Month: June 2021

Ganshoin is a temple belonging to the Soto sect of Zen Buddhism. It is located in the town of Obuse in Nagano Prefecture. It is a small temple in a small town. Katsushika Hokusai visited this temple in 1847 and painted the Phoenix (Happo Nirami Ho-oh Zu: An Auspicious Bird Staring in Each Direction) on the ceiling of the temple. The painting is quite large with a height of 230 inches and a width of 250 inches. He created the painting separately on 12 wooden panels of cypress placing them in a 3 x 4 layout. The work is suspended by Japanese traditional wooden framework, without using nails (The Leaflet of The Ganshoin Temple). The painting was completed in 1848, 173 years ago, but the colors are still bright and fresh even now. The pigments he used were mainly imported from China and they were apparently in high quality. Most likely they were provided by his patron, Takai Kozan. The environment surrounding the temple has also helped: it is cold in the winter and relatively cool in the summer; it is in the countryside as well.

Although I am not very sure about Hokusai’s real age, but it is said that he was 90 years old, in the following year he completed the Phoenix, when he died at the Henshoin Temple, Asakusa, Edo in 1849. He traveled 4 times in 10 years between Edo and Obuse about 240 km over 80 years old on foot. It took him for 8 days one way (The Ganshoin Temple).

Kobayashi Issa, a famous Haiku poet, composed a Haiku when he visited here: “Yase Gaeru Makeruna Issa Kokoni Ari” (A Thin Toad, Don’t Be Defeated, I’m Watching Over You).

I hiked the Ojiragawa (White Tail River) Trail again, this time, to Fudotaki (No Move Falls). The amount of the water is impressive and very strong. I got splashed even several meters away.

Relatively cool weather and clear water around the Azumino region are suited for growing wasabi, Japanese horseradish (Eutrema japonicum). The largest wasabi farm in the world, Daio Wasabi Farm, is located here in Azumino. Wasabi is originally grown wildly in the streams of the mountains. Therefore, wasabi plants are rather sensitive to the direct sunlight in the fields. Black shade nets are used to cover the wasabi fields to protect the roots and stems of wasabi plants from the heat of the sunlight during summer, from May to the beginning of October. They help to keep the temperature of the running water below 15°C. (https://www.azumino-e-tabi.net/en/sightseeing/daio-wasabi-farm) (https://www.daiowasabi.co.jp/facility/)

There is a pond where rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are raised in the Farm. Yellow orange fish are albino fish, the mutant of the wild type rainbow trout. Adult fish of rainbow trout are distinguished by a broad reddish stripe along the lateral line, from gills to the tail. You can see the reddish stripe on the belly even on the albino type.

HOTAKA RIVER WASABI FIELDS

Other than Daio Wasabi Farm, there are wasabi fields along the Hotaka River in the Azumino area.

As you may know that the Sumida Hokusai Museum is located in Sumida Ward in Tokyo. There is another Hokusai museum here in the town of Obuse in Nagano Prefecture. The museum holds the two well-known festival floats, books of woodblock prints, nishikie (multi-colored woodblock prints), and paintings.

Erinji Temple is located in the Enzan district, the city of Koshu, in Yamanashi Prefecture. It is the family temple of the Takeda clan. The temple was destroyed a couple of times because of the Onin War and the invasion of the Oda-Tokugawa alliance. Later, the temple was rebuilt and remained as the family temple of the Takeda clan. You can enjoy Shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine) in the restaurant by the temple entrance.

Daizenji Temple, known as “Grape Temple,” is located at the hillside in the town of Katsunuma, the city of Koshu, in Yamanashi Prefecture. The main hall Yakushido and the altar are designated as National Treasures of Japan in 1955. Its hip roof is covered with cypress bark shingles. The style and structure are magnificent. It is said that Takeda Katsuyori spent one night at this temple when he fled from Shinpu Castle in 1582.

There is a hiking trail along the Ojiragawa (White Tail River) Gorge. You can enjoy several waterfalls and waterfall basins in the gorge. The magical emerald-green colors of the waterfall basins are truly mysterious and stunning. The Ojiragawa Gorge region is part of the Southern Japan-Alps UNESCO Eco Park (Biosphere Reserve). (http://translate.google.co.jp/translate?hl=ja&sl=ja&tl=en&u=https://www.minami-alps-br.org/&sandbox=1)

Shinpu Castle was the primary fortress of the warlord Takeda Katsuyori, the fourth sun and successor of Takeda Shingen. It is located on a hill of Shichirigaiwa, overlooking the Kamanashi River. The ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 1973.

Takeda Katsuyori was initially successful in expanding his territory into Mino Province; however, he was defeated by Oda Nobunaga at the Battle of Nagashino. In 1582, even before the castle was completed, an alliance of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu invaded the Takeda holdings in Shinano Province. It was only 68 days since he resided in the castle that he noticed he was not able to hold Shinpu Castle any longer, and then he set fire to the castle. He fled into the mountains. Soon the Takeda clan ended.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinpu_Castle) (https://shirobito.jp/article/681)