Tonaru district in Besshi: heritage of industrial modernization

I always wanted to go there and finally made it to the TONARU district of the former Besshi copper mine operated by Sumitomo, one of Japan's major businesses. Almost forgotten in the mountains, but now recognized its historical value again, the former mountain community with 5000 people living at its peak is attracting people's attention. The legacy remains there. A bus tour is available starting at Minetopia Besshi. In a small bus, the tour takes you to Tonaru in 20 minutes. A local guide accompanies you during the tour and gives you interesting insight and more thought than you would not have otherwise. Highly recommended but only in Japanese. I wish I could just hire this small bus and the friendly and knowledgeable local guide and translate the guide's talk to the visitors from abroad. It was a fantastic tour. 

mountain train!

Ores once gather

Transport system!

with the Inland Sea in a distance

And flowers ...

Mt. Ishiduchi and surrounding mountain range

You can go there by aerial cable; just 8-minute ride but you go up about 1000 meters. An easy hiking can be enjoyed there. If you try the summit of Ishiduchi, it's a real climbing but very rewarding for serious climbers. But not for everybody of course. 
Here's some pics:

Jojusha shrine and the peak of ishiduchi

surrounding mountains 

THE SUMMIT

Saijo city in ehime is blessed with crystal clear water from under the ground

In this city, the Komyo-Ji temple whose main hall was designed by ANDO stands. Naturally groundwater is welling up in this city. Th same water surrounds the main hall of the temple. 

The second visit after a long interval.

UCHIKO snaps

UCHIKO can be easily visited from MATSUYAMA by car. The area was once thrived with wax making. The old streets with former wealthy merchants ' houses remain. The Kamihaga residence is open to the public. The old-fashioned UCHIKO-ZA is a theater and has survived as such thanks to local people's' effort and passion. About 100 years old.

Aonagi or blue lull in the wind is a sleek hotel designed by ANDO

Originally built as an art museum and only that part was open to the public and the other part closed, the renovated building now hosts overnight visitors. It just recently opened. It's a very sleek hotel that provides you with something very special. It has two swimming pools; an outdoor public pool for every body staying there and an indoor private pool which has to be reserved in advance. The private one, if my memory serves right, has an onsen water jacuzzi. The number of the rooms is very limited and the ANONAGI SUITE has a splendid ocean view.

The hotel is out of nowhere but more people will come finding out the path leading to it.

The painting farthest below is a gift to the hotel by ANDO the architect.

Tensha-en garden in winter

The famed wisteria looks very dry in winter but still interesting. Water and light always do magic. There's another sky in the water.

Itoyama Koen, imabari

The Sunrise Itoyama is known among cyclists. You can rent or return your bicycle there. However, Itoyaka Koen offers you much better scenery. 

 

Kurushima Strait Grand Bridges, the world-first complex of three continuous suspension bridges seen from Itoyama Koen

Operation to create pearls

A lady at Doi Pearl Company demonstrated how a piece of mantle membrane of a mollusk and a core made out of freshwater mussel shell are inserted into the gonad of a pearl oyster. The mantle tissue secretes nacre or mother of pearl and layers of nacre eventually produce a pearl. 

UWAJIMA Castle adorned by wisteria

The island of SHIKOKU has four original castle towers from Japan's feudal times. Nationwide, twelve castle towers of the same nature remain. Four in SHIKOKU is quite a high proportion. They are not as grand as Himeji Castle, one of the first two world cultural heritage sites in Japan, but is historical and their stone foundation walls and stone stairs look antique. Here is one of the four, UWAJIMA Castle. Most of the original structures are gone but the tower has survived fortunately. UWAJIMA is off the beaten path. You might not go there unless you try visiting the 88 temples in SHIKOKU like a pilgrim. This is your chance to see a glimpse of UWAJIMA. 

Rice paddy on the premises of Oyamazumi Jinja

The shimanami scenic sea route has lots more to offer besides cycling. Having said that, it must be very special to ride a bike and visit the attractive places on the route, or rather off the beaten path, away from the cycling route directly linking Hiroshima (Honshu side) and Ehime (Shikoku side).

This is part of the Oyamazumi Jinja Shinto shrine in Omishima island. Some thirty minutes’ pedaling from the Tatara Grand Bridge connecting Omishima and Ikuchijima. This shrine has a small patch of rice field. The rice is already harvested as you can see. In front of the hall in the photo is held an interesting and rather humorous ritual biannually in spring and fall: Sumo bouts are fought between a human and a numen of rice grain. They compete three times and always the spirit wins. This is like a pre-celebration of good harvest.

The Records of Ancient Matters (Kojiki), a Japanese mythological history book, does not specify the gender of Oyamazumi deity but another old book writes the deity is female but another says male. Whoever he or she is, the deity has been revered by all, including commoners, warriors, and nobles.