September 13, 2008

• 9/13/2008 Nagasaki

  Here are pictures from our weekend trip to Nagasaki.  Our trip got off to a good start when we left the house after putting my bike inside.  Halfway to the station I inquired of hubby if he had locked the front door because I had assumed he did, but he assumed I did, so he then assumed it would be best to return and do so.  It could have been a worse start if I had asked him on the train!  ( '.' )

  

  Our train arrives at Nagasaki Station.

  

  This is apparently a parade float the the Nagasaki Kunchi.  It is a Chinese ship docked in the train station.

  

  This is Nagasaki Station, in case you couldn't figure it out.  Above is left and below is right. 

  

  Go up the stairs and over the street bridge to get to the tram stops.

  

  Hubby wants to go to our hotel first, Holiday Inn Nagasaki, and get rid of our one piece of luggage.

  Soufukuji Temple

  The first stop on hubby's itinerary is Soufukuji, a Chinese temple established in the 1600's.  Nagasaki was a center for international trade and cultural exchange, and this temple was built by the Chinese in 1629.  Compared to Japanese temples, Sofukuji is very colorful.  The building materials were cut out and prepared in China and then brought to Nagasaki and constructed on this site.

  Nagasaki also has a small Chinatown that we later discovered was very near the Holiday Inn where we stayed overnight.  We are going to have to make another trip!

  We did not go to any of the sites associated with the atomic bombing this trip.  Both Hubby and I have been there on separate occasions, and that is not really a place that he felt we needed to see again.  Nagasaki had a very colorful history before the unfortunate event that made it infamous, and hubby preferred to spend the time exploring the part of the city that had not been destroyed.

  

  This is the first "ground floor" gate of Soufukuji Temple, with lions on either side.  These are lions, right, Kato san?  Or are they Koma-Inu?

  

  Left

  

  Right - only a mother could love a face like that.

  

  Here is the non-escalator to the next level.  I waited for the guy text messaging to leave, but he seemed to be writing a saga.  Maybe I will ZAP him with Photoshop.

  

  There - I didn't want to do it, but Textman drove me to it.

  

  We are now at the top of the stairs and ready to enter the next ornately decorated gate.

   

  

  Detailed work from the underside of the gate

  

  Here are some Buddhist images from various places in the temple grounds.  The rooms are much more colorful than what is found in Japanese temples.

  

  Let's keep walking around the grounds.

  

  

  

  Hubby said to take a picture here.

  

  

  

  This building is the oldest in Nagasaki and has been designated as a National Treasure.

  

  Hubby says it is time to go - he always has things timed down to the last second.  But, this old wall screamed out to me from ages past!  You can see the main gate at the bottom of the stairs that we are going to descend in a minute.

  

  I liked the crooked tiles and the ivy.

  

  This was taken from the Soufukuji tram stop.  See the rails on the lower left?  The brook babbled comfortingly, but the construction of these dwellings would not comfort my mind were there a heavy rain or an earthquake.

  

  Here is the tram - next stop is a place I have been before and have always wanted to return to, but never thought I would have another chance.

  Oura Tenshudo - National Treasure

  This next entry may try your patience.  Hubby was very good with me letting me take lots of pictures here.  This was another place that I visited with sonny B years ago and was very glad to get back to.  This is what I remembered most about it, the light coming through the stained glass windows casting deeply tinted hues on the floor.  I wanted to take pictures back then but behaved myself as pictures are not allowed inside.  This is from the Internet and must have been taken by someone who had to stop by the confession booth on the way out.

  

  The explanation below is also off the Internet, and I will do a bit of research on this myself and write about it later.

  "Ooura-tenshudo, or Ooura Cathedral, is the only church designated as a National Treasure and is the oldest remaining wooden gothic-style church in Japan. It is officially named “Church of the twenty-six Saints of Japan” and faces Nishizaka Hill. At this location in 1597, by order of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the absolute ruler of Japan at the time who outlawed Catholicism and persecuted Christians, twenty Japanese Christians and six European missionaries were crucified. Later in 1862, these Martyrs of Japan were canonized by the Catholic Church and remembered by other Christians worldwide. To commemorate the Saints, Ooura Cathedral was built under the direction of the French priest, Bernard Petitjean. When the Cathedral was originally built in a gothic style with three steeples, it had some unusual features such as its front center wall being baroque style and the outer walls being decorated with Namako-kabe style, geometrical patterns of white and darker colors. It was reconstructed in 1879 when all the outer walls were replaced with brick, converting it solely into a gothic-style building. "

  OK, here are my pics.  I really could go back and spend a day here.  Hey, Father Preparing A Place For Me, can I order this kind of windows??

  

  Here is the path leading to Oura Tenshudo Cathedral.  There are many buildings with architecture from another world.  This neighborhood alone could yield many interesting pictures.

  

  We arrive at the cathedral, and Mary greets us at the door.  Personally, I prefer to deal directly with her Son...  A thought just occurred to me.  While I was inside I totally forgot to look at the stained glass windows at the back of the church.  I am really going to have to go AGAIN!!  I hate incompletes.

  

  

  See how the light from the stained glass plays on the wooden structure on the right?

  

  At the front of the church to the right of the altar.  Again, notice how the light plays colorfully on the walls.

  

  

  More naughty pictures...  They should be thankful, because there was a small hole in one of the blue panes and I repaired it with Photoshop.

  

  This was taken from outside through an open window.  Am I all right to do this?  It all depends on what your definition of "is" is.  Does "no pictures inside" mean that it is all right to take pictures inside if my body is outside?

  

  Also from outside, using the stained glass as a filter to photograph an open window on the opposite side of the building.

  

  This is an outside view of the three windows to the right of the altar.

  

  Also taken from outside.

  

  This is an old seminary building/museum to the immediate right of the cathedral.

  

  The building next to the Cathedral was a small museum and housed some objects related to the period when Christianity was banned in Japan.  The Gospel was not all that the missionaries brought with them when they arrived.  They brought the politics of their country as well, and as politicians really did pose a threat to the stability of the Japanese government.  It is too bad that the Japanese Christians had to suffer because of it.  Above is a "Fumie," which one had to step on to prove that one was not a Christian.  At another museum it told of how gathering the entire village to step on a fumie was part of every New Year's celebration.  People would gather for this event, because it was a chance to get a glimpse of the lovely ankles of the courtesans who trod the picture.  It kind of turned my stomach.

  

  Another Fumie

  

  This is a "Maria Kannon."  Mary is dressing up like the Buddhist God Kannon so no one will recognize her. 

  

  More pictures from outside.  If you are getting sick of this, just wait for me at the front of the cathedral.  I'll be done soon.

  

  

  

  Still playing with the windows.

  

  Hub suggested this shot of the white lamps hanging from the ceiling inside.

  

  

  This was suggested by Hubby, too.  The church is on the right and the Museum/Seminary is on the left.  The building with the green roof is another Catholic church, built in 1975, I think it was.  Kato 630, correct me if I am wrong.

  

  Oura Cathedral Steeple

  

  Serious playing with glass, using it as colored filters - Green Version - I am STILL OFFICIALLY OUTSIDE and not taking pictures inside.

  

  Red Version

  

  Blue Version - I wanted to try orange and yellow, but orange was too high up, and I think someone with a different definition of inside might have been knocking on the inside of the window at my outside body, and Hubby was wanting to move on.  I have pushed my luck far enough.  No time to even stop at the confessional.

  

  This was taken from outside from beside the Mary statue, so it is legal in my book.  See how the light plays on the ceiling on the upper right?

  I would love to stay longer, but Hubby's meter is running.  Next stop, Dejima!!

  Before looking at these pictures, I would advise reading up on the history of Dejima a bit.  You can do this at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dejima  as it gives good information.  Dejima was a fan shaped artificial island in Nagasaki bay where Dutch traders were confined and allowed to conduct business during the time when Japan was closed to the outside to avoid colonization.  Here is an artist's rendition of the island, surrounded by water but for a road in the middle that led to a gate through which admission could be gained to the area.  To the right you see docks where boats landed with wares from the mother ship.

  

  

  Above is a miniature model of what Dejima must have looked like.

  

  Dejima has since been totally enclosed in reclaimed land.  As the reconstruction project continues, included in the plans is construction of a moat around the area.

  

  Here is a rendition of the two sea gates that were depicted at the right side of the above painting, one for outgoing goods and one for incoming.  There is also a large scale to weigh the wares.

  

  Turn around 180 degrees and you see the main street of the tiny town.

  

  Proceed down the street to and look to the left to see the site of the main gate.  There was a bridge to the mainland here, and one could only get through this gate with a special pass.

  

  There are exhibits in the reconstructed buildings.  Nothing but a shard remains of this fishy dish, but I liked it all the same. 

  

  Here is a model of the ships that brought goods for trade.

  

  This was taken inside the residential quarters.  I thought the wallpaper was unique.  It is done with a block print and was used by Japanese as backing for the inside of their paper doors and was usually considered low quality paper, but the Dutch seemed to like it.  It's a nice touch.

  

  Here you can see green paint that was used on windows and railings.  There must have been a reason for this, but I didn't catch it.

  

  This is the captain's dining room - pretty fancy.  We were allowed to take pictures, but not to use a flash.

  

  Cuppa coffee, anyone?

  

  These are clay pipes for an after dinner smoke.  I understand that a lot of smoking was done, as there was not much to do stuck in such a small area while one was waiting for a ship to come in.  Other past times were badminton and billiards.

  

  Fried chicken on the captain's table.

  

  Care for some wine with that?

  

  After dinner one could sit back and view the ocean.  I am sure that the captain would be surprised to see a streetcar running in a place that used to be under water.

  

  Windows.

  

  

  

  There were offices for Japanese officials who would write reports of the goings-on in Dejima for their superiors in the capital Edo (Tokyo).

  

  The kitchen.  I think the barrels were for catching blood of slaughtered animals.  I am not quite sure what is on the meat hook.  I'll bet it tastes like chicken!

  

  The captain's bed and mosquito net.

  

  The captain's desk.

  

  This was how dishes were packed for their ocean voyage back to Europe, wrapped in straw.

  

  These are clay bells from the souvenir shop.  They are shaped like the floats used in the Nagasaki Kunchi parade.  Hey, Kato-san, how much do I have to pay for a ticket to sit in Suwa Shrine?  We are all ready to go back to the hotel about now, but before that we stop at a place called Yosso to encounter the biggest chawan-mushi pudding we have ever seen!

  After Dejima we decided to head back to the hotel and check out the neighborhood for somewhere to have dinner.  We were lucky enough to stumble on a place that was recommended in the guidebooks, Yosso.

  

  Dinner is served!

  

  Let's check out the menu.  Upper left is a dish called kakuni, which is thick boiled slabs of pork that melt in your mouth.  Center is fish with miso sauce.  Lower left is rice topped with egg, pink denbu sweet fish (natural coloring) and I forget what the other topping was.  Lower right is Yosso's specialty, chawan mushi.  This is a steamed custard dish, except that it is on the salty side rather than being sweet.  There are all kinds of yummy things beneath the surface - chicken, grilled fish, ginko nuts, bamboo shoots and I forget what else.  This usually comes in a much smaller dish, so this is a super sized chawan mushi.

  

  Here are some of Yosso's other diners who look like they are getting ready to go.  It is only around 8:00, but it seems that the proprietors are getting ready to close up shop!

  

  We are now outside, and another customer pays up at the counter.

  

  The proprietor is taking in the sample food and getting ready to lock up for the night.  The restaurant's website is http://www.yossou.co.jp/ if anyone is interested in visiting.

  Sunday, September 14

  We have departed the Holiday Inn and arrived at the Historical Museum.  We spent hours here and it was so interesting that we even forgot to eat lunch.  The museum is on the left, but the houses on the hill got my attention, somehow. 

  

  

  Wow, I would hate to have to carry my shopping bags from the supermarket up that hill every day!!

  

  This is a reconstruction of a local governmental office, Nagasaki Bugyousho.  The local official looks pleased to be here.

  

  Oh, a trial is starting, and some of the thugs are guided in.  It seems that some boats crashed together during the annual race an a huge fight broke out that left some injured and worse. Here are the perpetrators!  This is a reenactment of a trial that took place hundreds of years ago on this very site.  They kept accurate records of the goings-on back then.

  

  They are seated for their trial, the guys in white vs. the guy in blue.  Sorry, the light here was not too good.

  

  Guy in blue's wife comes in and gets into the act.  The fighting is about to resume when the judge tells her to pipe down.  Dern that pole.

  

  Pipe down!!

  

  Piped down.

  

  Here is a guard.  All of the perpetrators receive their just punishments, and peace is restored to the realm.

  

  This is another fumie that was on display.

  We were really worn out after the museum, but there was one more stop on the schedule, the Siebold Memorial Museum.  It was founded to honor the contributions made by German physician Ph.Fr. von Siebold (1796-1866) to the modernization of Japan.  Siebold first came to Japan to work as a doctor in Dejima, but was allowed to live outside of Dejima in a private house.  The museum was built next to where the Siebold house formerly stood.  Siebold documented Japanese life ardently, and sent many artifacts back to his native Germany.  He was even allowed to make a trip to Edo (Tokyo) with the head of the Dutch East Indian Trading Company when he made a trip to make a report of his activities to the Shogun.  Siebold spent a total of six years in Japan, and even took a wife Otaki and they had a daughter, Ine.

  Now the sad part starts.  It seems that Siebold was caught with one artifact too many, namely a map of Sakalin, a peninsula north of Hokkaido which now belongs to present day Russia.  This was a sensitive and secret area for the Japanese, and Siebold was deported without being able to take his family with him.  He was finally allowed to return to Japan many years later when his daughter Ine was about 32 years old. 

  This museum was built by Nagasaki City on property adjacent to Siebold's former residence in the Narutaki neighborhood.  The building and entrance vestibule are designed after Siebold's house in Leiden, the Netherlands and the Lotz family residence in Germany where he spent his early years. The hydrangea, which puts forth elegant purple-blue blossoms in early summer and which Siebold introduced to the world under the botanical name "Hydrangea otaksa," (named after Otaki) is now the city flower of Nagasaki.

  

  The Museum

  

  A local cat checks out the hydrangea in the garden.

  

  Here is a bust of Siebold on the sight of his former home - Those are the original stone walls. 

  

  The entrance to the sight of the home - sniff -  He really wanted to stay! 

  

  A brook runs downhill over stones in the neighborhood.  It is all downhill from here back to the tram stop.

  

  This bridge is an important cultural property that has been here for hundreds of years.  It is made of stone and uses an arched construction common to Europe during this time. 

  • 09:53
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