Kyushu: History and Nature

Ryoichi Imai

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FUKUOKA

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福岡市 Waterfront

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• The new business center of Fukuoka city has been developed since the bubble period (late 1980s).

• The area is full of business buildings, attractions, and hotels, with the professional baseball dome.

九州大学箱崎キャンパスHakozaki campus, Kyushu University

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• This is a part of the Bunkei(Humanities) Building.

• The university was founded in 1911, as the fourth imperial university of Japan.

• The campus relocation will be completed in this August.

貝塚公園 Kaizuka Park

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Near the Hakozakicampus of the Kyushu University.

Minobu-san Fukuoka Temple身延山福岡別院

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• A Hokekyo priest, Nichiren, alarmed at people about the invasion of Mongolia in the 13th century.

• He was heavily persecuted by the Kamakura bakufu for having confused people.

• Later his Buddhist believers have formed the Nichiren-shu 日蓮宗, which is one of the largest Buddhist sects in Japan.

亀山上皇銅像（東公園・吉塚駅）The Statue of the Kameyama emperor

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• The bronze statue of the former emperor, Kameyama, stands still at the center of the East Park of the Fukuoka city.

• The emperor prayed for the victory of Japan’s force, which eventually defeated the Mongolian force attacking the Northern coast of Kyushu in the 13th century.

• The construction of the statue was financed by the special donation from a business owner in Fukuoka in the late Meiji period, when Japan was threatened by the Russia’s aggression.

九州国立博物館Kyushu National Museum

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• The fourth old national museum in Japan.

• Its collection focusses on the relationship of Japan with the continent from the prehistoric time to today.

• The Kyudai students are allowed to enter the regular exhibition for free thanks to the special contract.

• Visitors can explore the special exhibition by paying extra charge. It is a must see.

南蔵院 Nanzouin

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• Nanzouin is very popular for its giant Budda statue lying down at last moment of his life.

• The temple guides pilgrims to visit regional temples in the northern backyard of the Fukuoka city.

若杉山 Mt. Wakasugiyama

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• The pilgrimage road from the Nanzouintemple leads visitors to Mt. Wakasugiyama.

• The mountain is very popular for its spiritual power to attract even young people, with many amazing rocks.

宝満山 Mt. Houmanzan

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• The mountain is located behind DazainuTenmangu shrine.

• It is fully covered by gigantic rocks, making the place a spiritual spot.

• You can trek the mountain road from Mt. Wakasugiyama to Mt. Homanzan in 6 hours.

• You can climb the mountain from the Kamado shrine for two hours.

竈神社 Kamado (oven) shrine

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• The kamado shrine is located by 40 minutes walk away from the Tenmangushrine.

• Another popular spot for its red leaves in autumn.

• You can go to the shrine by bus for 10 minutes ride from the Dazaifu station.

大興善寺 Dai Kozenji

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• One of the best spot to admire the red leaves in autumn.

雷山観音 Raizan Kannon

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• The Buddhist temple is located in the Itoshima city, near the Ito campus of Kyushu University.

• One of the best place for admiring the red leaves in the autumn.

• The temple is also famous for its Kannon Buddha wooden sculpture.

JTW TRIPS

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伊藤伝右衛門邸Ito Den-emon House

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• Ito Den-emon was an entrepreneur of the coal-mining industry, renowned as the “king of coal-mines”.

• At age of 50, he married Yanagihara Byakuren (25 years old) as his second wife.

• Byakuren was a cousin of the Taisho emperor, and despised him, and finally escaped away from him with her young lover Miyazaki Ryusuke.

• The story was broadcasted as a popular drama “Hanako and Ann” by NHK, and made the house very popular for tourists.

宇佐八幡宮 Usa Hachiman shrine

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• The shrine was built in the 8th century, and is ranked at the top of all the Hachiman shrines in Japan.

• Its shintaku (oracle) was so strong to affect the decisions in the imperial court (Dokyo incident).

• The shrine was one of the leaders of the Shinto syncretism (immersion with Buddhism).

• The center of the Shugendoemerging in the KunisakiPeninsula.

熊野摩崖仏 Kumano Magaibutsu

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• In Kunisaki Peninsula, there are more than hundreds of Buddhist rock relief sculptures, amounting to 90% of those rock sculptures in Japan.

• Shintoism was immersed with Buddhism to create Shugendo Buddhism, attracting thousands of pilgrims from all over Japan.

• Even today, the pilgrimage roads of the Kunisaki Peninsula are loved by mountain treckers.

別府温泉 Beppu Onsen

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• The largest onsen hot spring in Japan, even larger than KusatsuOnsen of Gummaprefecture.

• Many active volcanos (Mt. Aso and Mt. Kuju) concentrate on the Middle Kyushu.

• Hot spring water is created by the volcano activities.

• The Kannawa district represents Japan’s onsen tradition since the Edo era.

海地獄 The blue ocean hell

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The hot springs are colored blue, white, red, or yellow, reflecting the types of volcano eruptions.

御船山楽園

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• The garden was built by Lord NabeshimaShigeyoshi of the Saga domain in the early 19th century.

• The garden is famous for its unique mixture of the Japanese and Chinese styles.

平和記念公園 長崎市Nagasaki Peace Park

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• Nagasaki city was destroyed by the US air force with an atomic bomb on August 9, 1945 at the end of the WWII.

• The Peace Memorial Statue was created by a famous engraver Kitamura Seibo, to pray for the world with no nuclear weapons to come.

興福寺 Kofukuji Temple, Nagasaki

•In 1654, a famous Zen priest Ingen came from China to Nagasaki and stayed in Japan until the end of his life.•He was invited to Kyoto by the Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, and founded the Manpukuji Temple.•Nagasaki has a special Buddhist temple district (Tera-machi), which survived the atomic bomb destruction in 1945.

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大浦天主堂 Ohura Church Nagasaki

•The church was built at the end of Edo era (1862), and is the oldest catholic church in Japan, remaining today.•Priest Putitjean found the local hidden Christians, who continued praying for Jesus more than 250 years informally, pretending to be Buddhists.

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長崎 Nagasaki

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↑The Nagasaki Bay from the Glover House

<- Giacomo Puccini

Miura Tamaki ->in Madame Butterfly

鏡山 Kagamiyama Hill

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• Good place to view the Genkai Bay.

• In the ancient time, Japan’s imperial court sent the military force to protect our territory in the southern Korea.

• Prince Sayori said farewell to her betrothed from the Hill, while her tears had frozen her to become a stone.

玄界灘 Genkai Bay (Sea)

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• The Kagamiyama Hill confronts the Genkai Bay (Sea).• Mount Ukidake (in the right) worked as a navigator to lead boats along the coast.• The 虹の松原 (Rainbow Forest of Pine trees) has protected the town against the

strong wind from the north.

見返りの滝 The Mikaeri waterfall

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• This beautiful waterfall is named after the strong impression that induces visitors to look back at the fall on the return walk.

• The waterfall is listed as one of the 100 best waterfalls in Japan.

• The photo was taken with the JTW students 2016-2017.

Hita: Kunchou-Shuzou 薫長酒造

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1. Hita was the economic center of Kyushu during the Edo era.

2. The bakuf collected taxes on the rice output, which was brought from all the Northern Kyushu area.

3. Sake brewery is considered to be the most successful business in the era.

Hita: Hina-Goten 1 雛御殿The Palace of Doll Festival

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• The wealthy merchants had a custom to celebrate the Doll Festival in March every year, by decorating their houses with pretty dolls of the emperors and the empresses attended by many courtiers and courtesans.

• Collection of pretty dolls symbolized their success in business.

Hita: Hina-Goten 2 雛御殿The Palace of Doll Festival

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• The Hina Gotenis now located in the local soy sauce shop.

• Soy sauce is one of the major products of the Hita area.

Hita: The Kangi-en咸宜園

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• Kangi-en was the Confucius grammar school, established in the late Edo era, by Hirose Tanso, who was born in a wealthy merchant family of Hita.

• The school continued for more than 70 years, and attracted hundreds students from all over Japan, including the upcoming leaders in the Meiji era.

NATURE

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英彦山 Mt. Hikosan

•Located near Kokura city in the Fukuoka prefecture.•One of the three sacred mountains of the Shugendo Buddhism.•In shugendo, the monks are requested to train themselves in mountains and forests.•The main hall was built by the donation from Lord Hosokawa in the early Edo era.

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由布岳 Mt. Yufu

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• 由布院温泉 (Yufu-in onsen) is a first-class hot spring located behind Beppu.

• Mt. Yufu is one of the most beautiful mountains in Kyushu, attracting many visitors.

九重連山Mt. Kuju

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• Mt. Kuju is famous for the blossom of Miyama Kirishimaflowers in the early June.

• The whole mountain is covered by pink flowers.

• Mt. Heiji-dake (in the center) is the spot where all the trekkers admire the flowers.

九重夢大吊橋Kuju Dream Suspension Bridge

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• The second longest suspension bridge for pedestrians in Japan.

• In late October, the visitors admire the great view of Mt. Kuju and Kyusuikei valley from the bridge.

阿蘇山 Mt. Aso

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• Mt. Aso was created by the consecutive eruptions, which occurred in 300 – 90 thousand years ago.

• The JTW students went to the crater only twice since 2002, because the volcanic activities have been so strong.

• This is the photo taken from the north, while easy visitors approach the crater from the south.

• The trekking road to approach the peak has been closed since 2016 when the Kumamoto earthquake destroyed the area surrounding the mountain

高千穂峰 Mt. Takachiho-no-mine

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• In the ancient myth, the heaven was ruled by Amaterasu, a divine.

• Her younger brother Ninigi stepped down to the peak of Mt. Takachiho-no-mine in order to rule Japan.

• The imperial family was believed to be the descendants of Ninigi.

• This is the crater of the volcano, while the peak is behind

高千穂峡 Takachiho valley, Miyazaki

•In the Japanese myth, the god Ninigi stepped down from the Heaven to Takachihoand started ruling Japan. •Amateras, the ruler of the Heaven, is worshiped at the Iwado Shrine near the valley.

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雲仙岳 Mt. Unzen, Nagasaki

•In 1989, an explosive eruption occurred, which destroyed local towns and cities and killed around 50 people.•Today, you can approach the new volcano (Heisei Shinzan) by taking the ropeway and walking.

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