Image search results - "azuchi" - JAPAN PHOTOS by Philbert Ono

Image search results - "azuchi"

Azuchi Nobunaga Matsuri used to be held on the first Sunday in June, but it's now held in Nov. (since 2020). The festival is dedicated to Oda Nobunaga who built Azuchi Castle. Parking available at nearby Bungei no Sato.

The Azuchi Nobunaga Festival's main venue was here, next to Azuchi Castle (hill on right). MAP

Lots of great local food and products were sold. Official website here.

Stage entertainment (Azuchi Castle ruins in background).

Demonstration of matchlock guns, Azuchi Nobunaga Festival in Azuchi, Omi-Hachiman.

They came from Hikone. 鉄砲隊演武（彦根鉄砲隊）

Very loud boom. Also see the video at YouTube.

Demonstration of matchlock guns, Azuchi Nobunaga Festival.Even these people had to obtain police permission to bear and fire these feudal-era guns.

Boat ride along the moat of Azuchi Castle.

和船

These boat rides are offered only during this annual festival.

Welcome aboard!

Boat ride

Ahoy there!

"This place changed a lot since my childhood..."

At the foot of Azuchi, the boat ride was very popular and cheap.

End of the ride.

Shingu Shrine where they had more festival entertainment. 新宮神社

Shrine building

Chin-don-ya street entertainers

Kami shibai storyteller 紙芝居

Kami shibai storyteller telling a story about Nobunaga. 紙芝居

Musha Gyoretsu warrior procession 武者行列The procession started with Ashigaru foot soldiers. 足軽

The most important historical persons in Azuchi's feudal history were represented.

Shibata Katsuie

Akechi Mitsuhide (assassinated Nobunaga)

Takigawa Kazumasu 滝川一益

Niwa Nagahide 丹羽長秀

Nohime, wife of Oda Nobunaga. 農姫

Oda Nobunaga at Azuchi Nobunaga Matsuri. 織田信長

Oda Nobunaga 織田信長

Ishida Mitsunari 石田三成

Ladies in waiting (hey there, look up!)下を向いたらあかん。

Nene, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's wife

Toyotomi Hideyoshi 豊臣秀吉

Ii Naomasa 井伊直政

もっと奇麗に歩け

Tokugawa Ieyasu 徳川家康

Hello horse! He was just starting at me. Tokugawa Ieyasu

Nobunaga speaks.

Street performer in front of the steps to Azuchi Castle ruins.

In front of Azuchi Station. That's a statue of Oda Nobunaga who built Azuchi Castle. MAP

The old Azuchi Station.

Bicycle path. In front of Azuchi Station, bicycles are available for rent. I highly recommend bicycling rather than walking.

To Bungei no Sato. This is a complex of several buildings including a castle museum and archealogical museum. 文芸の郷 MAP

House of Nobunaga (Nobunaga no Yakata). A replica of the top (best) part of Azuchi Castle is displayed inside. See this album to see what's inside. MAP

Old Ryugen Gakko school. First built in 1876 as a primary school in Takashima, northern Shiga, this is the prefecture's oldest surviving school building. It was moved here for display. 旧柳原学校旧柳原学校

Inside old school. 旧柳原学校

Traditional minka house

Inside minka house

Rental bicycle

Shiga Prefectural Azuchi Castle Archaelogical Museum. This is where they painstakingly clean and catalog all the pieces dug up at the Azuchi Castle ruins. You can watch them at work. 安土城考古博物館

Storage room

Jomon Period dugout canoe replica made in 1990. Carved out of single log, two men successfully used it to paddle to Chikubushima from Onoe, Nagahama.

Shiga Prefectural Azuchi Castle Archaelogical Museum. MAP

From the museum, there is a nice bike path.

Built in 1579 by famous warlord Oda Nobunaga, Azuchi Castle was unique for its opulence and octagonal castle tower. Japan's Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1568–1600) is partially named after this castle. The castle was attacked and destroyed only 3 years later. The castle is on a hill in Azuchi, Omi-Hachiman, Shiga Prefecture. A replica of the top portion of the castle tower is displayed at a museum nearby the castle ruins. Photo shows the Azuchi Castle marker at the foot of the castle hill.

Azuchi Castle on Mt. Azuchi is a Special National Historic Site. (特別史跡) The area now occupied by rice paddies were once part of the lake.

Scenic bike path

Cycling path in Azuchi.

Cycling path in Azuchi named Yoshi-bue Road.

Cycling path in Azuchi near Lake Nishinoko.

Bike path that goes on forever

Cycling path in Azuchi, Omi-Hachiman.

Old Azuchi Tourist Office that was across the street from Azuchi Station. It's now inside the new Azuchi Station.

Police box in front of Azuchi Station

To Mt. Azuchi where Azuchi Castle once stood in Omi-Hachiman. If you don't have a car, rent a bicycle at Azuchi Station (or ride a taxi). The castle site is not very far from Azuchi Station by bicycle.

Foot of Mt. Azuchi

Main stairs of Otemichi path

A lot of impressive stone work remains of Azuchi Castle.

Site of Hashiba Hideyoshi's quarters at Azuchi Castle.

Site of Hashiba Hideyoshi's quarters.

Stone buddha

Steps to castle tower foundation

Castle tower foundation

Azuchi Castle tower foundation stones still remain.

View from atop Mt. Azuchi.

Lake Nishinoko

Sumo ring near Azuchi Station. It was built in 1988 and once used for a exhibition sumo tournament. It was removed in late 2014 due to a redevelopment of this train station area.

Castle modelIn the Azuchi Castle Museum (Azuchi Jokaku Shiryokan)

安土城郭資料館

Oda NobunagaIn the Azuchi Castle Museum (Azuchi Jokaku Shiryokan)

安土城郭資料館

Azuchi Castle Museum (Azuchi Jokaku Shiryokan)

Azuchi Castle Museum (Azuchi Jokaku Shiryokan)In the Azuchi Castle Museum (Azuchi Jokaku Shiryokan)

安土城郭資料館

Azuchi Castle Museum (Azuchi Jokaku Shiryokan). Near Azuchi Station. 安土城郭資料館 MAP

Canal

Johama PortFormer site of Johama Port which was used from the 15th century to 1930. Boats from Lake Biwa came through a canal. Reconstructed in 1983.

常浜

Canal to Johama Port

Also in Azuchi is this museum called the House of Nobunaga (Nobunaga no Yakata) which displays a life-size replica of the top part of Azuchi Castle. MAP

Azuchi Castle tower replica at House of Nobunaga. Very ornate and beautiful. both outside and inside.

This Azuchi Castle tower replica was displayed in the Japan Pavilion at the Seville Expo '92 in Spain before it was moved here.

Azuchi Castle replica

Azuchi Castle construction

Azuchi Castle in snowThe castle was made as a snow sculpture at the Sapporo Snow Festival in Feb. 2000.

The unique hexagonal base of the upper section of the Azuchi Castle donjon.

Oda Nobunaga actually started living in Azuchi Castle's main tower or donjon. Normally, the castle lord resided in a separate palace.

Azuchi has a cultural complex called Bungei no Sato. It includes a concert hall called Bungei Seminario, the venue of the Yoshibue Concert. If you missed the shuttle bus, you'll have to take a taxi from Azuchi Station. 文芸セミナリヨ

Yoshibue is a small flute made from reeds grown in Lake Nishinoko, one of Lake Biwa's attached lake. I attended the 4th Yoshibue Concert on April 4, 2009 which was Yoshibue Day.

Flower arrangement using reeds.

Yoshibue reed flute, made from reeds growing in Lake Biwa (Lake Nishinoko).

Inside the Bungei Seminario in Azuchi, Shiga. This hall is noted for a large pipe organ. The yoshibue concert started at noon and ended at about 4 pm. Free admission.

The Japan Yoshibue Association held a yoshibue (flute made of reeds growing in Lake Biwa) concert on April 4, 2009 which was Yoshibue Day. Various groups playing the reed flute gathered to perform a free concert. This married pair called Hot Line. ほっ�

Hot Line often appears at various events. He plays the guitar while she plays the yoshibue. 「よし笛の日」定期演奏会

Part of the stage decoration were these towering bundles of reeds from Lake Biwa.

Special halftime entertainment provided by a Uyghur dish dancer by a Chinese dancer. She is an graduate student attending Hyogo University. ジャミラ　ウライム

The concert was held by the Japan Yoshibue Association (Nihon Yoshibue Kyokai 日本よし笛協会) formed in 2006.

Yoshibue Junior Ensemble consisting of kids playing the reed flute. Eighteen yoshibue groups performed. Most of them welcome new members. I saw groups from Omi-Hachiman, Moriyama, Konan, Otsu, Yasu, and Kyoto.