Enclosed by somma, the outer rim of Aso Crater

Down there are fields and communities that people live. Aso Caldera, Kumamoto Pref. is one of the largest in the world and easily accommodates these communities in the caldera basin. 


Isn't this a splendid view of the caldera walls? These communities will be around 450 meters or higher above sea level. I stayed at a pension standing around 700 meters of elevation, therefore not in the basin and the air was so refreshing that I didn't want to go down.


Winter scene must be something to see. Have to come back with our cat. Our cat was welcome at an inn my husband and I stayed. In fact, I searched for that type of accommodations. Food, service, other facilities were quite satisfactory. We loved them all. We can come back to this inn on our next visit to Aso. Great !

Pension Musashi where we stayed with our cat

The room we stayed with our cat

And our cat chilling in the room

Sakura-jima represents Satsuma Mind

Sakura-jima seen across the strait

Here’s a picture of Sakura-jima, Kagoshima Prefecture, which attracted more visitors and tourists in the year when a popular TV drama, Atsu-hime (Princess Atsu) was aired, successfully lasting for a year. The drama featured a woman who married into the Tokugawa, whose authority was becoming shaky after 250-year-long reign. The time was plunging into one of the most exciting and dramatic periods of Japanese history and she lived through that historical transition with her faith and conviction, without denying what fate had given her. It’s a drama, a fiction, and of course too gorgeous; but people tend to be drawn to the history of their own country thanks to this type of history-based dramas. Above all, Kagoshima Prefecture, once called Satsuma before the advent of modern history of Japan, enjoyed the popularity the drama had given them.

Sakura-jima or Cherry Island if literally translated, its circumference being about 52 km, is an active volcano soaring proud and magnificent four kilometers off Kinko Bay (Kagoshima Bay), Kagoshima City. It is active EVERY DAY, with steam, vapor, and fumes noticed commonly around its south summit. The volcano was born and has grown at the southern edge of Eye-la Caldera which was formed 25 thousand years back on the occasion of a very major volcanic eruption. There are three peaks: the north (1117m), the middle (1060m), and the south (1040m). The south peak is active, while the other two are quiet and dormant.

Sakura-jima has behaved well enough and no major disasters have happened recently. But it’s a rare case to have an active volcano by a large city, in fact the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture, where approximately 600 thousand people live. No wonder the city struck in 1960 a sister city relationship with Naples well-known for its once ferocious Mt. Vesuvius. And remember: about 5000 people do live on the island and there are even a city-run apartment complex built with the concept of “Living comfortably even on days volcanic ash falls on your houses.”

The volcano repeated major-scale eruptions more than 30 times in written history. Some of them are still touted and remembered among the locals very well.

Once Sakura-jima was truly an island but now is connected to Oh-sumi Peninsula at the southeastern point due to the extraordinary eruption in 1914. The reclaimed land used to be a strait, 400 meters wide and 72 meters deep. The black fume from the eruption reached the altitude of 8000 meters. The volcanic ash spewed was found even at Kamchatka Peninsula. Yes, unfortunately some people got killed or missing. But the numbers were surprisingly small; about 20 thousand lived on the island in those day and 35 died and 23 were never found (34 of them got killed in induced earthquakes; while the others got involved in the eruption itself). Considering the scale of the disaster, the casualties were limited to the least possible. The locals knew something unprecedented in their life time would be happening and voluntarily evacuated before the eruption, while the meteorological authorities were saying they couldn’t detect anything significant. It was obvious to the locals, looking at unusual phenomena which they had been told to be cautious of: the well water sprang up; everywhere on the island was hot water coming out of the niches of the ground and rocks; worms, frogs, and snakes all came out of the ground and wiggling, hopping, and slithering, even though many of them were hibernating for the cold winter season.

Every year there’s an evacuation drill conducted seriously and the wisdom of life acquired through centuries while living on the volcano has been passed to the next and future generations.

Shirakawa Suigen fountainhead

jasmine drinking the spring water

Well, I accidentally deleted the film I took so it's not easy to see spring water welling up from the bottom of the basin. It looked fantastic; it was like seeing and feeling heartbeat of the earth ,with its blood circulating continuously: Water of life, so to speak. 


The Shirakawa Suigen is within the Mt. Aso region, Kumamoto Prefecture. It lies in the village called Minami Aso Mura (South Aso Village), forming part of the Aso Caldera basin. 


If you have a car, you should go there and try drinking from the fountainhead. It is 16 km away from the active crater of Nakatake (one of the five peaks of the Aso central cone group) and takes about 30 minutes by car from there.


The Aso Caldera basin holds three municipalities: Aso City, Minami Aso Village, and Aso Takamori Town. Come to think of it, it's just amazing to know that people, about 50000, live within the caldera. It's something to see the caldera basin with houses, rice fields, etc. and the enclosing somma altogether from highways up to the Nakatake crater area or several observation spots along the routes.


Aso attracts both domestic and international tourists. Of course I didn't see many from overseas at present when the earthquake, tsunami and leaking radiation scared foreign visitors off from Japan, though Kyushu has practically not been affected. 


You can stay away from coming to Japan for the time being if you do not feel like it and it's quite understandable and reasonable to deduce that it would be better refraining from coming to Japan unless you had to. However, if you happen to live in Japan and have no plan to leave the country, try Kyushu, which is not part of the so called Japan's Golden Tour Route including Tokyo, Nikko, Mt. Fuji, Kanazawa, Takayama, Kyoto, and Nara as its destinations. 


Of course, the Chugoku region including Hiroshima, where I live, gives you a hearty welcome. And the places included in the Golden Route are, in a nutshell, safe and no travel restrictions have been issued by the government and people in this country visit these places or live there. 


The Kyushu Shinkansen super express line has been fully complete this year and operating smoothly, extending the glorious history of comfy and safe running of Shinkansen. The full service started on March 12, the day after the northeastern Japan was ravaged by earthquakes, tsunami and ensuing radiation leak from Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant No. 1.


It is high time Japan showed its guts and seriously developed sustainable, renewable energy systems for herself and for the whole world. That way, this country will be appreciated and respected highly by the people of the world who have been praying for Japan.

Japan, a country of forest and water 

In-no-shima Pension Shirataki Sanso

This Tudor building, designed by William Merrell Vories (1880-1964), was originally built for a Baptist minister and his family at the beginning of the Showa period (1926-1989). There was a time this house was almost abandoned and in bad shape but the present owner infused life into it once again. Now it’s a pension where you can stay and/or dine. My friends and I tried lunch here. It tasted especially good, feeling the time of Vorires.

This American architecture major came to Japan as an English teacher in 1905 but had to change his course to be a businessman and architect because his effort to prevail Christianity was not acceptable in those days. But he was always an evangelist in heart. He married a Japanese lady in 1919 and became naturalized in 1941. He designed a number of charming buildings. It’s fun to see his works. And this one, you can stay. And the food is good.

The pension is on the island of In-no-shima, one of the islands along the Shimanami Scenic Sea Route. If you are a cyclist, Shimanami should be one good destination. Include the visit to or stay at this house while touring Shimanami. Enjoy your bike ride !

One of the rooms you can stay overnight on the 2nd floor

A gentleman of the family owing the house seen behind

The house is hiding behind trees and leaves but hopefully you can feel its composed ambience. 

Italian-style veggie lunch @ Joken-ji temple

Veggies for temple lunch

This temple is really hidden, but not intentionally. Practically, it's remote lying in the northern part of Hiroshima Pref. called Kita Hiroshima. But the temple and local people welcome you warmly. It's remote, relaxed, peaceful, and hard to reach even with GPS or car navigation systems. 


You might pick up your cell phone and call them when you are lost, thinking you would be late for your lunch appointment at the temple. You would try to describe where you are only to find it impossible because there are only trees and mountains around you and nothing specific which might be a clue to your location. But don't worry. The temple is used to this situation and they will kindly and patiently help you get to their place.


That's the way my friends and I reached there this spring of 2011. The temple is one of the commonly seen and not the kind of temples you might have visited in Kyoto, like world-famous Kiyomizudera and others. But isn't it something for foreign tourists to experience something daily and ordinary that Japanese people deal with? And if you are invited to the main hall of the temple to hear the priest chant part of the sutras just like Japanese do? And even better, if the temple offers you a very special meal you eat in one of their rooms and a bit of sweets and a cup of thick green tea in their tea ceremony room?


I'd like to go back. I wish I could take you who are reading this article and intrigued. Well someday we might meet then let's go and experience a rich slow life in the north of Hiroshima.


I bet you will feel much closer to this country and people and I'm sure you will have a memory of your life time.


Unfortunately I didn't take any good pictures of the veggie meal because I was busy eating. So I borrowed one of the pics from their blog. More pics in their URL. Enjoy the photos.

Memorial Cathedral for World Peace (2)

Gate to the Cathedral

Here’s the gate to the Memorial Cathedral for World Peace; next comes the approach; then a small bridge beneath which there once was water. The competition guidelines for architects submitting their design included such prerequisites that the cathedral be modern, religious, monumental, and pay respect to things Japanese. Architect MURANO was asked to design the cathedral, though he was on the board of jurors, after the competition committee couldn’t select an architect who should be in charge. He had to struggle how to incorporate something Japanese in the whole concept for the cathedral. This layout, reminiscent of that of Japanese shrines, seems to be one of his answers among others.

Facade of the cathedral

The facade of the cathedral is adorned by the sculpture depicting the seven sacraments. It was conceived of by architect IMAI Kenji, one of the competition jurors for the cathedral and MURANO's friend; prototypes were made by architect TAKEISHI Kozaburo; ENTSUBA Katsuzo, helped by SAKAGAMI, made the sculpture on site in 1956. This radiates a feel of Japanese Buddhist temples.

Asian phoenix on the dome

Here's a picture of the Memorial Cathedral for World Peace with its dome scarcely shown. Pay attention to the Ho-oh, or Asian phoenix, perched on the dome due to architect MURANO's idea. The original plan was to erect a cross.

Stairs to Heaven

Architect IMAI Kenji named these stairs Stairs to Heaven. Fathers at the church also called the stairs that way. Two sets of stairs were made on the west and the east side of the tower. IMAI commented that these stairs made the heavy weight of the tower look light and airy.

Cornerstone

Go through the gate, walk the approach, cross the bridge, proceed to the door to the cathedral, turn left, walk a few steps, and look downward at the wall on the right. This is what you'll see: the cornerstone of the cathedral.

A ceremony to celebrate the construction of the cathedral was held on July 23, 1950. This cornerstone was made at that time and later laid in the place mentioned above.

Interestingly, the inscription on the stone goes "Memorial Cathedral for World Peace" though the church publicly referred to the future cathedral as Peace Memorial Cathedral of Hiroshima in those days. In fact this appellation was used until the very end of the construction.

The practical construction started on November 8, 1950. And the cornerstone was laid in the facade of the cathedral to be.

The church announced on July 23, 1954 that Memorial Cathedral for World Peace was adopted as its official name, just before the completion ceremony on August 6, 1954.

World Peace, it seemed, was always a key word for the cathedral.

Memorial Cathedral for World Peace (1)

Photo courtesy of  http://www.arch-hiroshima.net

Hiroshima’s spiritual and architectural gem, the Memorial Cathedral for World Peace, stands 10 to 15-minute walk away from JR Hiroshima Station.

On the wall of the second level of the belfry are the inscriptions referring to the significance of the cathedral. On its west side in Japanese; the east side in Latin.

Its English translation from the cathedral's official web site is as follows:

This church was erected in memory of the victims of the first atomic bomb, dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, and as a sign of peace for all nations, symbolizing the true and only way that leads to peace with God and man: the way of truth, not of deception; of justice, not of violence; of love, not of hate. Therefore all who enter this church are earnestly requested to offer their prayers for the eternal repose of the departed and for peace among the peoples of the world.

The sixth day of August in the year 1954

And the Japanese version of the inscription:  　　 

此の聖堂は、昭和20年8月6日広島に投下されたる世界最初の原子爆弾の犠牲となりし人々の追憶と慰霊のために、また万国民の友愛と平和のしるしとしてここに建てられたり。 而して此の聖堂によりで恒に伝へらるべきものは虚偽に非ずして真実、権力に非ずして正義、憎悪に非ずして慈愛、即ち人類に平和をもたらす神への道たるべし。故に此の聖堂に来り拝するすべての人々は、逝ける犠牲者の永遠の安息と人類相互の恒久の平安とのために祈られんことを。　　　　

昭和29年8月6日

Latin inscription

Japanese inscription

Hugo LASSALLE, an A-bomb survivor, went back to his “church” four months after the A-bombing. People around him naturally thought it was too early and too hard to start church activities in the ruins of Hiroshima and stopped him not to. Besides, he had just recovered from his injury and symptoms caused by the A-bomb devastation. He went ahead anyway and it was at a shabby small hut made of board and corrugated tin, where he fostered his dream of building a peace cathedral to pay homage to the A-bomb victims.

People, including a fellow priest, thought it was impossible but he didn’t budge and took action. In August 1946, he left Japan to attend a big conference in Vatican held in the following year. On the way, he went to New York City as the first A-bomb survivor that visited the US. At a press conference, he said that he would ask the Holy Sea to help Hiroshima and talk about his A-bomb experiences to the peoples of the world.

The cathedral was completed in 1954 taking four years after the construction was launched. It took more than necessary due to unexpected complications like the ground more fragile than expected, price hikes caused by the Korean War, etc. Without dedication and devotion of all those concerned, the project would not have been completed.  

How the architect who designed the cathedral was chosen is an interesting topic in itself. For this refer to “arch-hiroshima” whose English pages for this cathedral and some others were translated by me from the original Japanese articles by web master Makoto.

Hugo LASSALLE was born in Germany, ordained as a Jesuit priest, and traveled to Japan as a missionary in 1929. He came to Hiroshima in 1940 and served as a parish priest. He developed interest in Japanese Buddhist practices and studied Zen extensively. He embraced Zen Buddhism, believing Zen would be useful for Roman Catholic Christianity, which was not well-appreciated by Vatican. He became a naturalized Japanese in 1948 and named himself ENOMIYA Makibi, a very old-fashioned name. He was made an honorary citizen of Hiroshima in 1968 soon after his departure from Hiroshima. After 1968, he spent much of his time in Europe leading Zen retreats and encouraging Zen practice among Christians. He died in former West Germany while visiting there. He was 91. 

Taste Hiroshima: Hiroshima Lemon Cider

From:   http://hiroshima.keizai.biz/headline/photo/1137/

Lemon production in Japan was badly hit by free trade introduced in 1964 but again came back in the spotlight when imported lemons caused concerns involving preservative agents. Hiroshima has had a dominant share of domestic lemons except in the early 1980s when it temporarily gave way to Ehime, Shikoku due to the damage caused by extremely cold weather. Otherwise, its domestic share has been by far the largest. JA Hiroshima Fruits Agricultural Cooperative Association Union registered a trademark of Hiroshima Lemon, promoting its lemons as safe and healthy grown without preservatives.

The warm and mild climate with less rain along the Seto Inland Sea is particularly suitable for citrus fruit production.

This year, again due to severely cold weather in January, half of the lemons growing on the trees were affected. Since these affected lemons had to be processed and find way to the market, JA Hiroshima decided to develop a new type of lemon beverage. It’s been on the market since June 28. This is really tasty. I don’t mind buying a box of them and in fact tried to mail order them but one site said it was SOLD OUT. Ouch. I have to try a nearby supermarket where I first bought one.

The 250 ml bottle priced at 178 yen contains 15 % of lemon juice squeezed from Hiroshima Lemons and is calorie-free.

Friends, time to go to a supermarket and get a Hiroshima Lemon Cider. You won’t regret.