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Izena Island Tourism Association.
Nov. 28, 2023
History and Cultural Heritage of Izena Island during the Ryukyu Kingdom Era ■ vol.3 “Sakata” Born into a farmer’s family, Machigani (also read as Matsukane) was industrious from childhood and devoted himself to rice farming and other agricultural work. One year, the island suffered a drought and the water in every paddy dried up, yet only Machigani’s rice field remained full of water. One story says that the island’s young women, who admired Machigani for his diligence and good looks, carried water to his fields every night. In reality, his fields were terraced, and a spring gushed from the upper terrace so that water continuously flowed down to the lower paddies, preventing them from drying out. While the other young men’s fields were larger in area, they lacked water and relied on prayers, Machigani’s smaller field prospered and the rice ears ripened. This suggests he was clever and resourceful. However, the island youths who envied his popularity accused him, saying “The reason his water never runs out is that he is stealing from other paddies,” and they heaped false charges of water stealing on him, criticizing him in chorus and even plotting to get rid of him. This is the “misunderstanding” described in vol.2. Feeling his life was in danger, Machigani decided to leave the island. This terraced field remains almost in its original form and still produces a continuous flow of water. It is now managed by the village board of education, and each year the island children’s association experiences rice planting through harvest there. (Suspended during the COVID-19 period.) At this site, a monument engraved with poems remains, composed by the miyārabi (island maidens) of the time who sang about Machigani after he left the island; the monument reveals that Machigani was both admired and loved by the island’s young women. Content of the monument “We wish we could have seen Machigani working more, wearing his short garment.” This poem expresses the maidens’ romantic longing for Machigani and their loneliness after his departure. *Machigani (Machigani) = the name of Shō En during his youth on Izena Island. *Kanamaru = the name Shō En used after leaving the island. *Shō En = the name he took when he became king. *Miyārabi = young women, maidens
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  • Okinawa Prefecture
  • Izanami Island
  • Izena
  • Ryukyu
  • History
  • Shō En
  • Shuri Castle
  • Gusuku and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu
  • Traditional culture
  • Japan
  • ...and 2 others
Izena Island Tourism Association.
Nov. 28, 2023
History and Cultural Heritage of Izena Island from the Ryukyu Kingdom Era Vol. 2 “King Sho En’s Garden” — The Story of How a Farmer Became King of Ryukyu At 24, Matsugane (the future King Sho En) leaves the island. Pointing toward Okinawa Island, he holds an eeku (the local word for an oar) in his right hand. A bronze statue imagining his stance from that time stands there. Matsugane was driven away from the island because of a misunderstanding with the locals. Taking his wife at the time and his young brother, he crossed the sea in a small boat and reached the Ginama area in Kunigami, the northern part of Okinawa Island. He lived there for a while with his brother and wife and was cared for by local people, but after some time he set off for Shuri with his brother. He became a retainer of Prince Eiso, who was the younger brother of King Sho Kinpuku, the fifth king of the First Sho dynasty of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Around then he began using the name Kanamaru. Bright and hardworking from the start, Kanamaru soon gained recognition for his talents. Prince Eiso strongly recommended Kanamaru to King Sho Kinpuku, and in 1447 Sho En began his career as a servant with the low-ranking post called akadachi. Here Kanamaru demonstrated his abilities and rose through the ranks until he wore the yellow headband that signified high official status. In 1454, when Prince Eiso acceded as King Sho Taikyu, Kanamaru gained further favor and was appointed jitō (local lord) of the Nishihara magiri (district) in 1454. Five years later, at age 45, he assumed responsibility for the kingdom’s finances and foreign affairs, putting him on the verge of the Sanshikan, a ministerial post equivalent to a modern cabinet minister. However, fate shifted with the death of King Sho Taikyu. The seventh king, Sho Toku, proved a tyrant and plunged the country into sorrow. Kanamaru pleaded with him, but the king would not listen, so Kanamaru resigned and withdrew to his estate in Uchima. After King Sho Toku’s death, a coup by royal officials removed the crown prince, ending the First Sho dynasty. The officials then recommended Kanamaru as the next king. Convinced, he accepted and at age 54 became the king of the Ryukyu Kingdom under the Second Sho dynasty, known as King Sho En. Bronze sculpture by Mutsu Naka (Naka Mutsumi), a Japanese板版画 artist Kurayoshi Takara, Professor Emeritus, University of the Ryukyus *Both are notable figures from Izena Island.* *Matsugane (Machigani)* — the name used by Sho En during his youth on Izena Island. *Kanamaru* — the name Sho En used after leaving the island. *Sho En* — the name he took when he became king.
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  • Okinawa Prefecture
  • Izena
  • Izanami Island
  • Shō En
  • History
  • Ryukyu
  • Remote island
  • Gusuku and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu
  • Shuri Castle
  • Shoenno Ouoniwa Park
  • ...and 3 others
Izena Island Tourism Association.
Nov. 28, 2023
History and Cultural Heritage of Izanami Island during the Ryukyu Kingdom Era Vol. 1 “Mihoso Place: Birthplace of King Sho En” This is the site of the former residence where the man who would become King Sho En of the First Sho Dynasty—known locally as Nishinumachigani (North Matsukane)—was born in 1415 in the village of Moromi, Izena Village. Three kuba (screw pine) trees, three fukugi (Garcinia) trees, and three stones stand within the grounds. One of those three stones is said to contain his umbilical cord buried within it. This site was constructed while Sho Shin—his son and the third king—was on the throne. Right next to this mihoso house is a well called Shiohira Gaa (Sunjagaa). In Okinawan dialect, gaa means well. The well believed to have been used as the newborn bath for Matsukane, later King Sho En, when he was born in 1415 remains as it was at that time. Because these places mark the site of the house where a future Ryukyu king was born, they are regarded as sacred and stand among Izanami Island’s most important places of worship.
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  • Okinawa Prefecture
  • Izena
  • Izanami Island
  • Ryukyu
  • History
  • Shuri Castle
  • Traditional culture
  • Gusuku and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu
  • Shoenno Ouoniwa Park
  • Izena Castle Ruins
  • ...and 4 others
イエローフィット
Nov. 26, 2023
Soki soba Okinawa soba noodles / Sumanume / I ate Okinawa soba at the soba restaurant "Sumanume" in Kokuba, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture ^^ This is a place I often go to, and it is a super popular restaurant that has been renovated from a traditional Okinawan tile house old folk house. There are different types of Okinawa soba noodles, but this time I ordered Soki soba and juicy cooked rice, which are loved by all the people of the prefecture. Soki is pork ribs with bones. The soup is a bonito stock with a light and gentle taste. Stable deliciousness! It was a treat! By the way, Suma Nume is the name of the shop Suma Shioma-ya Nu no Mee Mae.
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  • Photo Contest
  • Cool Japan
  • Okinawa Prefecture
  • Naha
  • Okinawa Soba
  • Gourmet
  • Diner
  • History
  • Local PR
かずみさKazMisa
Nov. 25, 2023
I took a picture at "Entsuin" in autumn. Entsuin Temple is a temple of the Rinzai sect of Myoshinji Temple adjacent to Zuiwaji Temple in Matsushima-cho, Miyagi Prefecture Matsushima, Three Views of Japan, and is also designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. You can enjoy not only the autumn leaves but also the scenery of the four seasons here, and there is also a kimono rental plan during the season, which is very popular with people from overseas.
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  • Cool Japan
  • Photo Contest
  • Matsushima
  • Tsudoin Temple
  • Tohoku region
  • Temple
  • Miyagi Prefecture
  • Japan
  • Nature
  • Great view
  • ...and 10 others
かずみさKazMisa
Nov. 23, 2023
Chusonji Temple, one of the most popular temples in Tohoku It is a temple of the Tendai sect Tohoku Daihonzan located in Hiraizumi Town, Nishiiwai District, Iwate Prefecture. In 2011, it was registered as a World Cultural Heritage Site. Chusonji Temple is famous for its gorgeous golden hall, but there are many other attractions such as Benkei-do, Yakushi-do, and Hondo.   By the way, the photo is "Benzaitendo" in the precincts of Chusonji Temple. It is said that it was donated in 1705 by Senhime of the Sendai feudal lord Date Tsunamura. This is a famous photo spot that is crowded with photographers.
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  • Cool Japan
  • Photo Contest
  • Japan
  • Tohoku region
  • Iwate Prefecture
  • Chusonji Temple
  • World Heritage
  • Cultural Property
  • Nature
  • Great view
  • ...and 10 others
Bibai Tourism and Products Association
Nov. 23, 2023
Bibai City Local History Museum What is indispensable for knowing the current Bibai is "history" and the only originality. There are many things in the city that you can feel, see, and experience history, but if you visit the city after knowing it a little deeper, I am sure that the way you feel, the way you see, the situations that convince you, and the questions you have will change. When you visit the Bibai City Local Historical Museum, you can learn about coal mining, life, and culture from the time before it was called Bibai, and it is a facility that allows you to feel the future from the present a little. This page is not so much an introduction to the museum as it is an introduction to a part of the history left in the museum. Bibai, which was called by the Ainu place name Pipa o i where there are many river pearl oysters, has been called Bigai since the "Bikai Soot Field Survey Report" by geologist Benjamin Smith Lyman, and by the time the Tunda soldiers were deployed, it was pioneered to Numagai Village a translation of Ainu place names and then to the current Bibai. When it was commonly used with Bigai, it was planned to open the Kabado Sorachima Shindo Kabado Road and Dodo Tsukigatamine Extension Line, an important road connecting Sorachi and Kabado Shuji, and construction began the day after the completion of the Kamikawa Temporary Road National Route 12. Both works were excavated by the prisoners of the Prison Guard, and although it was quite difficult, such as connecting the swamps in the marshland with a straight line and transporting soil and gravel by hand, it was completed in one year from the start of construction, and after that, the Tunden soldiers were deployed the year after the migration began and the Numagai Village was established, and the number of carpenters and laborers who started the construction of the Tunda Barracks increased, and the number of permanent residents increased, and commerce prospered. After the disbandment of the Tuntian soldiers, the number of migrant farmers increased and agricultural development progressed, and the development of the Bibai coalfield was promoted by exploratory excavation mainly in the survey area of the American geologist Benjamin Smith Lyman. With the opening of the Iida Bibai coal mine in Taisho 2 and the opening of the railway the following year, the town of Gaji, a coal mine urban area, was born, and at the time of the opening of the railway, all kinds of shops such as inns, restaurants, bathhouses, barbershops, etc. were lined up, and the number of houses comparable to the number of houses in the Bibai city area of the previous year was built in the upper reaches of the Bibai River. Subsequently, Mitsubishi Bibai Coal Mine acquired the company and became more than 10,000 employees. In the Showa era, the Mitsui Bibai Coal Mine was born through the acquisition of the Japan Oil Koju Coal Mine, which was located in the current Minami-Bibai Town, by Mitsui Mitsui Mining Co., Ltd., one of Japan's two largest conglomerates. In terms of the amount of coal produced by coal mine in Japan, Mitsubishi Bibai and Mitsui Bibai were among the top 10 coal mines, and Bibai was the only one in Japan to have two huge coal mines in the top 10 in terms of production per municipality. The Mitsui Bibai Coal Mine was closed in Showa 38 and the Mitsubishi Bibai Coal Mine was closed in Showa 48, but at its peak, the area at the foot of the eastern mountain was in a state of no night castle, which is why it was called the coal city coal city Bibai.
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  • Hokkaido Prefecture
  • Hokkaido area
  • Bibai
  • History
  • Hidden gem
  • Tourism Association
Bibai Tourism and Products Association
Nov. 23, 2023
Coal Mine Memorial Forest Park Former Mitsubishi Bibai Coal Mining Facility As you head towards the mountains from the Bibai intersection, you will see something like a red steel tower flickering from the top of the trees. This place, surrounded by nature, is called "Coal Mine Memorial Forest Park" The red steel tower is a coal mining heritage pit winding tower, and there are two towers about 20 meters high. In fact, the logo of our association is also based on the B of BIBAI and this pit turret. There are many towns in Sorachi that flourished from coal mining. The Coal Mine Memorial Forest Park is a park that utilizes the heritage of the former Mitsubishi Bibai coal mining facility. Today, the pit tower, the switching station that managed the power supply, and the raw coal pocket remain. A 170-meter-deep pit was built at this site in the 12th year of the Taisho era, and at that time it had a reputation as a modern model pit in Japan. In the early Showa period, the amount of coal produced exceeded 1 million tons per year, making it the largest coal mine in the entire coal mine of Mitsubishi Mining. After that, it continued to develop after World War II, but due to a change in energy policy from the Showa 30s, the Mitsubishi Bibai Coal Mine was closed in July of Showa 47, and with the closure of the mine, the Bibai Railway, which ran from Bibai Station to Tokiwadai, also closed the curtain of its 60-year history. The pit turret and raw coal pocket were selected as a modernization industrial heritage designated by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in November 2019. At the request of the Yasuda Tsuyoshi Sculpture Museum Arte Piazza Bibai and the world-renowned sculptor "Yasuda Tsukura", three new sculptures have been installed in the park since July 30. The works on display were "Myōmu" in front of the pit tower, "Ishinki" in the pit opening and closing station, and "Fubuki" in front of the raw coal pocket The collaboration between coal mining heritage and art further enhances the atmosphere. It can be a day when red shines in the blue sky, a cloudy day, a starry sky, or a snowy location with a pure white location. Why don't you visit once?
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  • Hokkaido Prefecture
  • Bibai
  • Coal Mine Memorial Forest Park
  • Hidden gem
  • History
  • Art
  • Tourism Association
Taiki Tourism Association
Nov. 14, 2023
🌊Have you heard of a “torchka”?🌊 “Torchka” comes from the Russian word for “point” or “position.” It refers to small reinforced defensive emplacements made of concrete and other materials to protect militarily important sites. The torchkas along Taiki Town’s Pacific coast were built in large numbers near the end of the Pacific War to prepare for a possible US landing on the home islands, but they were never used and the war ended. Many remain today because they were built solidly with concrete. Despite erosion from waves, rain, and wind, they survive as historically valuable war relics. You can find them along the shore, partially buried in sand, and inland in various locations. The torchka known as “Asahihama Torchka,” set within a windbreak forest, has been developed for visitors and is open for viewing, so please consider visiting. ⚠️The areas around torchkas often include sandy beaches and rough terrain, so please take care when driving there.
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  • Taikicho, Hokkaido Prefecture
  • Hokkaido Prefecture
  • Coast/Beach/Sea
  • History
  • Architecture
  • Photogenic
  • Hokkaido area
  • Japan
SAMURAIHONOR
Nov. 8, 2023
【Continue to protect with Bushido spirit】 Tsumago-juku, where the townscape from the Sengoku period remains intact, has come to be known as the Samurai Road among foreign tourists. This area strictly adheres to the three principles of ``Do not sell, do not lend, and do not destroy.'' Bushido was inherited even by modern people. They are also samurai. 【武士道精神で守続け】 戦国時代の町並みがそのまま残る妻籠宿は、外国人観光客の間でサムライの道と呼ばれるように。 この一帯は「売らない・貸さない・こわさない」の3原則を徹底して守っています。 現代人にも武士道は引き継がれていた。 彼らも侍である。
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  • Nakatsugawa
  • Hida Takayama
  • Nagano Prefecture
  • Kiya Ryokan, a registered tangible cultural property
  • Samurai
  • Bushido
  • Samurai lord
  • Armor/Helmet
  • Japanese swords
  • Japanese Warrior
  • ...and 10 others
イエローフィット
Nov. 5, 2023
Ancient procession Ryukyu Dynasty Festival Shuri in front of Shureimon / This is a scene of an ancient procession at the "Ryukyu Dynasty Festival Shuri", one of the three major festivals in Naha City held on Culture Day in Shuri, the birthplace of Ryukyu culture. It is a reproduction of the procession of the King of the Ryukyu Kingdom visiting three temples under Shuri Castle to pray for the well-being of the country. It is as if you have traveled back in time to the Ryukyu Dynasty, and you will parade under Shuri Castle from the Shuri Castle Main Hall through the Shureimon Gate. I play an instrument called "cow bra". It has a bass like a tuba, and then a high note like a trumpet with an instrument called a "horse bra".
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  • Photo Contest
  • Cool Japan
  • Festival
  • Reconstruction
  • Okinawa Prefecture
  • Naha
  • Shuri Castle
  • History
  • Ryukyu
  • Traditional culture
  • ...and 1 others

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