This is a water gate to return excess water to the river from irrigation canal.
Fukuoka-Zeki, 福岡堰, Fukuoka dam for irrigation. This place is historical site of big construction of dam and canal for irrigating paddy fields about 370 years ago, and still in utilization. A real model of "sustainable development".
This is a very famous stone monument built in 1949, monument of "Kappa", 河童, a river imp. It is Japanese folklore. It lives in a river or pond, and do various small trouble, but not serious. Feared but not hated but rather loved. Practical meaning would be to notice kids to be careful when near or in water, to avoid water accident while playing, referring dreadful creature in depth or so (^_^)
Kappa 河童, literally means "river kids", so it is supposed to be kid-sized imp, as same as other kind of specter such as 座敷童, Zashiki warashi, which means "Room kids", which is a specter in a vacant room in house.
Ogawa Usen, 小川芋銭, the painter lived near Ushiku Numa, 牛久沼 Lake Ushiku, who is famous for drawing of Kappa. This is memorial of Ogawa Usen, with graved image of Kappa drawn by Ogawa Usen, together with his San 讚, attached text to drawing. It stands in the deep grove by the Lake Ushiku.
This is beautiful monument, made of fine mudstone, and elaborate graving of Ogawa Usen's Kappa and writing. It reminds me of Chinese artistic 硯石, ink stone with fine graving.
It writes, "誰識古人画龍心”, which means, "Who knows the mind in which old people depicted the image of a dragon" My understanding on what it means is as follows....
Ogawa Usen is not a grass root painter but a graduate of Imperial Art School, contemporary Tokyo University of Art, so, he was supposed to be top rated artist. When such a person was sticked in depiction of "humble" "rustic" character in folklore, it would not be welcome by people.
Then what he meant is, that if his Kappa drawing is hard to understand, it is also hard to understand the drawing of Dragon, which is one of the most respected image. So in it he declared that he is the first one who draw the imaginery creature with the same mind by which an acient artist depicted the dragon for the first time.
I once had a look on big fabulous drawing by him, in an old Japanese restaurant in Tsuchiura, nearby city. It was awesome, and remembering that drawing I fully agree with his "誰識古人画龍心” comment to the Kappa drawing.
Jhochu, Ushiku, Ibaraki, Japan Apr2007
NikonD70s/Tamron17-50
The house that used to be an inn in 上曽. Uwaso. The gate seems newer, then it would be built later. The sign on the right of the upper level write "旅舎(picture) 楼". The pictures is 恵比寿, yebisu, a God of wealth, one of the Shichi-fuku-Jin, 七福神, 7 lucky gods. So it means "Inn Yebisu house"
This in might have had various guest when this path was passed over on foot or on horse back.Now not so many cars are passing in furious speed on the road in front of the house. It is a little scary to walk along this road or taking photograph because of the passing car's speed(^.^;;
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This is a water gate to return excess water to the river from irrigation canal.
Fukuoka-Zeki, 福岡堰, Fukuoka dam for irrigation. This place is historical site of big construction of dam and canal for irrigating paddy fields about 370 years ago, and still in utilization. A real model of "sustainable development".
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太鼓櫓門, the gate with storage for drums, which remains since Edo-era. Remains of Tsuchiura castle
Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, Japan, Nov 2006 NikonD70s/18-200mm
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This is a very famous stone monument built in 1949, monument of "Kappa", 河童, a river imp. It is Japanese folklore. It lives in a river or pond, and do various small trouble, but not serious. Feared but not hated but rather loved. Practical meaning would be to notice kids to be careful when near or in water, to avoid water accident while playing, referring dreadful creature in depth or so (^_^)
Kappa 河童, literally means "river kids", so it is supposed to be kid-sized imp, as same as other kind of specter such as 座敷童, Zashiki warashi, which means "Room kids", which is a specter in a vacant room in house.
Ogawa Usen, 小川芋銭, the painter lived near Ushiku Numa, 牛久沼 Lake Ushiku, who is famous for drawing of Kappa. This is memorial of Ogawa Usen, with graved image of Kappa drawn by Ogawa Usen, together with his San 讚, attached text to drawing. It stands in the deep grove by the Lake Ushiku.
This is beautiful monument, made of fine mudstone, and elaborate graving of Ogawa Usen's Kappa and writing. It reminds me of Chinese artistic 硯石, ink stone with fine graving.
It writes, "誰識古人画龍心”, which means, "Who knows the mind in which old people depicted the image of a dragon" My understanding on what it means is as follows....
Ogawa Usen is not a grass root painter but a graduate of Imperial Art School, contemporary Tokyo University of Art, so, he was supposed to be top rated artist. When such a person was sticked in depiction of "humble" "rustic" character in folklore, it would not be welcome by people.
Then what he meant is, that if his Kappa drawing is hard to understand, it is also hard to understand the drawing of Dragon, which is one of the most respected image. So in it he declared that he is the first one who draw the imaginery creature with the same mind by which an acient artist depicted the dragon for the first time.
I once had a look on big fabulous drawing by him, in an old Japanese restaurant in Tsuchiura, nearby city. It was awesome, and remembering that drawing I fully agree with his "誰識古人画龍心” comment to the Kappa drawing.
Jhochu, Ushiku, Ibaraki, Japan Apr2007 NikonD70s/Tamron17-50
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Terrace paddy field and farm house in Uwaso 上曽. The building on the right is garage on the left is residence,
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The house that used to be an inn in 上曽. Uwaso. The gate seems newer, then it would be built later. The sign on the right of the upper level write "旅舎(picture) 楼". The pictures is 恵比寿, yebisu, a God of wealth, one of the Shichi-fuku-Jin, 七福神, 7 lucky gods. So it means "Inn Yebisu house"
This in might have had various guest when this path was passed over on foot or on horse back.Now not so many cars are passing in furious speed on the road in front of the house. It is a little scary to walk along this road or taking photograph because of the passing car's speed(^.^;;
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茨城県笠間市西念寺山門
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Flickr page
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More photos from Xichang old town .... Flickr/autan
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More photos from Xichang old town .... Flickr/autan
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More pics from this resort... Flickr/autan
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