Maishima Incineration Plant Osaka City

" Is this a waste service facility?" I was very surprising at the outward appearance of the building when I reached to Maishima Island in Osaka city near Universal Studio Japan. I could not understand that it was just garbage incinerator. A chimney with tear shape roof like the Klemlin and so many abstract arts on the wall. 

You can get an inside tour of this facility with reservation. I have attended this real cool activity for 7 years ago. As same as exterior, the interior of the incinerators was very impressive. That was designed by Austrian designer Mr. Hundertwasser and built by Osaka city. So this means that it was built by citizen's tax and the expense was 80 billion yen for one facility. But the tour fee is free!

Because Mr. Hundertwasser thought this facility as the nature forest, there is no same format in the building. The every passage has the different curve and the size of all windows is not same each other. I think that this building is very symbolical meaning of Osaka trait because of its chaos. They like it and cultivate it. When you visit downtown of Osaka, especially in Minami area, you can feel it precisely. 

Anyway, when you visit Osaka, this is the "must to go" to place. I strongly recommend.

sakakibara Dai- Kannon Temple (Mie Pref.)

It's like a fantasy theme park for elder. You can see a tall Goddess of mercy in gold. There is an orchestra of little green frogs at the entrance of the temple. When you go inside of it, you could feel some strange atmosphere compered with an ordinary, old style temple, like in Kyoto. Yes, this temple is NOT at all. They don't have supporters, usually a supporter of its temple have a tombstone of his ancestors, so there is no real tombstone in the temple. 

    

Then you can enjoy your touring inside of the temple if you are not the Buddhist. But, at first you should pay the entrance fee, 800 yen (there is discount coupon of their web site). The temple calls it "dedication", but I think it may be "entrance fee" for attraction. After the entrance gate, you can see tiny statures of Daikoku and Ebisu who are member of Japanese Gods. For the statues were made by pure gold, you can touch them. Surprisingly, one touch makes improvement your fortune, especially for a luck of money! Never miss to touch them.

Next, cats orchestra will be waiting for you with a huge pair of clogs to welcome to throw coins into an offertory box. Of course this monetary offering improves your money luck too. Then you must go inside a pilgrim room for Sikoku-Singon sect Buddhists. A pious Buddhist should go on a pilgrim to visit 88 temples all around Shikoku island by his foot. But in this room there are 88 boxes which contain sand from each temple, so you can pilgrim all temples about ten minutes or so. 

OK, after your religious austerities, go out to a courtyard. Thirty-three meter of golden Kannnon is looking down at you from center of the garden. In this courtyard you can find so many funny statures around the Kannnon. Teng, Kappa, Hakutaku and singing kannon with her microphone of Karaoke set! I could not tell all attraction in the temple. So try to  search yourself.

If you want to have some souvenir of this place, I reccomend you to get " Goshuin" of this temple. This is like a hand made stamp written by Japanese brush. This is real cool. Originally we must dedicate our own hand-copying of sutras, then the temple gives us the Goshuin as proof of the prayer. But now it is a mere certificate of visiting. So you can purchase it for 300yen without sutras. Please try it.

 

sakakibara hot spa

http://www.sawasdee-japan.com/sightseeing-spot/chubu-region/mie.html#Sakakibara%20Spa

nika's page

Hotel Kawakyu (Wakayama Pref. Kinki)

I have stayed here only once at almost five years before. The shape of the building was very strange and cute.
 
 This hotel was constructed in luxury during the Japanese bubble economy term. So you can imagine the interior of the hotel from its outside.
 
 Now the room charge is not so cheap compared with an ordinary hotel, but you will be satisfied with their hospitality that is the mixture of Western and Modern Japanese style.

 
 I strongly recommend to stay here for every odd place lovers. Here is the reservation web site. Of course, you can use English there.

nika's page: 39-6 Hotel Kawakyu (Sorry Japanese only)

Reference (Sorry Japanese Only)
 

Hashima Island – Gunkan Jima-

This small island is located in the offing of Nagasaki Peninsula. This uninhabited island is very famous among Japanese ruin lovers because of its shape and well preserved condition. Now, access to the island is strictly restricted by the goverment. A few years ago, I went by motorcycle to the Peninsula to see the battle ship shape of the island from the seaside. During the trip to the nearest port for the island I found a little signboard on the roadside. “To Gunkan-jima by ferryboat” Wow, I thought that I would be able to go to the island! So, I followed the sign which indicated that I should turn right. Soon I reached a small harbor and an old fisherman said to me “The next ferry from here to Hashima wharf is at 5a.m.”



The next morning I was at the harbor at 4:30a.m. Almost 20 people were there. Most of them were carrying their fishing rods and cool boxes with fishing gear. As for me, I just had a small bag with a camera and wore a rider’s jacket and leather pants. There were two young girls who could not fish so well. Oh yes, they were going to try to explore the inside of the island, like me. We all embarked the battleship. Twenty minutes later we reached the wharf and jumped off the boat. Most people went their different ways along the wharf to go fishing. But we, the girls and I, climbed the ladder onto the wharf.



At the top of ladder, there were huge buildings in front of me which I’d never seen before. Then I started exploring the island's ruins. Firstly, I walked around the small island to find out where the dangerous places were. The condition of most buildings was not so bad. I could not believe that they were built around 60 to 80 years ago!



I decided to try and climb up one of them. I chose an old tall apartment block. The stairs were firm but there were many bits of glass and stones. Finally I reached the top floor safely. The scenery from there was so good.



After my conquest to the top of the apartment, I checked the rooms for sign of residence. On entering one of the rooms, there were old manga magazines and empty coke bottles. OK, I understood all residents had been gone for almost forty years before because of the governmental energy change from coal to oil. It was very quiet there.



Next, I went to the west part of the island where I found a very impressive scene. The East China Sea and the bow of a battleship! I am not an enthusiast of ruins but I felt this view was very beautiful. I joined with the girls and we walked around the island.



About 20 minutes before 8a.m. we had to be back at the landing place to get on the boat. At last we researched the site of a school. The furniture in the classroom was destroyed by someone who did not have the conscience of a ruin lover.



Finally we got back to the harbor at 8:30. It was an amazing experience for me. Nowadays, you can go to this island safely in an official manner. Again, landing without permission is prohibited now.

The world's tallest bronze statue of Buddha in Ushiku City

First, I would like to report on the world's tallest bronze statue of Buddha which is in Ushiku city, Ibaraki Prefecture. The height of this Buddha is 120 meters (394 feet). He is in the temple park, named Ushiku Arcadia, which was built by an old sect of Japanese Buddhism. I have been there several times, but the most recommended time to go there is for the New Year festival that is held from 11p.m. on 31 Dec. to around 2a.m. on 1st Jan. annually. In the New Year of 2007, I attended this fantastic and grand entertainment event. In front of the great Buddha there were so many people for the celebration of New Year with a very solemn mood. Half an hour before New Year, fireworks for charity began. Then just before midnight, a sutra recitation came from loudspeakers. There is a temple bell toll on New Year's Eve and laser lights beamed from the Buddha’s chest! It was very funny even for me, being Japanese. Fireworks were set off again and were even more splendid. I left the religious event because of the low temperature.











You can also enjoy this kind of event in the summer but I think the winter is better to the religious feeling. If you have a chance to visit Ushiku City on New Year’s Eve, please try to have spectacular feelings!