Walking Kurosaki-juku, a post town on the Nagasaki Kaido

After walking on steep slopes of Ishisaka, we went to Kurosaki-juku (黒崎宿) around Kurosaki Station in Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu. Kurosaki-juku was one of the important post stations (宿場 -shukuba) along the Nagasaki Kaido highway from Kokura to Nagasaki. It is now being developed as an industrial town where are many factories located there.

The Kurosaki Izutsuya (黒崎井筒屋) Department Store next to the station. The store was first opened in 1959 and moved to its present location in 2001. However, it'll be closed on May 31, 2019.

Kumade Shopping Arcade, a covered walkway in the shopping street of Kurosaki. The scale of the shopping district where is the ruins of the Nagasaki Kaido was quite large and it seems to be so crowded until the 1960s.

The Okitama-no-kami (興玉神) God, also known as Sarudahiko Okami (猿田彦大神), is enshrined in a small Shinto shrine.

About 380 m further down the road from the shrine, you can find the site of Kurosaki-juku West Gate. This is the end of the town.

After we say good-bye to Kurosaki-juku, we went to a nearby place called Magari (曲里) pine tree avenue. Pine trees are planted in the Edo period along the highway. These tree-lined streets can be found in Japan such as Nikko and Hakone.

The trees here are surrounded by buildings and houses, but only one corner of these trees still left as it is at that time.

Walking on steep slopes of Ishisaka, Kitakyushu

After visiting Koyanose-juku, we went up the steep slopes of Ishisaka (石坂) in Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu where is the remains of the old Nagasaki Kaido highway.

Before that we saw a rest house called Tachiba Chaya Ichoya (立場茶屋銀杏屋) near the stairs. Ishisaka was the one of the difficult place to go between Kurosaki-juku and Koyanose-juku post towns on the Nagasaki Kaido during the Edo period. Even the daimyos got off the carriage and walked down the stairs.

We're now walking on stairs. It is well maintained slope by stone pavement and stairs, but there's some old kaido road still left.

We were going down a steep hill.

When we went down the stairs, paddy field spread in front of us.

After that we went up again and back to the car. Then we went to the next destination, Kurosaki-juku (黒崎宿).

Walking Koyanose-juku, a post town on the Nagasaki-kaido

On Monday, we went to Koyanose-juku (木屋瀬宿), a post town on the Nagasaki Kaido highway in Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu. Koyanose-juku was the second post station next to Kurosaki. 

The site of the East Gate of Koyanose-juku. This is the entrance of an old post town on the Nagasaki Kaido highway from Kokura.

There are many old Japanese style houses (Machiya 町屋) in the street.

The Moyai-no-ie (もやいの家) trading house. It used to be a trading place for foreign goods and sugar materials during the Edo period. It is now used as a rest area and a souvenir shop. 

The site of Toiyaba (問屋場跡).  

A row of the traditional style houses all joined together.

The road turns 90 degrees in front of the Nagasaki Kaido Museum. 

Just across the street and keep going to straight, we found a house called Funashoya (船庄屋= the house of vessel headmen). It is said to be that they sent their annual rice productions by a river boat.

The Old Takasaki Family House (旧高崎家住宅 kyu takasaki-ke jyutaku). It was a merchant house built in the late Edo period, and also the birthplace of Harube Ima (伊馬春部) who was a broadcast producer in the mid Showa period.

The site of Murashoya (村庄屋= the house of village headmen). There were three shoyas in this town, the Kawashoya (川庄屋) who was a responsibility manager of a river vessel and the Shukushoya (宿庄屋) was a general manager of inns.

When we came near the end of the street, we could see a stone monument of the former West Gate. This is the end of the town. 

The Oiwake (追分) split road sign that divides the road into two parts. If you go to the left, you'll get to Iizuka-shuku where is the next post station on the Nagasaki Kaido. If you turn right, you'll be going to Fukuoka via Akama-shuku in Munakata.

Visiting Tanabata-jinja, Ogori, Fukuoka

In the evening, we went to a Shinto shrine named Tanabata-jinja (七夕神社) in Ogori. This is very unusual Shinto shrine in Japan that believes in Orihime (織姫), a Chinese folk tale.

Why did the shrine get its name? In the history of the old Hizen province around 730, the shrine was already established in this area at that time. In addition, there is a list of delivered goods to be presented to the court from various places in the book called the Engi-shiki (延喜式) style ceremony which is over a thousand years ago from now. According to it, the deliverable of the old Chikugo province including Ogori are rice and woven fabrics, which indicates that fabrics were very popular in this region. Furthermore, people who have been involved in fabric since ancient times believed in  the waving goddess called as the Tanabata-tsume (棚機津女) as a god of textiles. It is believed that the faith of the waiver maiden and the tale of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl from China assimilated and became popular as the Tanabata shrine believing the god of fabric.

Statues of the cowherd and the weaver girl (織姫と彦星 orihime-to-hikoboshi) at the entrance of the shrine.

The sando that leads to the hall of worship. The name plate of the first torii gate is written as Himekoso-jinja (媛社神社).　

Before going to the main shrine, I washed my hands at Chozuya (手水舎).

Honden or the main shrine.

The reproduction of the tale of tanabata made under the big top sign of the shrine.

After that we want to go to the Oimatsu Shrine (老松神社 -jinja) near here, but we don't have enough time to visit. May be next time.

Walking temple tour in Teramachi, Kurume, part 2

After that we went to Tokuun-ji (徳雲寺), a Rinzai temple. As we know the Buddhist temples in Japan are usually very small, but here it is too big. They have a huge temple building and a lawn garden with pine trees.

The grave of Den Inoue, the founder of Kurume Kasuri traditional clothes, is in the ground of the temple.

The Kannon bosatsu statues at the back of the main temple.

Going back to the street and turn right at the next corner, we saw the sanmon temple gate of Hensho-in (遍照院).

The grave of Takayama Hikokuro (高山彦九郎) at the entrance of graveyard.

 A Japanese garden near the cemetery. It's a free of charge, you go there and relax your mind.

Shorin-ji (少林寺), a Renzai temple, is located next to the above-mentioned Hensho-in temple and garden.

A rock garden with pine trees is beautiful.

Finally we went to Io-ji (医王寺), a Shingon temple.

A wisteria tunnel and the statue of Kukai in the background.

Walking temple tour in Teramachi, Kurume, part 1

In the afternoon, we walked around Teramachi (寺町), a district in central Kurume. As name suggests, the temples are lined up in a row, on the left and right of one street.

There are quite many temples in this area so I took pictures of them.

Let's take a tour.

Sofuku-ji (宗福寺) at the entrance of Teramachi temple street.

The main temple of Shinko-ji (心光寺). Not only this but also have the Fudo-do and Yoryu-do prayer halls.

The prayer hall of Fudo-do where the Fudo Myoo statue is located.

Close up of the Fudo Myoo statue.

The Kannon-do prayer hall of Yoryu Kannon. 

The red sanmon gate of Hontai-ji (本泰寺).

A tiny garden with funny shaped pine trees is located inside.

The Shinkyo-ji (真教寺) temple just across the road. We could see the beautiful scenery of temple from the street; the bell tower in the center picture and white and black walls in the background.

The temple gate and main temple building of Shinkyo-ji.

Saiho-ji (西方寺) is located next to the above-mentioned Shinkyo-ji Temple.

Joken-ji (浄顕寺). The feature of this temple is an indoor garden with wisteria.

The sanmon temple gate and bell tower of Seigyo-ji (誓行寺).

The main temple building and the garden.

Myosei-ji (妙正寺), a Nichiren Shu temple.

Myoren-ji (妙蓮寺), a Jodo Shinshu temple.

Shokaku-ji (正覚寺), a Soto-shu temple.

Seneizen-ji (千栄禅寺). It looks like a church but it isn't a church!

Only the bell tower next to the parking lot is like a temple.

The Maria kannon statue.

A beautiful small garden landscape in front of the temple tower.

Myozen-ji, a Nichiren Shu temple, is on the opposite side of a zen temple.

Zenpuku-ji (善福寺), a Jodo shu temple.

To be continued..