozan Inari shrine, located in the northern
part of the castle grounds delineated by the moat. It is surrounded by hundreds
of fox statues, some old, some new.
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In the well-preserved former residence
of Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904). Son of an
Irish father and a Greek mother, Hearn was a writer best known for his books about
Japan. He spent the last 14 years of his life in Japan, including 15 months
teaching English in Matsue. His residence is located north of the castle on the
other side of the moat. In one of his books, ″Glimpses of Unfamiliar
Japan″ (published in 1894), Hearn wrote about the ″monster tortoise
of Gessho-ji″ in Matsue (see further down in
this page).
In a former samurai residence (buke-yashiki) built in the mid-18th century, a short distance
from the Lafcadio Hearn residence.
Meimei-an, a tea house built in 1779 by Matsudaira Harusato (1751-1818),
the 7th lord of the Matsue domain, who was renowned as a tea master under the
name Matsudaira Fumai. Lord
Fumai considered that tea ceremony and Zen Buddhism
pursue the same goal.
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Traditional Japanese matcha
green tea with two local delicacies, served at the Meimei-an teahouse. The green cake, called Wakakusa,
is made of young bud of tea plant mixed with rice flour. The yellow one, Nataneno Sato, represents white butterflies in a field of
yellow flowers.
Located 1km west of the castle, the Gessho-ji Buddhist temple is one of the most interesting
(and most quiet) sites in Matsue. It is the family temple of the Matsudaira clan. Gessho (meaning ″lit
up by moonlight″) was the name of the mother of the first Matsudaira
lord, Matsudaira Naomasa.
- In the temple′s prayer hall.
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- View from the study/tearoom of the
temple over a garden in the back.
- Paintings, calligraphy, and bronze
figurine on display in the temple buildings.
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- The temple is also the resting place
of the first 9 feudal lords of Matsue and their family. The 10th (and last)
lord of Matsue, who moved to Edo (now Tokyo) after the Meiji restoration, is
buried there. Each of the 9 lords occupies a distinct parcel of the cemetery
delineated by rows of lanterns and fronted by a Karamon-style
gate with intricately carved doors. The parcel of the first lord (Matsudaira Naomasa) is the largest, with a pond and a
bridge.
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[The carving on the door on the right represents a guardian
at the entrance of the grave of the sixth lord of Matsue, Matsudaira
Munenobu.]
- Entrance and pond of the parcel of the
first Matsudaira lord (Naomasa).
- Giant stone turtle, called Juzohi-no-Okame (meaning ″Longevity Monument of the Giant Turtle″), located in the parcel of Matsudaira Munenobu. This is the ″monster
tortoise of Gessho-ji″ mentioned in Patrick Lafcadio Hearn′s book ″Glimpses of Unfamiliar
Japan″.
Views of lake
Shinji.
Light tower on the eastern shore of Lake
Shinji.
Boats on the Ohashi
river that connects lakes Shinji and Nakaumi, next to the northern extremity of the Shinjiko Ohashi bridge.
Unconventional shop located along the
northwestern section of the castle moat.
Izumo:
Stone mural in the main street of Izumo. It illustrates the story of Kunibiki
(meaning ″Land Pulling″) related in the Izumo Fudoki, a compilation of ancient
stories: a local deity finds the land around Izumo
too small, looks across the Japan Sea, sees land from in four different places,
pulls it across the sea, and attaches it to Izumo,
thus making the province larger. A discussion of the possible interpretations
of this ″land stealing″ story can be found here.
Old Taisha
train station. Built in 1912 during the Meiji era, remodeled in 1924 during the
Taisho era, this station had its service terminated in 1990. Its
shrine-inspired architectural style is unusual for a train station.
Izumo Taisha
shrine, the second most important Shinto shrine in Japan, is dedicated to Okuninushi. People come here to pray for harmony in human
relationships, especially marriages.
- Bronze torii
at the entrance of the shrine complex.
- Views of the main shrine (Honden), where Okuninushi, Shinto
god (kami), is believed to reside. Although the shrine has existed since at
least the 7th century, this building dates from 1744. It is not open to the
public.
- Large shimenawas
(sacred twisted ropes made of rice straw) at the entrances of the Haiden prayer
hall constructed in 1959 (left) and the Kagura hall
(right and below). The current Kagura hall was built
in 1981 and is used for traditional events, such as Kagura
dance performances and wedding ceremonies. Its shimenawa
is the largest in Japan, 13.5m long and weighing 5 tons.
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- Statues of cow and horse near the
entrance of the shrine complex. Rubbing their heads is believed to bring good
fortune and wisdom. In Shinto horses are regarded as intermediates between the
human world and the world of gods.
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- Sengen Kokusokan (千家国造館), a residence of the Izumo Taisha
priest, next to the Izumo Taisha
shrine.
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- Bronze statue of young Okuninushi depicting a scene from Kojiki
(″Records of Ancient Matters″), a collection of myths and oral
traditions concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago (different from
the Izumo Fudoki
previously mentioned). The statue is located on the right side of the pine-tree
alley (called Matsu-no-sando) leading to the Izumo Taishi shrine.
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Tiny shrine on a large rock called Bentenjima on the Inasa beach,
1.3km west of the Izumo Taisha
shrine.
The Hinomisaki
shrine located on the coast of the Sea of Japan some 6km NW of the Izumo Taisha shrine. By facing
sunset this shrine is believed to protect Japan during night time.
- Left: entrance gate. Right and below:
lower part of the shrine dedicated to Amaterasu, the Shinto goddess of the sun
and the universe.
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- Upper part of the shrine dedicated to Susano, the Shinto god of the sea and storms (and the
brother of Amaterasu).
Drying fish in the small port next to
the Hinomisaki shrine.