Let me introduce myself.My name is NaomiNishioka. I was born in Kanonjicity, Kagawa. Prefechure,Japan on October20,1984.I am a first year studeant at Kagawa Junior College.My major is Nutrition.My hobbies are listening to music and whacting TV.
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PREFACETakamatsu is the capital of Kagawa Prefecture,which has traditionally been called the gatewey to Shikoku,whith the whole land of the prefecture jutting out into the Seto Inland Sea like a porch.
JR Takamatsu Station next to Takamatsu Harbor is the terminal of the kotoku Line for Tokushima Pref.,the Yosan Line for Ehime Pref.and the Dosan Line for Kochi Pref .,while serving as the bus terminal to Tokushima,Matsuyama, and kochi City.Takamatsu Chikko jast opposite JR Station is the terminal of 'kompira-san.'
The New Takamatsu Airport handles non-stop fligts to and from Seoul,Korea.
Another place in Takamatsu appropriate as a gateway to Shikoku is the Takamatsu Heike Monogatari Historikal Museum that features not only the famous historical literature called Heike Monogatari but also about 50great historical figures closely assoociated with Shikoku or native to Shikoku.
Takamatsu became the capital in 1587 with the advent of Lord I koma I as governor of Sanuki Provinc.The castle he built on the harbor was succeeded by 4generations of his descendants,and then by 11 generations of Matsudaira lords,governing Takamatsu Province with a fief of 120,000koku.
One ninth of the former castle ground is preserved as Tamamo koen park across the street from JR Takamatsu Station. The donjon is gone, but two of the 15 turrets and Mizute Gomon Gate rfom the 17 th century(i mportant Cultural Properties) surved the air raid in 1945. Admission:100yen.
Traditionally the popular sightseeng spots in Takamatsu are Ritsurin Koen Park near downtown and Yashima Plateau overlooking the city and the Inland Sea. They are accessible by bus or tram,with terminals at Takamatsu Chikko just opposite JR Station.
30 minutes' walk from JR Takamatsu Station.
The busy street in front of JR Takamatsu is the main street of downtown Takamatsu,and leads to the main gate to Ritsurin Koen park, a National Special Scenic Spot. This spacious garden laid out with shapely mounds, cool pond and about 160 varieties of trees and flowers provides a classic exampule of a Japanese garden or even a Chinese Taoist paradise fit for meditation.
Originally it belonged to a local warlord, and then to Lord Ikoma.When it was transferred to the Matsudairas, they spent five generations developing it into a larger stroll-type gerden for their villa.Seasonal charms of flowers and blossoms such as ume(Japanese plum brossoms) in February,camellias in March, cherry brossoms in April, wisteria and azaleas in May, Irises and water lilies in June, giant lotuses in August, and Japanese bush clover in September,and brillant maple leaves in November add to the pleasure of strolling.
Kikugetsu-tei, one of the pond-side teahouses, was originally one of the Matsudairas' formal buildings.The museum just inside the main gate house a variety of mostly local handicafts.There is a zoo, too, inside the gate.
Open daily. Admission to the park: About 300yen.
Bus: 30 minutes' ride from Chikko to the terminal
(Kotiden Bus for Yashima-sanjo or Yashima Hilltop).
Tram +Cable : 30minutes' tram ride from Chikko to Yshima (Shido-sen Line)+5 minutes' cable-car ride.
Yashima , a pine-wooded tableland to the northeast of downtown Takamatsu , is one of the world's rare lava mesas , about 290 m high , 3 km wide, jutting 5 km out into the sea.
The hilltop, overlooking the archipelago of the Inland Sea, features Yashima-ji(No.84) an aquarium and observatories all linkied by forest promenades.
One of the observatories, Dankorei, commands a view of the inlet fringrd with memorials to the Genpei Yshima Battle (the second last battle in Gempei War fought between the tow rival clans, the Minamotos and the Tairas ) .
Once a British poet, Edmund Blunden,visited Yashima and wrote a poem that was engraved on a stone heae at Dankorei observatory :
Like a long roof , men say, and will they say, This hill of warrior ghosts surmounts the plain . . .
In 794 Kyoto became the capital of Japan and
it enjoyed peace for about 350 years (811-1155) the longest peace Japan has ever attained in her history.
The last 30 years of this perid , however , were far from peacerul.In1156 the first battle took place in the capital , thus opening up a new era dominated by martial emotions . Twomartial clans --the Minamoto and Taira clans --began to acquire greater and greater influence in politics through fighting against each other in the name of " the Emperor " or " the Ex-Emperor " .
In 1159 , the Tairas rsucceeded temporarily in staving off the Minamotos . The 20 years that followed saw the Tairas rise to increasingly control the Imperial Family , inviting animosity from the reigning Emperors , the Ex--Emperors , powerful priests , warriors and lords , to say no thing of the Minamotos in exile .
In 1181 the patriarch of the clan Taira no Kiyomori died just when the Tairas faced more battles against the Minamotos , who were gradually consolidating their power .
In 1183 the Tairas were driven from the Capital along with the 6-year-old Emperor Antoku and his mother , who was Kiyomori's daughter . They wandered far in search of supporters , while fighting losing battles .
Now in 1185 , Minanoto no Yoshitsune attacked the remaining Tairas here at Yashima , then at Dan-no-ura in the westernmost cororner of the Inland Sae , where the proud Taira finally fell , the noblewomen casting themselves into the sae with the child Emperor Antoku .
Thus the age of ancient nobility yielded to the age of Shoguns (1185-1867) .
Yashima-ji Temple treasures in its museum a folding screen depicting the Gempei no Kassen Battles . (See p.42) the bell in the belfry , cast in Kyoto in 1223 , was dedicated here for the repose of the defeated Tairas . But no one can strike the bell , as there is no hammer . They say , "Strike the bell , and invoke the ghosts of the Tairas . "
On the last weekend in March the Gempei Yashima Festival is held , whose highlight is the Warriors' Pageant .
*1 It was an insurrection caused by the discord be-tween Emperor Goshirakawa (1127-92) and Ex-Emperor Sutoku (1119-64) . Sutoku was defeated and banished to Sanuki (Kgawa Pref . ) tob die a miserable death 8 years later . His ashes were buried at Temple 81 . In 1184 the court elevated him to Shinto deity to placate his ghost . (See p . 50)
Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159-89) : By bringing about victory in the civil war , Yoshitsune had greatly helped Minamoto no Yoritomo , his elder brother , who in 1192 was to establish the first Shogunate at Kamakura . But Yoshitsune had to spend the rest of his life escaping Yoritomo , until four years later he killed himself . His tragic life and death was so appealing to japanese sentiment that he has kaken on heroic proportion in Kabuki , Noh and joruriplays , based on whant is called Yoshitsune Literature .
Very few Japanese visit Yashima without being reminded of an episode shown in the picture above :
It was on the afternoon of February 19 , 1185 , that Minamoto no Yoshitsune mounted another surprise attack against the Tairas at the then Yashima Island . Frightened by the imagined immensity of enemy forces , the Tairas jumped into their boats and sailed off . A fierce battle lasted for hours .
Now the sun was setting . Both sides began to retreat , when a fair vessel parted from the Taira legions and stopped about 80 m from the beach . Then a beautiful lady appeared from the cabin , produced a pole with a bright red fan on its top and beckoned to the puzzled warriors on the shore .
" What dose she mean?" said Yoshitsune .
"Perhaps she is inviting one of us to shoot the fan . Or she may be inviting you to come out onto the front line for her archers," said his attendant .
"Then let it be shot down by someone , " said yoshitsune .
Soon a young man called Nasu no Yoichi appered on horseback with bow and arrow in his hands . The north wind was strong . The boat was tossing up and down .
The fan painted with the golden sun at its center was flttering on the pole .
Allthe Tairas in the boats and all the Minamotos on the shore were watching Yoichi . What would he do ?Would he succeed?
Yoichi rode into the water as far as he could . But it was stiil about 70 m to the target . He closed his eyes and prayed . Then the wind fell for a moment . He shot . The arrow pierced through alittle above the rivet . The fan , flying up a moment or two , came floating down , glittering in the setting sun . There was great applause from both sides .
Then a man in armor appeared in the same boat . He began and dance perhaps in genuine appreciation of Yoichi's archery . Then Yoichi got another order and shot down the dancing man , too . Some said "Good shot!" Butothers said , "Not fair ."
The Tairas were silent this time . Was it a precursor of ther demise? Tow months later , the Tairas finally fell .
This is an open-air museum laid out the foot of Yashima Plateau . About 20 old rural buildings from various parts of Shikoku have been reassembled here , including a Farmers' Kabuki There, peassants' houses, a fisherman's house, a sugar mill, a shed for steaming mulberry bark to make paper , and workshops for making soy sauce and so on . There is a reprica of kazura-bashi from Nishi Iyayama-son, too .
Open daily:8:30-16:30. Adnussion:500yen
On May 5, people including children from Shodoshima Island, from which the Kabuki Theater came here, stage an annual performance of ther traditional farmers' kabuki.
Japan's largest wax doll museum. The first floor is dedicated to the 41 dolls historical figures or modern men and women of celebrity who have been closely associated with Shikoku .
The one of Kobo Daishi in his nyujo has its own corner as a special exhivition .