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

Image search results - "echigawa"

Ohmi Railways Echigawa Station. The station building, named Ruburu Echigawa, has a tourist information counter and exhibition gallery.

Ohmi Railways Echigawa Station platform.

Ohmi Railways train at Echigawa Station.

Parallel to Echigawa Station is the elevated shinkansen tracks.

Ohmi Railways Echigawa Station

Ohmi Railways Echigawa Station platform.

Railway crossing

Ohmi Railway track

Shinkansen tracks and cycling path

Omi Hemp Fabric Museum offer hands-on lessons to make small hemp fabric goods. Closed weekends and national holidays. 近江上布伝統産業会館

Former Echi Town Hall

Former Echi Town Hall built in 1922.

Former Echi Town Hall

Echigawa Fire Dept.

Modern homes in Echigawa

City logo

Echigawa-juku was the sixty-sixth station or post town (shukuba) of the sixty-nine stations on the Nakasendo Road. It is the sixth Nakasendo station in Shiga (following Takamiya-juku in Hikone), and one of ten Nakasendo stations in Shiga.In front of Echigawa Station, a sign point the way to Echigawa-juku (go right).

Entrance to Echigawa-juku at the northern end. Echigawa-juku was the sixty-sixth station or post town (shukuba) of the sixty-nine stations on the Nakasendo Road. Map

This is a high-class ryotei restaurant called Omi Shonin-tei (近江商人亭). Built in the 1920s, it used to be an Omi Merchant's second home who sold hemp cloth.This is also one location where the film Idai Naru, Shurararabon (偉大なる、しゅららぼん The Great Shu Ra Ra Boom) was filmed. The Natsume family's dojo scene.

Nakasendo in Echigawa-juku

Large intersection has an Echigawa-juku monument.

The street corner has a pocket park for an Echigawa-juku monument showing an ukiyoe print of the town. A stone marker also points the way to Takamiya-juku.

The ukiyoe print by Hiroshige shows a bridge across Echigawa River. It was toll-free (Muchin-bashi).

Hiroshige's woodblock print of Echigawa-juku (66th post town on the Nakasendo) from his Kisokaido series. On the left across the river is Mt. Kannonji (Kinugake).

Meiji Period-style mail box. It's a real mail box so you can deposit your mail here.

Pocket park in Echigawa-juku.

Heading south on the Nakasendo in Echigawa-juku.

Traditional-style building

Marker indicating that St. Shinran, founder of the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Sect, once stayed at this temple.

Way to Homanji temple where St. Shinran once stayed.

Gate to Homanji temple.

Homanji temple Hondo hall in Echigawa-juku, Shiga. 宝満寺

Statue of St. Shinran (1173-1263) in front of the plum tree which he planted. The temple also has a scroll written by Shinran.

While traveling, St. Shinran was unable to cross the Echigawa River since there was a flood. So he stayed at this temple temporarily. During that time, he planted a plum tree which bloom red plum blossoms.

St. Shinran statue and plum tree.

The plum tree blooms in March.

Homanji Hondo

Inside Homanji Hondo main hall in Echigawa-juku, Shiga Prefecture

View from Hondo hall.

Some modern buildings along the Nakasendo in Echigawa-juku

Looks like a former bank building.

Hachiman Jinja Shrine in Echigawa-juku, Shiga

Way to Hachiman Shrine.

Hachiman Jinja Shrine, Echigawa-juku

The shrine has ties to Prince Shotoku Taishi who hid here from an enemy during a war. In appreciation, he donated rice paddies to the shrine.

Hachiman Jinja Shrine Honden main hall is a Shiga Prefecture Cultural Property.

Shops along the Nakasendo

Manhole in Echigawa-juku, Shiga, with a temari (thread ball) design.

Another famous building remaining in Echigawa-juku. This is the Takeheiro restaurant where Emperor Meiji once stayed.

Entrance to Takeheiro. It's not open to the public unless you want to dine there. 竹平楼

Stone monument at Takeheiro indicating that Emperor Meiji was here.

Takeheiro on the left, along the Nakasendo Road in Echigawa-juku, Shiga.

Toward the south end of Echigawa-juku. Bridge has a temari decoration.

Temari decoration on bridge.

South end gate of Echigawa-juku.

Bin Temari no Yakata Museum exhibits temari threaded balls in round glass bottles. Temari is a symbol of Echigawa. Near Echigawa Station. Intersection in Echigawa with a bin-temari monument. Map

Bin-temari monument. "Bin" means bottle, and "temari" is a threaded ball. The bin-temari is a round glass ball with a threaded ball inside.

Echigawa Bin-temari-no-Yakata or the Echigawa Bin-temari Museum. Open 10 am - 6 pm, closed Mon., Tue., last Wed. of the month, and national holidays. 7-min. walk from Echigawa Station. 愛知川びん手まりの館

Inside the courtyard of the Echigawa Bin-temari Museum.

Entrance to the Echigawa Bin-temari Museum. Free admission.

Well-known bin-temari maker.

Showcase full of bin-temari.

Bin-temari come in different sizes and an infinite number of threaded-ball designs. It also makes a great wedding gift since the round shape symbolizes harmony of the heart and family. You can also clearly see inside. 中がよく（仲良く）見える

Bin-temari in Echigawa, Shiga. Echigawa's bin-temari history goes back to around 1840 when its oldest bin-temari was made. However, this traditional art died out with the death of Aoki Hiro in 1973, Echigawa's last bin-temari maker.

After Aoki's death, a temari preservation society was formed and the craft was passed on based on Aoki's husband's memory of how his wife made it. Besides Echigawa, only a few other places in Japan still make bin-temari.

It makes you wonder how they fit the temari threaded ball into the round glass bottle.

The ball is actually hollow like a balloon. It is inserted into the bottle in a deflated state, then expanded into a ball. The museum also has a fascinating video showing how temari is made.