Oshino Hakkai, literally means the Eight Seas of Oshino, is a set of eight ponds in Oshino, a small village, located between Lake Kawaguchi and Lake Yamanaka. The eight ponds are fed by snowmelt from the slopes of Mount Fuji. The snowmelt is filtered down the mountain through porous layers of lava over a period of several decades, resulting in very clear spring water.
The Edo period lasted for 265 years from 1603 to 1868. The first Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate was Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu unified the fragmented pieces of Japan to one country. Before the Edo period, there was a long period of civil war in feudal Japan.
Before his death Ieyasu had instructed his retainers to bury his remains at Mount Kuno. Ieyasu’s successor, the second Shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada carried out Ieyasu’s instructions and ordered a shrine to be built. A master carpenter named Nakai Masakiyo was chosen to build the shrine. He built an elaborately decorated shrine using the style of Gongen-zukuri (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishi-no-ma-zukuri). The shrine became a model for other Tosho shrines all over Japan, including the Nikko Tosho Shrine.
Views of Kofu Basin from Takeda Forest in a cloudy afternoon, Mount Fuji covered with clouds on the left, Takeda Forest, Yamamiya-town, Kofu-city, Yamanashi, 02/24/2024
Kofu Basin viewed from Takeda Forest, Yamamiya-town, Kofu-city, Yamanashi, 02/24/2024
Most are probably Smaller white-moss (Leucobryum juniperoideum) and cones of Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi), Takeda Forest, Yamamiya-town, Kofu-city, Yamanashi, 02/24/2024
Eurasian coot (Fulica atra), Lake Chiyoda, Shimoobina-town, Kofu-city, Yamanashi, 02/24/2024
Eurasian wigeon ♂(Mareca penelope)and Eurasian coot, Lake Chiyoda, Shimoobina-town, Kofu-city, Yamanashi, 02/24/2024
Indian Spot-billed duck ♀＆ ♂ (Anas poecilorhyncha) and Eurasian coot, Lake Chiyoda, Shimoobina-town, Kofu-city, Yamanashi, 02/24/2024
Some smew (Mergellus albellus) were spotted in this lake recently; however, I was not able to spot any of them today.
It was a misty and rainy day. Thick clouds were over the Kofu Basin.
Looking down the Kofu Basin from the Wada Pass Lookout Point, Wada-town, Kofu-city, Yamanashi, 02/23/2024
Today, the 23rd of February (02/23) is called Mount Fuji day in Japanese wordplay, Goroawase literally meaning “phonetic matching.” However, it was too cloudy to see Mount Fuji today.
Kofu Castle Ruins, also known as Maizuru Castle Park, is located in the city of Kofu and the only modern castle built in Yamanashi Prefecture. It has a 400-year history. Because of urbanization, the surrounding landscape has changed drastically; yet, it has been protected as a historic site where the stone walls during the construction period remain well.
The Yamanashi Prefectural Buried Cultural Properties Center has been conducting excavations in the castle and renovating the stone walls since 1990 to preserve the historic site for future generations. Stone walls of Kofu Castle are mostly made of andesite most likely brought locally and constructed by the method of uchikomi-hagi, fitting stones together by pounding and eliminating the gaps between them. Some stone walls are constructed by the method of kirikomi-hagi, connecting with adjacent stones more firmly using precise cutting of shaped stones. They seem to be repaired later in the Edo period. Another method, called sangi-zumi, was used for the corners of stone walls. In this method, stones were shaped into rectangles. The long and short sides were piled alternately. The alternating stones increase the pressure and strengthen the corners of the wall.
Maizuru Castle Park, Kofu-city, Yamanashi, 02/18/2024
Most of Kofu Castle Ruins are built on the andesite bedrock; some remains of andesite rocks, Kofu Castle Ruins, Kofu-city, Yamanashi, 02/18/2024
Stone walls; Nozura-zumi stacking natural stones as they are, uchikomi-hagi, and kirikomi-hagi, Kofu Castle Ruins, Kofu-city, Yamanashi, 02/18/2024
Stone walls; Large stones called mirror stones were used to reflect the power and authority of the lord of the castle, Kofu Castle Ruins, Kofu-city, Yamanashi, 02/18/2024
Remains of the bore holes used to cut the stone made by stone masons 400 years ago; and the drainage culvert, Kofu Castle Ruins, Kofu-city, Yamanashi, 02/18/2024
Corner stone walls constructed by the method of sangi-zumi, Kofu Castle Ruins, Kofu-city, Yamanashi, 02/18/2024
Stone walls constructed by the method of kirikomi-hagi, Kofu Castle Ruins, Kofu-city, Yamanashi, 02/18/2024
A toll stone wall, approximately 17 meters high, Kofu Castle Ruins, Kofu-city, Yamanashi, 02/18/2024
Stone walls covered with moss and lichen, Kofu Castle Ruins, Kofu-city, Yamanashi, 02/18/2024
Mount Minobu Kuonji (Kuon Temple) is the head temple of Nichiren Shu Buddhism and located in the town of Minobu in Yamanashi Prefecture. Also, please refer to the GALLERY, MINOBU 2017/01/05 (https://ymmt.etsuo.tokyo).
Aerial Tramway ride to the Okunoin of the Mont Minobu Kuon Temple, Minobu-town, Yamanashi, 02/12/2024
Views of Mount Fuji from the Observation Deck of the Okunoin of the Mont Minobu Kuon Temple, Minobu-town, Yamanashi, 02/12/2024
View of Mount Notoridake, Mount Ainodake and Mont Kitadake, and a view of the Mount Yatsugatake Range from the Observation Deck of the Okunoin of the Mont Minobu Kuon Temple, Minobu-town, Yamanashi, 02/12/2024
The Okunoin of the Mont Minobu Kuon Temple, Minobu-town, Yamanashi, 02/12/2024
A huge cedar tree in the Okunoin of the Mont Minobu Kuon Temple, Minobu-town, Yamanashi, 02/12/2024
Mont Minobu Kuon Temple, Minobu-town, Yamanashi, 02/12/2024
The sign showing that there are breeding grounds for the Oriental dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis) in Minobu town and a map of the Mont Minobu Kuon Temple, Minobu-town, Yamanashi, 02/12/2024
Chinese New Year 2024 starts on Febuary 10. According to Chinese astrology, 2024 is the year of the Green Wood Dragon. This years’ Spring Festival holiday is held from Feburuary 10 through 17 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year). In the traditional Chinese calendar, a year is divided into 24 solar terms and the first term is known as lichun in Chinese and risshun in Japanese (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lichun). Therefore, in the calendar, the first day of spring is lichun or risshun. Risshun in 2024 in the lunisolar calendar was February 4 in Japan.
Setsubun (literally meaning “seasonal division”) is the day before the first day of spring, risshun, in the traditional calendar in Japan. Winter ends on the day of setsubun. Setsubun in 2024 was February 3 in Japan. Some rituals are held on the day to drive away evil spirits and welcome good fortune. One common ritual is “bean throwing.” People throw roasted soybeans out from the front door of their homes or shrines while shouting “Devils out! Fortune in!” You need to roast soybeans to kill off all evil spirits. If you use live soybeans, they might grow buds, implying something bud things might happen to you.
Another ritual is the eating of the “lucky direction sushi roll” The sushi roll is composed of seven ingredients considered to be lucky. The ritual consists of eating the uncut entire roll without speaking while facing the direction considered to be auspicious that year (east-northeast in 2024), determined by the Chinese zodiac.
Kai Zenkoji (Zenko Temple) is a Buddhist temple belonging to the Jodo Shu (Pure Land Sect) Buddhism and located in the city of Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, in Japan.
