 Most viewed - Omi-Hachiman 近江八幡市 |
Shinoda Shrine address: 滋賀県近江八幡市上田町161383 views
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View from Nishinomaru82 views
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Even the moon on the upper left.82 views
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This is the glowing picture on the huge wooden panel. I then had to rush back to the train station to catch the last train home.82 views
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Hakuunkan's 1st floor had a registration desk for exhibition visitors. Pay 1,000 yen and you receive tickets to enter a few Vories buildings and a map. The 2nd floor had a panel exhibition introducing Vories.82 views
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Hachiman-bori is also part of the National Important Traditional Townscape Preservation District (重要伝統的建造物群保存地区).82 views
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Being the heart of Hachiman-bori, Hakuunbashi Bridge is where the sakura is concentrated the most. 白雲橋82 views
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Also, the next day on the 15th, they didn't bring out the usual taiko drums out of respect for the Tohoku quake/tsunami victims. Maybe I'll see it next year.82 views
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Canal to Johama Port81 views
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Zuiryuji Temple of Nichiren Sect in the Honmaru 村雲御所瑞龍寺81 views
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Lake Nishinoko.80 views
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80 views
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Takigawa Kazumasu 滝川一益80 views
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Nohime, wife of Oda Nobunaga. 農姫80 views
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80 views
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Misty Horikiri Port in Omi-Hachiman. Boats leave here for Okishima island, Lake Biwa's largest island.80 views
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Shore road80 views
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Poster for the Exhibition of William Merrell Vories in Omi-Hachiman. The map showed a walking route to see all the Vories buildings.80 views
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80 views
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80 views
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Hachiman-bori's highest concentration of cherry blossoms is near Hakuunbashi Bridge.80 views
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Cycling path in Azuchi.79 views
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These boat rides are offered only during this annual festival.79 views
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79 views
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Okinoshima Port and boat schedule79 views
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Renmyo was here.79 views
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Mizugahama lakeside coffee shop 水ケ浜79 views
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Monument commemorating the sister city relationship between Omi-Hachiman and Leavenworth, Kansas, birthplace of Vories. This is next to the statue of Vories and a student offering him flowers.79 views
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Bike path that goes on forever78 views
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Cycling path in Azuchi, Omi-Hachiman.78 views
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Kitanomaru 北の丸跡78 views
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View from Kitanomaru78 views
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Finally, things calmed down after about a minute and this picture appeared.78 views
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Also during sakura season, the yakata-bune boats offer moat rides for 1,000 yen for adults. Boats leave from near The Kawara Roof Tile Museum on the east end of the moat.78 views
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Hiroshige's woodblock print of Musa-juku (67th post town on the Nakasendo) from his Kisokaido series. A bridge of boats.78 views
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77 views
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Canal to Johama Port77 views
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77 views
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View from Kitanomaru77 views
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View from Kitanomaru77 views
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Lookout in front of temple77 views
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Inari-do Shrine 稲荷堂77 views
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Welcome aboard!77 views
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77 views
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Nene, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's wife77 views
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Boat for Okinoshima at Horikiri Port77 views
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Hachiman Church Pastor House, designed by William Merrell Vories. It is right across the church. 八幡教会牧師館（旧地塩寮） MAP77 views
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76 views
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View from temple grounds76 views
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Boat ride76 views
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Chin-don-ya street entertainers76 views
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Chin-don-ya street entertainers76 views
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Kami shibai storyteller telling a story about Nobunaga. 紙芝居76 views
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Misty Okinoshima76 views
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Hachiman Primary School 近江八幡市立八幡小学校76 views
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76 views
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Cycling path in Azuchi named Yoshi-bue Road.75 views
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View from Nishinomaru 西の丸跡75 views
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Lookout in front of temple75 views
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75 views
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Boom!75 views
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Common chapstick.75 views
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One panel shows the location of buildings in Shiga designed by Vories. The blue dots indicate buildings which no longer exist, while the red dots indicate buildings which still exist.75 views
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Inside the former Samegai post office designed by William Merrell Vories.75 views
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Perfect day to shoot cherry blossoms.75 views
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Cycling path in Azuchi near Lake Nishinoko.74 views
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Castle wall74 views
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Castle wall and fall colors74 views
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和船74 views
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"This place changed a lot since my childhood..."74 views
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Shingu Shrine where they had more festival entertainment. 新宮神社74 views
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The final number was Biwako Shuko no Uta (Lake Biwa Rowing Song).74 views
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These green torch will also burn. There are two of these green ones, one is male and other is female.74 views
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73 views
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Site of Musa-juku's Honjin, the town's exclusive lodging for VIPs to stopover or rest. Only the gate remains.73 views
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73 views
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73 views
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Cycling path in Azuchi near Lake Nishinoko.72 views
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View from Kitanomaru72 views
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72 views
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End of the ride.72 views
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Shrine building72 views
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Fishing boats at Horikiri Port72 views
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72 views
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We could also see the 2nd floor which had a panel exhibition of Vories buildings.72 views
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Hachiman Park cherry blossoms.72 views
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It was already around 10 pm. 72 views
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San-mon Gate 山門71 views
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Okishima Port71 views
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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71 views
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Finally at 9:50 pm, they shot a small rocket to the big panel which then exploded loud enough to knock your pants off.71 views
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71 views
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First we heard taiko drum beating and they entered the shrine at around 8:30 pm.71 views
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The largest Vories building on this tour was the Hyde Memorial Building at this school called the Omi Kyodaisha Gakuen (Omi Brotherhood Schools). 近江兄弟社学園ハイド記念館（旧淸友園幼稚園）.71 views
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On the right is the Hyde Memorial Building designed by William Merrell Vories. 近江兄弟社学園ハイド記念館（旧淸友園幼稚園）71 views
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The lobby of the OMI Corp. displayed their early products and current products. Their main product was Menturm. I asked if they still had the original product that the company first made. They didn't.71 views
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Minakuchi Christian Church designed by Vories and built in Nov. 1930. In Koka, Shiga. MAP71 views
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Minakuchi Christian Church71 views
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Leaning torch. Unfortunately, I had to catch the last train home so I didn't have time to see this torch burning. Maybe next time.71 views
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Gift shop70 views
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Okinoshima in sight70 views
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People sit to reserve a good spot for viewing the fireworks.70 views
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Niagara Falls, a crowd pleaser.70 views
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View from Nishinomaru69 views
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Next, they had some great fireworks in the sky and everybody watched.69 views
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Unfortuntaely, the smoke blew in front of the design so we could hardly see it.69 views
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Imazu Church, designed by William Merrell Vories. This is next to the former bank building. MAP69 views
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68 views
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Hachiman Primary School 近江八幡市立八幡小学校68 views
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Part of the stage decoration were these towering bundles of reeds from Lake Biwa.68 views
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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68 views
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They erected the straw column next to the one that was already standing.68 views
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Meanwhile, they had a good number of fireworks-shooting torches.68 views
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Inside the former bank building in Imazu. A nice place to rest. Exhibition panels explain about Vories.68 views
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68 views
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Beyond Hakuunbashi Bridge, the moat goes to Kawara Roof Tile Museum and the moat boat dock. The cherry trees also stop, but there a few more on the far end of the most.68 views
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68 views
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A long bamboo pole stiffens the torches which really look like sculpture. The festival is held on April 14-15. On the 14th, they burn these giant torches one by one from 8 pm.68 views
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But there was another torch to be set afire. This one was to be the climax. They would light this torch while it is still leaning sideways, then they gradually make it vertical as it burns.68 views
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Leaving Horikiri Port67 views
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Later, young men carried this huge column made of straw looking like a torch. Are they gonna light this too?? 67 views
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The company sells a large variety of skin-care products.67 views
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67 views
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In the afternoon of the 14th, people who made miniature torches can come to Himure Hachimangu Shrine and burn them.67 views
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Musa's Honjin66 views
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66 views
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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. 66 views
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Leaning torch crown closeup.66 views
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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65 views
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Next was Niagara Falls.65 views
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The smaller panel which burst into colorful fireworks to form a picture.65 views
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65 views
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Unique, but controversial, bridge supported by two boats underneath.65 views
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Torch top look similar, but they are different. 65 views
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65 views
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Very artistic and aesthetic.65 views
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Burning miniature torches at Himure Hachimangu Shrine.65 views
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Honjin sign64 views
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Okinoshima Port64 views
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Side of boat64 views
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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64 views
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At 9:45 pm, they lit a smaller panel which burst into colorful fireworks to form a picture. They used this small rocket mounted on a wire speeding to the panel. The little thing lit up the panel.64 views
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Next was this neighborhood called Ikeda-cho with three Vories-designed homes along this street. MAP64 views
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Then they had smaller torches being dragged around by small groups of men and boys.64 views
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Statue of Toyotomi Hidetsugu at Hachiman Park in Omi-Hachiman, Shiga.64 views
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Sea wall63 views
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Leaving Okinoshima (we'll be back).63 views
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Former Omi Mission Double House designed by William Merrell Vories. Today, two families still live in the house. Not open to the public. 旧近江ミッション・ダブルハウス63 views
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Keep away from the stone lanterns.63 views
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More torches in front of Himure Hachimangu Shrine. This is also where they hold the Sagicho Matsuri in March. MAP63 views
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Misty Omi-Hachiman coast62 views
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The huge explosion was followed by loud whistles and smaller pops and crackles.62 views
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Mt. Hachiman-yama is in the background. An aerial tramway goes up the mountain which was the site of Hachiman Castle.62 views
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A few bridges also cross the moat. This is Meijibashi Bridge. 明治橋62 views
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You can easily walk along the entire moat except for this section which is a little flooded. My waterproof shoes came in handy.62 views
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All this to pray for an abundant harvest.62 views
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This is in front of Taneya. 62 views
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It seems that they gathered all the smaller torches (which they dragged around) here.62 views
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Map of Hachiman Park.62 views
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Sign says "Yoshibue Day" which is April 4. "Yoshi" means reed, and both yo and shi can also be translated as the number 4.61 views
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A potpourri of firecrackers, twirling lights, and everything else lit up and blew up like pandemonium.61 views
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Statue of Vories.61 views
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Hachiman Commercial High School was where Vories taught English when he arrived in 1905. However, he was dismissed after two years due to his Bible study group seen as a disturbance. By hiring Vories as the architect, the school made peace with Vories.61 views
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Vories still felt greatly indebted to the school, nicknamed "Hassho."61 views
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Former Omi Mission Double House was built in 1920 and large enough for two families. Vories' parents from the US and an American architect were the first occupants. 61 views
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This third house in Ikeda-cho is the former Omi Mission Double House that was used to house the Omi Mission's American staff. 旧近江ミッション・ダブルハウス61 views
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My last stop was OMI Corp. which started out in 1920 as the Omi Sales Company.（株）近江兄弟社 MAP61 views
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There are torches for the villages which partake in this festival. This is in front of Taneya, a local confection shop.61 views
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Two tall ones in front of Himure Hachimangu Shrine.61 views
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At around 7 pm, people with taiko drums start to arrive.61 views
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The torches leave a trail of fire.61 views
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Now we see a large torch on fire. I noticed the flying embers falling on Taneya, but no problem.61 views
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Miyagahama is a quiet, spacious beach to enjoy Lake Biwa.61 views
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Back view of the former Hachiman YMCA, the first building designed by William Merrell Vories in 1907. Inside is quite modern, except for one room. MAP60 views
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View from Hakuunbashi Bridge. 白雲橋60 views
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Near the Kawara Roof Tile Museum is this dock where you board the moat boat. Fare is 1,000 yen for adults.60 views
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At 8 pm, there's supposed to be fireworks, but due to the East Japan earthquake/tsunami, the fireworks were cancelled this year in 2011.60 views
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Some time after 8 pm, they finally lit the first torch.60 views
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They also light the mid-section of the torch.60 views
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Giant torch.60 views
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Way to Toyotomi Hidetsugu statue.60 views
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Entrance to Hyde Memorail Building.59 views
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