Showing posts with label miyajima. Show all posts
Showing posts with label miyajima. Show all posts

Monday, February 23, 2009

The floating Torii of Miyajima

One day on Miyajima 4703

I'm going against the grain of the title of my blog this time as this is MOST familiar japan.
It is of course the floating torii in front of Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima, probably the second-most photographed scene in Japan after Mt. Fuji.

One day on Miyajima 4471

One of the 3 " best views of Japan", and part of a World Heritage Site, the torii is visited annually by millions.
One day on Miyajima 4607

It, and the shrine, were damaged slightly in a typhoon a few years ago and so has been repaired and is sporting a new paint job. This actual torii was constructed in 1875, and at 16 metres in height is the largest wooden torii in Japan.

One day on Miyajima 4600

Constructed of Camphor, it is a classic example of what is known as Ryoubu Shinto design, I've heard it referred to as 3-legged, and 4- legged, but to me it seems like 6-legged!

One day on Miyajima 4597

Floating torii are not unique to Miyajima. There is another famous one at the head Shirahige Shrine on Lake Biwa near Kyoto, I've seen one on the Oki Islands, and Hinomisaki Shrine near Izumo used to have one when Lafcadio Hearn visited there.

One day on Miyajima 4603

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Tengu Mask

tengu

The earliest form of Tengu in Japan was a half-bird half-man creature, the Karasu (crow) Tengu, but the commonest form is the red faced, long nosed version that has come to be associated with yamabushi, the "mountain warriors" of Shugendo. Like all the masks, it is often used to ward off evil spirits. Like all my masks, this one is for sale at a very reasonable price :).

One weekend one year ago 1573

I've only seen the Tengu mask used in one kagura dance, and I've only seen it performed once.

One day on Miyajima 4559

This wonderful carved mask is in the temple on top of the mountain on Miyajima.

oku10

Another carved wooden mask, this one was over a metre in height, so obviously not meant to be worn. It seems the mouth is made to move. It was at a shrine in Miyoshi.

dai73

The tengu with it's huge nose is an obvious phallic symbol. This was one of a pair of masks guarding a "vagina" rock at a fertility shrine on Mt. daisen.

mats13

A tengu leads the procession at Tsunozu Matsuri

Kagura mask index

Friday, September 26, 2008

Deer of Miyajima

One day on Miyajima 4479

Miyajima, the popular tourist destination in the Inland Sea near Hiroshima City is home to many deer.

One day on Miyajima 4491

Since ancient times the island has been sacred, and it was only relatively recently that people were allowed to live there. Even now only the village around Itsukushima Jinja, the World Heritage site in the north-west of the island, is the only developed area on the island.

One morning on Miyajima 4517

One consequence has been that the forests of Miyajima are virgin, a rarity in Japan. Another consequence is that the native deer have never been hunted, and so have no fear of humans.

One day on Miyajima 4580

The deer wander anywhere they want, and now that the hordes of tourists can buy food to feed the deer, they come into the village every day.

One day on Miyajima 4589

At night they return to the mountains and forest, and so are still wild, though at the same time quite tame.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Monkey raid

Monkey Raid

November Harvest Persimmons, Japan.
Sitting at my computer yesterday I heard a rustle in the persimmon tree just outside the screen door. An adult monkey had jumped into the tree to try and grab some unripe persimmons. As I moved to grab my camera he jumped back onto the fence. There were 4 other monkeys sitting on the fence, and as I went outside to try and get some photos they jumped down and ran back into the forest. The leader sat on the fence and watched me. There are between 20 and 30 monkeys in the troop that live on my mountain. This was a raiding party of adults, no children. On the topic of monkeys allows me to post some photos I took while in the mountains of Miyajima. The deer is being preened by the monkey, probably for lice or some other such tasty morsel. A fine example of mutual assistance.