第七日 唐津 - 長崎

 

有田

今日も朝から日差しが強い。日に焼けることこの上なし！３日の徒歩旅ですでに手の甲、顔はかなり焼けて褐色になっている。１日８－９時間屋外なのだから農家の人にも負けないだろう。

午前中、唐津の洲の部分である虹の松原をドライブしてから、駅近くにある旧唐津銀行本店を見る。銀行が今のように薄っぺらくない（？）まだ重厚さのある時代の建物で、それなりに外部も内部も美しい。

辰野金吾さんという人の設計によるものだが、彼の「作品」は現代まで数多く残っている。有名なところでは東京駅、日本銀行。建築家という職業が確立したのも彼のお陰であるらしい。

唐津焼の展示と唐津くんちというお祭りの際に曳かれる山車の展示も見る。年季が入っているはずの山車であるのに手入れが良くて、その様にはとても見えない。

好印象の唐津を後に、磁器の町―大川内山、伊万里、有田を通過しー様々な磁器を見るが、これが同じ伊万里？

これが同じ有田？と思うほど、作家さんによって違うので、判別が私には難しかった。何しろ実家の片付けで、大量の磁器、陶器を捨てたばかりの私。とても買う気になれずに、見るだけになった。

土曜日で道が混むかもしれないからとワルターは西の端の海辺の道を選んで長崎にむかうことにしたが、小さな島が浮かんでとても風光明媚なところだった。五島列島までが見える視界もあった。途中フランス人の神父さんが建てた小さな教会の近くにあった珈琲店で店主（女性）と話したところ、彼女は東京の出身だそう。冬も薪ストーブ一つで十分凌げる寒さで、氷が張ったりすることはなく温暖な気候だそうだ。近辺には現在もカトリック信者がとても多いという話だった。

今日明日は長崎泊。中華街にあるホテルで、夜はさっそく長崎ちゃんぽんと皿うどんを試す。スープがどちらもコクがあり、私がこれまで食べていた長崎ちゃんぽん、皿うどんは何だったの？と思うほど一味も二味も味が違う。やはり本場のせいか！？

Before we leave Karatsu, we visit an old bank building from the beginning of the 20th century. It was built by the "Father of Japanese architecture", a certain Mr. Kingo Tatsuno.

He was allowed - or forced - to study architecture in London for three years in 1880, became a professor in Tokyo and founded the first Japanese architects' association. At some point, however, he was probably fed up with being a civil servant and built many large buildings with his own office, including the Japanese Central Bank.

Right next door, in a more modern building, 14 ceremonial floats (dashi) are on display, which are paraded through the city every year at a big festival (kunchi matsuri). Depending on the float, 150 - 300 (!) men have to manoeuvre the house-sized monstrosities through the narrow streets. In the process, something probably gets broken from time to time, because trolley No. 4 is missing. They have to refurbish it by November. There are also plenty of injured people!

From Karatsu we drive further south to a remote village known for its excellent porcelain factory (Okawachiyama). The production of the goods was so secret that the village was hermetically sealed off from the outside world. Anyone who wanted to enter or leave was subjected to a "security check" by soldiers of the daimyo. 

Today the village consists mainly of shops. A few artists have probably survived. However, the prices for their art are well above the limit we would expect to pay to buy a "piece of art".

A few kilometres further on is Arita, another town famous for its porcelain.　We have already seen enough porcelain today. So we look for and find the famous "stone walls" of Arita. They stretch around the part of the town where the factories existed and where hundreds of hard-working women were employed. Their husbands toiled in the nearby quarries from which the material for production was extracted. I ask a local about the purpose of these walls. His answer: "It's waste from the production. Too expensive to dispose of. So we built walls with it. There's no point, but it looks nice!"

To round off the day, we drive along the coast to Nagasaki. There we take a short walk to Dejima, the artificial island where the Portuguese had their first trading centre. After falling out with the Shogun, he threw the Portuguese out and settled the Dutch. 

They were more interested in trade than in proselytising the Japanese. In their wake, five doctors from Germany also came to Japan, which established the Germans' long-standing good reputation in Japan. A quick trip to "China Town" to finally eat the original of my favourite dish (katayaki soba). It should taste just like that in Amagi!

第六日 篠栗八十八ヶ所 (3)

 

クリック

今日はホテルの窓から見ると、朝からお日様がでていて、暑くなりそう、と思った。

案の定、夏の日差しの中をせっせと歩く。幸い４分の３ぐらいの行程は木漏れ日の中で、最後の４分の１だけがアスファルトの駅に向かう道だった。朝８時から約４時間で約２００００歩強、山道を１６ｋｍ歩いた。私達の今回の歩き旅は、遍路旅というよりトレッキングというニュアンスが強い。

自分の体力でどこまでできるか試している。毎年「まだ出来るかな？」と思いながら歩くが、やはり自分のバランス感覚が悪くなっているのを山道の上り下りで感じる。

山道は特に降りるとき、怪我をしないように、一瞬の間にどこに足を着地すれば安全かを判断する訳だが、それを一目見て頭で瞬時に判断する人間の能力を―我ながら？！―素晴らしいと思う。

（特に）徒歩旅に怪我は禁物、足を怪我したが最後、旅は即時中断の憂き目にあう。今回も無事、徒歩旅の部を終えられたのも、千手観音さま、十一面観音さま、薬師如来さま、大日如来さま等々に頭を下げて歩いたお陰なのでしょう。

12時０５分に徒歩完了！万歳！（ワルターが四国の旅でさんざんお世話になった？ジョイフルというチェーン店で）まずは腹ごしらえをしてから、大宰府天満宮にむかう。こんなに一度に沢山の人に会うのは久しぶりと思うほど、観光客でごった返している境内。この大宰府人気はどこからきているのか？なんと本堂は修理中で、面白い（屋根に木々の生えた）仮の本堂がその前に建てられており、本堂の修理が終わった暁には取り壊されるようだ。

修学旅行の学生もたくさんいて、とても落ち着いてみられる雰囲気ではないので、早々に引き上げ、唐津にむかう。夕方から夜にかけて、ホテルから見える唐津城まで往復したら、今日の歩数はやはり30000歩を越えた。唐津の海に面したところに建つお城の景色は昼も夜もとても魅力的だ。

The last day of our hike begins with the same old ritual: The train pulls out in front of us. This only makes us even more determined to complete the last 17 kilometres. The first few kilometres are up the same route and then we take a different route up to around 600 metres. As we ascend, we look at the mountain on the opposite side, which we climbed the day before yesterday. On the way we saw a new retirement home (see picture). I'm thinking about booking a place here 😁

As we walk, we wonder who chiselled the thousands and thousands of Buddha statues out of the hard granite. It must have been a job for countless stonemasons over the centuries. On closer inspection, however, you realise that the brand new statues are made by some kind of "copying machine". They look the same down to the smallest detail.

Despite the many beautiful moments in the last three days, we are glad that we have successfully completed our first JOINT pilgrimage. Stop! To my shame, I have to confess that I made a serious mistake as "chief navigator". In the eagerness of our hike, we completely overlooked Temple No. 22. Something like that shouldn't happen to a professional pilgrim, should it? But walking another 6 kilometres there and back was a bit too much for us.

We drive to Dazaifu, about 40 minutes from Sasaguri. The shrine is famous for its beautiful building - which can only be glimpsed in disguise for another two years due to renovation work.

There is also a huge plum tree that is over 1,000 years old and a statue of an ox whose horns have been rubbed clean by all the visitors. Back then, 1,000 years ago, he drove his master to his grave on a cart and refused to go. He lay down on the grave and waited for his own death. A kind of "Hachiko" from Shibuya.

From Dazaifu we drive along a lonely country road over high mountains to Karatsu. There is supposed to be a beautiful castle there that we haven't seen yet. We'll have to make up for that today, won't we?

第五日 篠栗八十八ヶ所 (2)

 

クリック

天気予報になかった（？）雨がふったらしく、道は濡れている。用心に小さい折りたたみ傘をもってお遍路さん２日目をスタートする。８８ケ所あるお寺のうち、お客を寄せるノウハウがあり、潤っているお寺は恐らく１０本の指で十分数えられるほどしかない、というのが私の印象だ。

ひょっとすると５本でも十分かもしれない。札所の一番であり、横になっている大きな仏様で有名な南蔵院が恐らくトップ中のトップ。ここは拝観料もとらないが、その代わり寝姿のブッダの入り口でソフトアイスクリームが売られていて、ブッダを眺められる位置に座れる席が３０も用意されている。

来る人来る人がアイスクリームを買い求め、座ってアイスクリームをなめている。ブッダの目前でぺろぺろ舐めるなんてお行儀悪い、とは南蔵院のお坊さんは思わないらしい。

もっともブッダも横になられリラックスしてるのだから「ま、いいか・・・」ってことなのかな？？何とも心憎いサービスというか、商売上手！

一方小さな札所は近隣の方が納経所となり、管理しているか、そういう方もいまやなさそう、と思われる札所もあって、すっかり荒れ果て、ホコリをかぶっている。小さくても、お像が清潔に保たれていると、なにかほっとするし、もう長い事誰もお参りに来てないような札所はいかにも時の流れに飲み込まれているようで寂しい限りだ。

今日もワルターの計算では３５０００歩歩いたということなので、私の短い脚だと３８０００歩にはなっているかな？と思っている。折りたたみ傘は出番のない快晴だった。    

It had rained lightly during the night and in the morning a fresh wind almost blows us off the narrow path on which we start our second day of hiking. It was actually supposed to be "only" 17 kilometres, but somehow the chief navigator made a (slight) mistake and it ended up being 26 kilometres.

We follow Hirota-san's hiking map and only fail to find one path, which is totally overgrown and no longer recognisable as a path. After just 100 metres we give up and take the slightly longer route on a forest path. As yesterday, well-preserved and well-kept temples alternate with those that have been badly damaged by the ravages of time.

Longer stretches today lead along "real" old pilgrim paths through vast bamboo forests, where there is a loud noise every few seconds. No, it's not bears ambushing us, it's just the bamboo "growing". After we have conquered the first mountain with some difficulty, we have to cross the noisy main road and climb another 300 metres in altitude. At the top is the "Owl Temple", or Fukuro in Japanese.

Fukuro means "owl" in Japanese. A second meaning is "free from worries", just like the famous castle in Potsdam/Germany.

Already a little weak in the legs, we reach the highlight of the pilgrimage, the "Reclining Buddha". 

In a single moment, I manage to photograph it without any tourists. It is teeming with visitors, including many foreigners, who must have had apparently behaved so badly in the past that almost everything they did here is forbidden: No drones, no selphie stick, no video, no shouting around, no tattoos, no shorts, no "breezy" clothes etc.

Yes, the bronze statue (41 metres long and weighing 300 tonnes) is not easily forgotten.It dates back to 1899 and is dusted off every New Year by hundreds of hard-working people with feathers on long sticks. Come and have a look. It's worth it.

Today could actually end here, but according to Hitota-san's map we have one more mountain to climb. From its highest temple we stagger to the railway station, from where the train departs before our eyes. The next one arrives in 30 minutes! O.K. If it has to be!!

Clean the toilet, otherwise ........

Bummmm!

第四日 篠栗八十八ヶ所 (1)

 

クリック

今日は地元の人達と話す機会に恵まれた。まずは篠栗四国８８ヶ所のホームページ管理人の広田さんが篠栗駅で出迎えてくれた。

広田さんと

ワルターは旅行前に広田さんとメール交換を始め、広田さんは私たちが来ることを知って、駅まで来てくれ、最初のお寺まで一緒に歩いてくださった。彼の案内と情報のお陰で、スタートも行程
も迷うことがなかった。

次に遍路道の一部を毎日の散歩道にしている７７歳のご婦人。ご主人を亡くされて、博多から篠栗に引っ越されて７年。「山も川もある篠栗はいい所！」と仰っていた。

ダム湖の近くの見晴らし台のところでは本当はバイク狂の中年男性二人に会う。今日は車にテント道具だの寝袋、たっぷりの水を持参、野営する予定という。

ワルターが自由の身の男性達を思わず羨む発言。一人が「僕の実家は○○番札所のすぐ隣」というので、ワルターが写真を見せたら、「そうそうこの隣だよ」とニコニコ顔に。もう一人も「伊豆には行ったことがある。下田とか浄蓮の滝の名前があがる。

行程の最後の方にお坊さんとも話す。彼によると、多分スペイン風邪のことだと思うが、１７０年前ごろ疫病が流行った時に、篠栗の８８ケ所が始まったとのこと。四国のお寺さんから砂をもらってきたとか・・。そのほかにも何人かと言葉を交わしたが、みんなとてもオープンで親切で、ただただ楽しい出会いを求めているだけという感じに無理がなく、自然なのが関東と違うんじゃない、と思った。

３５０００歩歩いたとワルターが言うので、私は恐らく４００００歩ぐらい歩いた計算かもしれない。疲れたけれど、明日は体も慣れてくるだろうし、地元の人との交流のお陰で気持ちのいい一日だった。一つ残念なのは、四国のお遍路と違い、沢山のお寺が無人で、手入れが全然行届かないどころか、忘れ去られているが如くの状況にあることだ。これでは篠栗の８８ヶ所を他人に勧められない・・・。

２５番札所のお坊さんと

The first day of our pilgrimage begins at Sasaguri railway station. Hirota-san is already waiting for us there to accompany us to the first temple. Hirota-san has been looking after the pilgrimage route in Sasaguri since he retired. I learnt everything I needed from him and also copied his description of the route from the Internet. Just like that! Thank you, Hirota-san! You've helped us a lot. If Yumiko had known that there was also a reporter from a local newspaper there, she would certainly have put on better clothes.

City of Fukuoka （Hakata far away on the right）

The path is surprisingly well signposted and well maintained. Firstly, it leads through the narrow streets of the town up into the mountains.

We only meet a few people on the way and certainly no other pilgrims - apart from two women who have taken the bus to the highest temple (600 metres above sea level) and are now walking down. 

As in Shikoku, there are some particularly well-maintained temples here and others that deserve more "tidying up". They simply lack the necessary financial support. They can't afford it with the 100 Yen they get from pilgrims.

At the end of the approximately 22 kilometres, we realise that we are slowly getting older. Although only about 30% of the route is on small tarmac roads with virtually no traffic, the soles of our feet are burning. At around 16:00 we reach a deserted railway station, which can only be reached by climbing many steps.

The railway here runs on concrete pillars high above the ground.
We fall happily but exhausted onto our beds in the hotel. 

The first day has been successfully ticked off. We have visited 27 out of 88 temples without exception. Tomorrow we continue!

That's me after 22 km Sasaguri walk

That's her after 22 km Sasaguri Walk