 Most viewed - Chikubushima and Hogonji Temple 竹生島・宝厳寺 |
Bell tower25 views
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"Interlaken" boat to Imazu at Chikubushima.25 views
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Inside the Interlaken boat. Very comfortable and looks new.25 views
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Leaving Chikubushima.25 views
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About Chikubushima in Japanese.24 views
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Leaving Nagahama in winter. After a major snowfall in late Jan. 2021, went on a scenic snow cruise on Lake Biwa.24 views
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Small shrine for the goddess Benzaiten at Hogonji, Chikubushima. Benzaiten is the goddess of everything that flows: Water, rivers, music, etc. 弁才天24 views
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Tsukubusuma Shrine used to be part of Hogonji, but it's now legally separate from the Buddhist temple as mandated by law. 24 views
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Kannon-do ceiling and transom carvings. Absolutely brilliant colors.24 views
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24 views
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Before photo of the statue of Pindola Bharadvaja and the nearby wall with flower carvings.24 views
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Before photo of a very old and worn statue of Pindola Bharadvaja (賓頭盧尊者). Traditionally, you touch his body part corresponding to the part of your body you want to heal. 24 viewsNotice the pillars and ceiling beams which were plastered with pilgrim name stickers called "senjafuda" (千社札). They bear the ardent pilgrim's name and pilgrims stuck their name stickers on the temples they visited to indicate "I wuz here!"
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After photo of Pindola Bharadvaja statue. These days, best not to touch unless you use hand sanitizer afterward.24 viewsAll those old pilgrim name stickers (mostly from the Edo Period when it was fad) were removed for a new layer of lacquer.
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Inside Karamon Gate. Just gorgeous. Too bad most people just walk in without looking back and noticing. 24 views
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Karamon Gate door.24 views
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Closeup of the "kaeru-mata" showing a nest of birds. (蟇股).24 views
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Ceiling inside Karamon Gate, looking directly upward. 24 views
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Before photo. Without the colors, it was so hard to see the wood carvings.24 views
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It's really pleasing to see this and other major National Treasures being restored during the past 10 years. There's also Nikko Toshogu Shrine in Tochigi and Menuma Shodenzan Temple in Saitama which have been refreshed with vibrant colors and la24 viewsWith modern technologies, computers, laser measurements, and scientific techniques, restoration specialists can more accurately assess and reproduce the original colors and pigments. But much of the work is done by hand.
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Center metal fitting on the Karamon.24 views
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Left door of Karamon Gate.24 views
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Path to Karamon Gate.24 views
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Five-story Stone Pagoda 五重石塔. Important Cultural Property24 views
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Kannon statue on Chikubushima.24 views
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Snowy mountains around Lake Biwa.23 views
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Corridor facing the Funa-roka.23 views
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23 views
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23 views
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Corridor and incense burner in front of the altar. The wooden pillars totally re-lacquered.23 views
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Ceiling paintings of flowers.23 views
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23 views
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Worn statue of Pindola Bharadvaja (賓頭盧尊者). 23 views
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Karamon Gate door.23 views
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Front of Karamon Gate.23 views
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Right side of the kaeru-mata.23 views
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Karamon Gate before the restoration. Very drab-looking with most of the paint and lacquer weathered away by the elements after 67 years when it was last repainted.23 views
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Some of the wood carvings had pieces that broke off or worn out. So they were reconstructed too. The metal fittings were also re-plated or remade.23 views
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Port staff waving goodbye.22 views
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Corridor facing the Funa-roka before the restoration. Everything was drab looking. After the restoration, the windows on the right are now kept closed.22 views
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Kannon-do ceiling of painted flowers. Peonies (red), chrysanthemum (white), and paulownia (blue). 牡丹、菊、桐 22 views
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Corridor in front of the altar.22 views
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About Benzaiten-do Hall.22 views
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22 views
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Chikubushima in sight.21 views
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21 views
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Nest of birds in this decorative, hump-shaped wood support called "kaeru-mata" (蟇股). Commonly found on entrances of important buildings. In Nikko, Toshogu Shrine's famous "Sleeping Cat" carving is also a kaeru-mata.20 views
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According to legend, Mt. Ibuki and Mt. Azai-dake (Kanakuso-dake) in northern Shiga argued over who was the highest in Shiga. Mt. Ibuki got so upset by the argument that he drew a sword and sliced off Azai-dake's head.20 viewsThe sliced-off peak fell into Lake Biwa and became Chikubushima. Read the full folktale here: https://shiga-ken.com/blog/2014/07/the-birth-of-chikubushima/
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19 views
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