Cape Nosappu is at the tip od Nemuro Peninsula in the easternmost end of Hokkaido. It is located at 43°22’ N; 145°49′ E. The cape is very close to the Khabomai Rocks including Signalny (Kaigara-jima) and Tanfilyeva (Suisho-jima) and Kunashir Island (Kunashiri-to).
Known as “the Cape of Drift Ice,” the cape displays the dynamic and fantastic landscape of drift ice in winter. It is also famous as the place where the rising sun can be seen earliest in Japan. On New Year’s Day, a lot of people visit to “worship” the new year’s first sunrise.
The Cape Nosappu Lighthouse at the tip is the oldest in Hokkaido, which opened in 1872. In Bokyo-no-Misaki Park in the vicinity, there are a variety of facilities related to the Northern Territories such as the arch-shaped monument for the restoration activity called “Shima-no-kakehashi (Bridge to the Four Islands),” Bokyo-no-Ie (Northern Territory Folk Museum) and Hoppo-kan (Northern Museum).
This craft involves the carving of natural semiprecious stone for art objects, craft products and accessories. Its techniques in carving and polishing have developed throughout a long history and highly appreciated not only in Japan but also in many other countries.
This craft started in the Heian period (794-1192), when quartz was found in the deep mountain beyond Mitake Shosenkyo Gorge. When it was first discovered, it was used as an ornament, but by the Edo period (1603-1868), master craftsmen from Kyoto were invited to this area and they taught local craftsmen the techniques of making raw material into gems, which developed into the present Koshu crystal carving.
The production reached its peak with export growth in the postwar period, but today ornaments and items of jewelry for domestic customers are being produced. Many of these pieces have been created to make the most of the transparent colors and brilliance of the natural gem stone. They are not merely beautiful but have an uplifting feeling and sense of being alive.
There are several hundred “yokoana,” or “horizontal holes,” carved into the southern side of Nonodake Hill from Oido to Nakano in Wakuya Town, Miyagi Prefecture. They are the ruins of tombs built from the late 7th to the early 8th centuries.
The site is designated as a historic site by the municipal government. The area including 9 of the caves is arranged into Oido Yokoana History Park and open to the public.
The largest tomb is 9 meters in total length. At the end of the cave is the house-shaped chamber, which has three platforms to place coffins on. The walls of another cave are decorated with chisel carvings and painted red with bengara (iron rust). Pieces of beads made of glass, jade, agate and amber have been excavated, from which it is inferred that those are the tombs of a local ruling family.
Kanazakura Shrine is located in Mitake-cho, Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture. Enshrined are five deities including Susanoo-no Mikoto, Yamato Takeru no Mikoto and Sukunahikona no Mikoto. Known as the birthplace of crystal in Japan, it enshrines crystal balls as the sacred treasure. It is said that the original shrine was founded during the reign of Emperor Sujin (97-30 B.C.), when Sukunahikona No Mikoto was enshrined at the top of Mt. Kinpu. In the later period, when Yamato Takeru dropped in at this shrine to offer a prayer on his way to the eastern land, he founded a shrine at this place as the satomiya (village shrine).
During the Warring States period (1493-1573), the shrine was worshipped by the Takeda clan as their oratory. It was also protected by the Tokugawa clan in the Edo period (1603-1868). The shrine building was destroyed by fire in 1955, and reconstructed into the present vermillion Honden (the main hall) in 1959. This shrine is believed to bring the benefits of recovery of illness, getting rid of bad luck and luck with money. In spring, the shrine is crowded with a lot of cherry blossom viewers to enjoy 600 cherry trees in the precinct including the very rare tree named “Turmeric Cherry,” which produces yellow blossoms.
Chogakuji is a temple of Shingon Sect located in Sakurai City, Nara Pref. Its Sango (the name of the mountain where a temple is located) is Kamanokuchi-san. It is the 19th temple of “Kansai Hana no Tera (the temples famous for flowers in Kansai Region).” The temple was established by Priest Kukai under the imperial order made by Emperor Junna in 824 as the Junguji (an attached temple) of Yamato Shrine. During the Warring States period, it was damaged by a fire, but restored in 1602 under the protection of Tokugawa Ieyasu. The main object of worship is Amida Sanzon (three Amida statues). These statues are considered to be the oldest of all the statues in which the technique of Gyokugan (that uses crystal balls for eyes) is employed. The Shoro-Gate is the only structure that remains since its foundation. One of the collections of this temple is “Gokuraku Jigoku-zu (Hell and the Pure Land)” painted by Kano Sanraku. This magnificent picture with a height of 3.5 m and a width of 11 m has preached people the world of Buddha.
It is believed that the rosary existed before the birth of Buddha. In religious Brahman texts, it states that Tamonten (Vaisravana), Benzaiten (Sarasvati) and Bonten (Brahma) had an object called 'renju'. It is also believed that the 'renju' is the original form of the Buddhist rosary.
In ancient times a king is recorded as consulting Buddha for political measure. Consequently Buddha told the king to create a rosary and wear it. As told, the king made a wooden rosary not only for himself but for his men also. Later the people concentrated together for happiness. As a result, the rosary brought welfare and the people were happy.
Buddhist rosaries are made of crystal, a material known to clean everything, such as spirit and body. It is also said that crystal leads to tranquility and peace. These rosaries may remove misfortune from the owner.