Visiting Mizushima, Yatsushiro, Kumamoto

Finally we went to Mizushima (水島), an inhabited island of Japan located near the mouth of the Kuma River in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto. It's a very small island, there's only one Shinto shrine exists.

This is the legendary place which was described in the text of Nihon Shoki; the Emperor Keiko visited this place for a meal long ago. There was no drinking water so he asked a young man for it. When the man gave prayers to God, the spring water came out from the edge of the cliff suddenly. He bought that water to the Emperor. For this reason the island that became Mizushima. Fountain is still at the edge of the cliff.

The Ryu-jinja (龍神社, lit:dragon shrine) Shinto sanctuary and Mizushima Island

The newly opened Manyo-no-sato Park is nearby. You can see the panoramic view of Yatsushiro/Shiranui Sea.

Rengein Tanjo-ji Okunoin, Tamana, Kumamoto

After leaving the Mitsui Minato Club, we went to the Rengein Tanjo-ji Okunoin in Tanama. I already went there, but this time I want to take some pics for Wikimedia Commons.

Let's start from the Shinkyomon (心経門) main gate.

The Five-story Pagoda and Niomon Gate. 

The beautiful five-story pagoda. It is considered to be the Japan's third largest Buddhist temple tower, with a height of 51.5 meters. 

A view of the Koen Daibosatsu (皇円大菩薩) Buddha statue from Saito-ogoma-dojo (柴燈大護摩道場) plaza.

He looks you in the eyes.

After seeing the statue of Buddha, we went to the observatory where we can see the Ariake Sea. 

Unfortunately it was cloudy and the sight was very bad, we couldn't see the sea at all.

  Going back to the hondo (本堂) or the main temple, then we saw the Shorodo bell tower.

The Hiryu-no-kane (飛龍の鐘) bell.

Mitsui Minato Club, Omuta, Fukuoka

After visiting Miike Port, we went to a nearby spot, the Mitsui Minato Club (旧三井港俱楽部 kyu-mitsui-minato-kurabu) . It was built by Mitsui Group in 1908 and used as a guest house.

Welcome to the retro style house of the Meiji era. There's a fancy dining restaurant on the first floor, you can have some great western food here.

Then I went up the stairs to the second floor. A set of reception chairs which was used at the time of the Emperor Showa's visit in 1949. 

After that I took a tour the garden.

A statue of Dan Takuma (團啄磨), the founder of the Mitsui Miike Mine and the site of Oura Mine Shaft in the courtyard.

Visiting Miike Port, Omuta, Fukuoka

First we went to Miike Port (三池港 -ko), Omuta, Fukuoka. We've never been there for decades, so we want to go again.

Driving on Fukuoka Prefectural Route 10 and Ariake Bay Coastal Road from Nankan Interchange on Kyushu Expressway, we came to the small harbor town in the southernmost end of Fukuoka Prefecture.

The port was first opened in 1902 on Ariake Bay. In 1908, it was opened to the foreigners and in the next year the Trade Taxation Office was established along the port, as a branch of the Nagasaki Trade Taxation Office.

The Miike container park seen from the port square. A regular shipping service is seems to be running to Busan, Korea but I don't know how many times there are.

Miike Port's lock gate in the dock. This is unusual dock in Japan which is similar to the Panama Canal.

After that we went to the Mitsui Minato Club (三井港倶楽部). It was built by Mitsui Group in 1908 and used as a guest house.

To be continued..

Seeing iris festival at Shohinken Garden, Yatsushiro, Kumamoto

On Monday, we had decided to take a drive to see iris in bloom at Shohinken (松浜軒) Garden, Yatsushiro, Kumamoto. The garden's Japanese water iris (iris ensata) are starting to bloom in late May. The best time to see the flowers is around the beginning of June. 

Before coming here, we stopped at two sightseeing places on the way, Miike Port in Omuta and Rengein Tanjo-ji Okunoin in Tamana. What did I do there? I'll tell you about these places later.

The pond's irises are approaching full bloom, with over 80% of the flowers already open. We enjoyed for an iris blossom viewing party.

Iris blossoms in bloom in the garden.

The iris garden and the Hosokawa family's house

 A close up of some blossoms.