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

Image search results - "wood"

This is what you see inside Oku-no-miya Shrine. A giant wooden phallus offering.

Oku-no-miya Shrine also has many other phallic objects presented as offerings. There even one which you can touch...

Apparently it can become erect too. (Compare with previous photo.)

Phallic objects

Note that the phallus is not the object of worship. It is an offering to the god.

It was believed that Indra would step in and chase away the demons causing calamities to the followers of Buddhism. Photo: Wood Carving Gallery (admission charged)

The side and rear exterior walls of the Taishakudo are blanketed with panels of detailed woodcarvings. They are the most outstanding feature of Shibamata Taishakuten Temple.. 彫刻ギャラリー

There are ten large carvings (each 2.27 meters by 1.27 meters) depicting scenes from the Lotus Sutra (Hokekyo).

The woodcarvings were requested by the temple's 16th priest, Nissai. Through a generous donation from devoted follower Suzuki Genjiro, the project was begun.

The first panel was completed in 1922. The carver, Kato^ Toranosuke, proposed that the remaining 9 panels be carved by renown woodcarvers living in Tokyo. A large keyaki panel was delivered to each of the nine carvers.

Former Takayama-cho Town Hall 旧高山町役場

However, in 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake struck and these panels did not survive. A subsequent search for replacement panels was conducted nationwide.

Former Takayama-cho Town Hall 旧高山町役場

In 1926, large keyaki replacement panels were finally procured and the project was back on track. The carvings were completed in 1934.

Former Takayama-cho Town Hall 旧高山町役場

Since such large pieces of keyaki wood are very difficult to find and the carvings are so fine, the carvings are regarded as highly valuable cultural assets.

Storehouse for a Takayama Festival float

If you want a detailed explanation (in Japanese) of the Lotus Sutra scenes depicted by the woodcarvings, buy the pamphlet that is sold at the temple's souvenir stand near the Nitenmon Gate.

Sanno-machi Suji is in Takayama's National Important Traditional Townscape Preservation District (重要伝統的建造物群保存地区).

This area is also a National Important Traditional Townscape Preservation District (重要伝統的建造物群保存地区).

Horyuji temple Kondo Main Hall, the world's oldest wooden building at 1,300 years old. National Treasure 金堂

Kondo Main Hall, National Treasure and Horyuji's most important building. However, on January 26, 1949, much of the first floor was destroyed by accidental fire. 金堂

Beckoning cat

Kondo Main Hall houses 13 Buddha statues. 金堂

Kondo Main Hall, National Treasure. It has some Chinese design elements. 金堂

To protect the exterior woodcarvings from the elements and to allow visitors to view them up close, the temple built a transparent, permanent scaffolding on the side and rear exterior walls of the Taishakudo.

Kondo Main Hall, National Treasure 金堂

It makes you feel like you are in an art gallery. From the front of the Taishakudo, the scaffolding is neatly concealed from view.

Kondo Main Hall, National Treasure 金堂

Since the carved walls are two stories high, the scaffolding has upper and lower levels which allows you to view the woodcarvings on the upper and lower halves of the walls. This is the lower floor

Dragon

Corridor to Guest House (Dai-kyakuden)

Even the corridor has wood carvings.

Handa Dashi Matsuri float in Handa, Aichi.

Kameido Tenjin Shrine's ume plum blossoms made famous by Hiroshige's woodblock print from his series called "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo."

Kameido Tenjin Shrine's wisteria made famous by Hiroshige's woodblock print from his series called "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo."

Monkeys supporting the building on all three sides.

Name of a donor.

This monkey has a child.

Sumo wrestling

Hiroshige's woodblock print of Itsukushima Shrine's fall festival from his "Famous Views of the 60 Provinces" series.

Here are two versions of Omi-Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi 近江八景) by Hiroshige. The main complaint is that they center on Otsu in the southern half of Shiga. No scenes from northern Shiga. Autumn Moon at Ishiyama

Omi-Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi 近江八景): Evening Glow at Seta

Omi-Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi 近江八景): Clearing Storm at Awazu

Omi-Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi 近江八景): Returning Boats at Yabase

Omi-Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi 近江八景): Evening Bell at Miidera Temple

Omi-Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi 近江八景): Night Rain at Karasaki. The print made the Karasaki pine tree at Karasaki Shrine famous.

Omi-Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi 近江八景): Descending Geese at Katata

Omi-Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi 近江八景): Evening Snow at Mt. Hira

Omi-Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi 近江八景): Autumn Moon at Ishiyama

Omi-Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi 近江八景): Evening Glow at Seta. Today, you can see a modern version of Seta-no-Karahashi Bridge.

Omi-Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi 近江八景): Clearing Storm at Awazu. This area is pretty much gone, covered by roads. Very few Awazu pine trees remain.

Omi-Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi 近江八景): Returning Boats at Yabase

Omi-Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi 近江八景): Evening Bell at Miidera Temple

Omi-Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi 近江八景): Night Rain at Karasaki

Omi-Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi 近江八景): Descending Geese at Katata

Omi-Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi 近江八景): Evening Snow at Mt. Hira

Tokaido Road: Tsuchiyama (Koka). People at the head of a daimyo procession are crossing a bridge over a river near Tamura Shrine during spring rains. Tsuchiyama-juku was the 49th of the 53 stations of the Tokaido Road.

Tokaido Road: Minakuchi (Koka). A summer scene of a few women drying gourd shavings to make kanpyo. Minakuchi-juku was the fiftieth of the fifty-three stations of the Tokaido Road.

Tokaido Road: Ishibe (Konan). a teahouse which has been reconstructed in Ishibe.

Tokaido Road: Kusatsu. A rest house and servants are depicted. Kusatsu-juku was the 52nd station on the Tokaido Road (following Ishibe-juku) and the 68th station (following Moriyama-juku) on the Nakasendo Road.

Tokaido Road: Otsu

Nakasendo Road: Imasu (Gifu, on the border with Shiga). Shows the border between Imasu and Kashiwabara. There is an inn on the Imasu side (left) and Kashiwabara side.Nemonogatari-no-Sato is where the prefectural boundary between Gifu and Shiga is located. The inns are no longer here, but guests at both inns used to talk to each other across the border before sleeping.

Nakasendo Road: Kashiwabara (Maibara). Depicts Kameya, a shop selling mugwort from Mt. Ibuki used for moxa. The shop is still there, the last surviving maker of moxa cautery in Kashiwabara, the 60th station on the Nakasendo.

Nakasendo Road: Samegai (Maibara). The 61st station on the Nakasendo. One of ten Nakasendo stations in Shiga.

Nakasendo Road: Bamba (Maibara). The 62nd station on the Nakasendo.

Nakasendo Road: Toriimoto (Hikone). The sixty-third of the sixty-nine stations or shukuba post towns on the Nakasendo Road.

Nakasendo Road: Takamiya (Hikone). The sixty-fourth of the sixty-nine stations or shukuba post towns on the Nakasendo Road.

Nakasendo Road: Echigawa (Aisho), the 65th post town on the Nakasendo. A bridge across Echigawa River. It was toll-free (Muchin-bashi). On the left across the river is Mt. Kannonji (Kinugake).