In last week's blog post, I introduced a temple founded to house a statue of Fudo Myo-o, the great immoveable deity, carved by no less than the great Kobo Daishi (774-835). But Kobo Daishi is not alone in his admiration of Fudo Myo-o, whose image is found and worshiped across Japan. Even the earliest Buddhist … Continue reading Kumano Magaibutsu: immoveable in more ways than one
Nakatsu Castle, with its moats fed by tidal sea water from the Seto Inland Sea, is one of Japan's three so-called "seaside castles". The others are Takamatsu Castle in Kagawa and Imabari Castle in Ehime. Nakatsu Castle sits on the Yamakuni River delta, about half a kilometer south of the river's mouth, the tidal river … Continue reading Nakatsu Castle: provincial river guardian
Late last December, while I was traveling in Kyushu, I received a rather mysterious message that a friend had made a dinner reservation for me at a sushi restaurant in the Oita regional fishing port of Saiki, where I was planning to overnight. The restaurant, Nishiki-zushi, was just a couple of blocks from my hotel … Continue reading Extraordinary sushi from Nishiki-zushi
I'm fortunate that in my travels I often get to meet local people who are doing interesting and creative things. I was able to write a profile of a couple of groups of women in Kyushu and Shikoku who have become successful small business entrepreneurs, producing condiments featuring local produce and local flavors. (Archived article … Continue reading Entrepreneurs on the Rise: Second Career Women in Regional Japan
There are more than 40,000 shrines across Japan that are specifically dedicated to Hachiman, the guardian god of warriors. Usa Jingu in northern Oita Prefecture is widely regarded as the oldest such shrine, with all the rest mere satellites of this parent. Hachiman is a posthumous deification of the 15th Japanese emperor, Ojin (201-312). There … Continue reading Usa Jingu: the original Hachiman shrine
In our travels, we often find particular pleasure in getting off the beaten track and exploring the road less traveled. This is true whether we're walking or driving. On a recent car trip in Kyushu's Oita Prefecture, while driving from Yufuin to Nakatsu, we had the opportunity to take smaller side roads that led us … Continue reading Unexpected respite on the road less traveled
This article describes the historical places of interest in and around Usuki, a castle town in Oita on the island of Kyushu. (Archived article - Originally published by Japan Today)
Not long ago, we were driving in north-central Oita on the island of Kyushu when we spotted a mountain with a hole it. Needless to say, such a phenomenon must be explored! So we did. We learned that the top of this mountain was historically a hermitage for the practice Buddhist asceticism--reputed to have been … Continue reading Rakan-ji: Buddhist ascetism amid dramatic scenery, yet a sort-of hole in the wall
As a volcanic island chain, Japan is blessed with innumerable hot springs, making it inevitable that the people who live here love a good soak. Perhaps the queen of all of Japan's hot springs (onsen) areas is the city of Beppu, in Oita Prefecture. Situated on a bay on the northeast coast of the island … Continue reading Beppu: fun promotions for hot springs
