Shaft tower of remains in Shime, Fukuoka

Today I'll talk about a shaft tower of the former Shime coal mines (旧志免鉱業所竪坑櫓 Kyu-Shime-kogyo-sho Tatekou-yagura) in Shime, Fukuoka. We were visited there in August 11 before going back to home.

=Summary=
A 52.7m high shaft tower was completed in May 1943 that is a made of reinforced concrete buildings.
It has been carrying miners and coals to the Port of Hakata, and using a vertical tunnel to upload materials from the basement that is up to 430 meters underground.
It has a structure of which is said to be a winding tower, was equipped with the friction winding system there. In December 2009, it has been designated as important cultural properties of Japan by the government.

As a symbol of the old town of mine coals, the tower building is firmly standing in the heart of the town. Once the town was flourished by coal mine industries, it is often called as "the largest shaft tower in the East" because of friction using the fine coal and rich materials. The building symbolizes that a long-run state owned mining plant until the closure of mines in 1964.

Chinkoku-ji (鎮国寺) Temple, Munakata

Next we were visiting to Chinkoku-ji, a Shingon temple located immediately close to the east of Munakata-taisha Grand Shrine, on the top of the small hill across the Tsurikawa (釣川) River.  It's a beautiful temple with many flowers such as the early flowering plum at the beginning of the year, spring cherry blossoms (sakura), azaleas, autumn leaves etc.

According to legend, it was founded by Kūkai, who went to China in 804 and 805, mastered Shingon Buddhism, and returned to Japan in 806. After he returned to Japan, he visited to the Munakata-taisha Grand Shrine first. Then he saw hanging happy signs clouds in the neighboring mountain, Byobu-yama (屏風山) when he began his training for prayer and austerities in the cave of inner temple. He listened to the revelation of this is a holy site what should be serving the foundation dojo of keeping the public society of nation in Buddhism. He was erected the Shingon temple and it named as Chinkoku-ji.

The Gomado (護摩洞) hall of Honden or the main shrine. It has been enshrined the standing Acala statue which is designated as the important cultural properties of Japan. It's said to be introduced by Kukai's work. 

Gobudo (五仏堂) or the five Buddhists hall. It has been enshrined the five Buddha images which is the original form of Munakata-daimyojin (宗像大明神) Shinto deities. 

Plane spotting @ FUK on 23 September 2015/2015年9月23日福岡空港での飛行機たち

Yesterday, I went to the airport to see planes takeoff and landing. It was the last day of long week-ends which is called "Sliver Week" in Japan. I was only staying there about an hour around the noon, but I was luckily to see a chartered flight of Yakutia Airlines from Vladivostok, Russia. They were flying an extremely rear Russian-made plane, Sukhoi Superjet 100.
シルバーウイーク最終日の昨日は飛行機を見に行きました。昼前後の1時間ほどしか居なかったのですが、ロシアのヤクーチャ航空がウラジオストクからのチャーター便、それもロシア製の数少ない機種であるスホーイ・スーパージェット100型機で飛来したのが見られてとてもラッキーでした。

Let's start uploading.
それではUPしてゆきます。

A United Airlines flight UA166 to Guam was taking off on Rwy 16 at 11:47am.
午前11時47分にユナイテッド航空のUA166便グアム行きが滑走路16から離陸。

This flight is usually operated by Boeing 737-700s, but they sent the -800s instead because yesterday was the last day of Sliver Week consecutive holidays.
当便は通常B737-700機で運航していますが、昨日はシルバーウイーク最後の日だったこともあって座席数の多い-800機で飛来していました。

9 minutes after, a Thai Airways flight TG649 to Bangkok was taking off.
9分後にタイ国際航空のTG649便バンコク行きが離陸。

The same reasons mentioned above the UA flight, they also made the aircraft changes to B777-300s yesterday from the usual one, B787s.
通常だとB787-8機が入りますが、昨日は上記のUA便と同じ理由でB777-300機に機材変更していました。

During this time, an Air China flight CA804 to Shanghai was taking off. From 24 July, the airline was increased in the number of 2 flights per day on the Fukuoka - Shanghai route.
この間に中国国際航空のCA804便上海行きが離陸。7月24日から同社の福岡ー上海線は1日2便の運航に増便しています。

An EVA Air flight BR105 to Taipei was taking off at 12:32 pm.
午後12時32分にエバー航空のBR105便台北行きが離陸。

Yesterday's Kitty jet flight has been coming to its fourth fleet, "Speed Puff", not the "Apple" nicknamed plane.
昨日のキティジェットはいつもの”アップル”ではなく4機目であるA330-200機の”スピードパフ”で飛来していました。

The plane went into the sky.
離陸後の飛行機。

At 12:35 pm, a chartered flight of a Yakutia Airlines from Vladivostok (?) was taxiing after landing on Rwy 16. I met two plane enthusiasts next to me. They had been waiting to have a tripod and try to take a picture.
午後12時35分：ヤクーチャ航空のウラジオストク（？）発チャーター便が滑走路16へ着陸およびタキシング。そばには二人の飛行機マニアたちがいて写真を撮ろうと三脚を持って待ち構えていました。

I had tried to take a up-close picture of the plane during taxi.
タキシング中の飛行機を間近で撮影して見ました。

Visiting to the Munakata-taisha Grand Shrine

After leaving Miyajidake-jinja in Fukutsu, we went to the Munakata-taisha (宗像大社) Grand Shrine. This shrine is a collection of three shinto shrines in Munakata city. It is the head of the about 6,000 Munakata shrines all over the country.

Going through the gate (see the photo above) on sando, finally we got into Haiden or the hall of worship. We prey for the family of health and welfare.

Ema-do. 

Yohai-jo (遥拝所), the distant Shinto prayers place, leads to the all Munakata shrines around the country.

A roof of Honden or the main shrine.

Just across the main shrine, there's an entrance towards to the second and third shrines. We didn't go there this time because we don't have much time. Maybe we'll go there next time.

A view of Shinji-ike (心字池) Pond from the west. The Taiko-bashi (太鼓橋) moon bridge across the pond on sando approaching the main shrine.

The Shinpo-kan (神宝館) treasure hall, located on the southwest corner of the shrine, has many important historical relics including six National Treasures of Japan. Over 120,000 artifacts housed in the Shinpo-kan were unearthed on Okinoshima.

Visiting to Miyajidake-jinja Shrine, Fukutsu

On September 15, we had decided to take a drive to Munakata, a city located in Fukuoka prefecture, in the north Chikuzen region of the prefecture. We went to the Munakata-taisha (宗像大社) Grand Shrine. This shrine is a collection of three shinto shrines within the city. It is the head of the about 6,000 Munakata shrines all over the country.

Before that, we visited to the Miyajidake-jinja (宮地嶽神社) Shrine in Fukutsu city. Located in the former Tsuyazaki Town, the shrine is known as god of the good luck business. It is the prefecture's leading of the shrine visited by about 2 million people per year.

Haiden or the hall of worship. The big rope of the shrine, called Oo-shimenawa (大しめ縄) in Japanese. It is the weight of a 3 ton rope and is hanging onto it above the prayer hall. Not only this but the shrine has two other biggest things in Japan, a 450 ton bronze bell and a wooden drum using a domestic timber which is the largest one in the whole country.

The stone toriis standing on sando (road approaching to the shrine) that leads to the Oku-no-miya (奥の宮) eight inner shrines. It's fun to tour the inner sanctuaries and don't forget to pray for your wish!

Going straight the road from the stone toriis, then turn right you can find some relocated and rebuilt  old houses from all over the country and Misogi-ike (禊ぎ池) small pond where waterfowls gathering together.

Seeing a big Buddha in Nanzoin (南蔵院) Temple, Sasaguri, Fukuoka

Taking on National Route 201 from Iizuka and passing some gentle curves, we arrived to Nanzoin Temple in Sasaguri. The temple has several sightseeing spots in the center of the main hall, such as an 11 meter Acala, a seven meter Fudo Waterfall which is a place for nun training, a 500 rakan or Buddha images showing his emotional expressions. The most interesting one is the huge lying down Buddha statue. Completed in 1995, it is the biggest bronze Buddhist statues in the world.

We stopped our car in the parking lot of JR Kido Nanzoin-mae Station (城戸南蔵院前駅 -eki) on Sasaguri Line first, then walked through a sidewalk to the temple.

Passing through some souvenir shops and going up some gentle slopes, finally we've seen to the entrance of Nanzoin Temple. 

Maneki-neko or an welcoming cat in front of the main entrance. Making our good luck to ring the bell by pulling a rope.

The Hichifukujin (the seven lucky gods) Tunnel is the easiest way to go to the huge Buddha statue. As the name suggests, the seven gods are enshrined in the middle of the tunnel. The reason is the presence of chief priest Hayashi who won the Takarakuji (宝くじ) national lottery many times, that's why he made such images inside the tunnel.

After coming out from the tunnel and walking up a gentle slope little, finally we got into big Buddha.

According to the official site (in Japanese), the statue is proud to be the world's largest as the bronze, it's 300 ton of his body weight. And it seems to be the same size as that of the Statue of Liberty in New York.

A curved pattern, so-called "Buddha's foot", has been engraved on the foot. Worshipers are paid a coin as offertory here as well. They put his foot into it.

Going inside the Old Ito Den-emon's house

After strolling the garden, we visited to the Den-emon's main house. The house, which was added to the building many times, is a modern Japanese-style building housing in the early 1900s. It's a harmonious beautiful building of compromise between East and West.

A British style reception room right next to the hallway.

Views of a huge stroll garden from the Byakuren Yanagihara's living room. Byakuren, the second wife of Den-emon who came from the Imperial family of Kyoto at that time, was spent here for 10 years.

A special exhibition of Chinese landscape paintings was held in the living room.

 A large western-style dining room with pictures of butterfly bush drawing up in the sliding doors.

Going up to the second floor, you'll see wonderful views of the entire garden from there.

The Kaku-no-ma (角之間) tea room, about five tatami spaces in this room, is located in the center of the house. An oven for tea ceremony is set up in the middle. You can have a cup of Matcha green tea with Hiyoko Manju (ひよこ饅頭) Japanese sweet for relaxing your mind.