On the last leg of our trip to Kanto, I and my wife, Mani, were lodged at the Toyoko Inn at Takasaki. Over the last couple of days, Takasaki proved to be a great base for visiting places we had on our bucket list, around Tokyo in the Kanto region.
The town is itself famous for the tradition of the Daruma dolls used as a talisman for good luck. The Daruma doll is a hollow, rounded traditional Japanese doll with large eyes, modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism. These dolls are typically red in color but can also come in different colors.
We were leaving for Nagano today and Mani couldn’t stand to leave without a Daruma of her own, so we set off for Syorinzan Daruma Temple (少林山達磨寺), the birthplace of these Daruma dolls in the Takasaki countryside.
Train to Syorinzan Daruma Temple
One can either take the bus or the train to Syorinzan Daruma Temple. We had our rail passes with us, so we used the train. If one is planning to use the bus, they should note that the buses are at long intervals.
From the Takasaki Station, we took the local to Gumma-Yawata Station along the Shin-Etsu Line. It’s just a couple of stops away and hardly takes about 10 minutes. From the station, though it’s a 1.5 km walk to the temple. It was a lovely sunny day, so we didn’t mind.
There are directional arrows along the way so it’s not hard to find, though personally I always prefer using Google Maps.
On the way we crossed Toyooka Bypass national highway, beside which there is a large Daruma for guiding first-time visitors like us towards the temple.
Crossing the Toyooka Bypass
A few minutes across a small river brought us at a crossroad from where the path started to go uphill.
Usui River on the way to Syorinzan Darumaji
Up the hill, we went past many thatched houses before reaching up to a clearing. From here, a long series of stairs lead up to the main temple. It was 9 am but the temple grounds were mostly empty.
Syorinzan Darumaji Grounds
Syorinzan Daruma Temple
After climbing the steep stone stairs, we reached the main temple precinct.
It is said that a long time ago on the banks of the Usui river, there existed a small thatched hut holding a statue of Kannon, the Bodhisattva of compassion. After a great flood, the villagers found a log of fragrant wood as the water receded near the hut. The local villagers took the wooden log and placed it inside the hut with the image of the Kannon. One day sometime in the year 1680, an old ascetic passed by the village. He took the fragrant log and carved a wooden image of Daruma Daishi out of it.
Syorinzan Darumaji Temple
Subsequently, both the statues were enshrined here at the hut. Later in the Genroku period in 1697, Shinetsu, a priest from China, founded this temple. He brought with him a holy statue of Hokushin-Chintaku, that realizes the wishes of peace and happiness. It was his successor, a Japanese priest named Tenshu, who built a shrine to house the statue. In 1731, many years later, the crest of the Tokugawa family and a seal representing water were bestowed on to the temple. Since then the temple with all its religious artifacts became a place of prayer and devotion.
A gentleman was sweeping the front of the temple grounds as we walked towards the Reifu-do hall (hondo or main hall). The ground is covered with small pebble stones. A large number of Daruma dolls lay gathered at the front of the main temple building. It is said that Daruma Daishi stayed here for nine years, meditating facing a blank wall in a cave behind the temple.
Syorinzan Darumaji Reifudo
Syorinzan Daruma-ji is a temple belonging to the Zen Buddhist Obaku School. The Ōbaku’s approach to Buddhism is tinged with a hint of Chinese influence. The sect is about disciplining the mind and experiencing truth and does not believe in idol worship.
Pedestal in front of the Syorinzan Darumaji
Every year on the 6th and 7th of January during the Nanakusa Festival, a “Daruma Market (Daruma Ichi)” is held on the temple grounds. Many gather here every year seeking the divine protection of the temple’s deity through its lucky charm, the Daruma.
To the left, a bunch of Ema (wooden plaques for writing prayers ) in the shape of Daruma are hung, where visitors can leave their prayers.
Ema in front of the Syorinzan Darumaji
Beside the temple, a tiny shop sells Daruma dolls as well as charms of all kinds featuring the dolls. Mani bought one for herself.
Kaigen
The dolls come with no eyes. This is because the Daruma doll is sold with no eyes and you draw the first (usually it’s left one) as you ask for a wish. At the end of the year, if the wish has been achieved, you draw the second eye.
Kaigen or the opening Daruma’s eyes is one of the popular folk rituals in Japan. The eyes on the Daruma doll you can buy here are purposefully left blank. Once a believer finds a doll to their liking, they can entrust their wishes to it by painting a black pupil in the left eye of the Daruma. After the wish has been fulfilled, they are supposed to show their appreciation by painting the right eye.
Daruma Kuyô
At the start of the year, one is supposed to bring the doll back to the temple. During a ceremony called daruma kuyô, these dolls are burned together after giving thanks to the Daruma.
Syorinzan Daruma Museum
To the left of the shop there is a small one-room museum. At the gate a huge life-sized Daruma greets visitors inside the museum.
A huge Daruma in front of the museum
The small but well curated museum and presents an astonishing variety of Daruma dolls, and also a collection of exquisitely carved wooden statues representing the legendary founder of Zen Buddhism, Bodhidharma. Photography is not allowed inside the museum.
After some time we went back down the stairs to the garden.
The temple’s gardens are a quiet place to relax. There is also a small summer-house (Senshintei) designed by the German architect Bruno Taut in the early Showa period (1926-1989). The stairs to it were blocked maybe because of repairs. A Jizo stands in a corner beside the stairs.
A Jizo on the temple grounds
In those days the Daruma was created as a prayer to help the suffering farmers during times of famine. After wandering around the garden we walked back to the Gumma-Yawata Station.
We were back at Takasaki in no time. At Takasaki, we had some time on our hands before the next scheduled train to Nagano, so we treated ourselves to some souvenir shopping.
Daruma Cookies
It was an interesting trip to the Syorinzan Daruma-ji. I love how most cities in Japan have an identity of its own. Not only is it a beautiful and clean country, the rich historical heritage and the way they have protected it is worth mentioning.
The annual Daruma-Ichi fair is held on January 6 and 7 each year. During this time, thousands of people converge on the temple each year to find their Fuku-Daruma dolls for the new year.
Thanks for reading. I hope you found it interesting and informative. As always, please leave your comment below or follow my journey to the most lovely Matsumoto Castle.
It was a sudden rush of the moment when I decided to visit the shrines of Nikko. The day before I was shuffling through some souvenirs at the Tougyoku Doll museum, when I chanced upon a set of hand painted cards of popular UNESCO sites in Japan. The box contained a set of six UNESCO sites, of which I had visited all, barring Nikko. So it was decided right then that we were going to Nikko the next day.
The “Shrines and Temples of Nikko” refer to the Toshogu and Futarasan-jinja shrines, the Rinnoji temple and the surrounding sacred forest located in Tochigi Prefecture, in the northern part of Japan’s Kanto region. These architectural and decorative masterpieces of Nikko, together with their natural surroundings, have been a sacred site for centuries.
Train ride from Takasaki to Nikko
We started out in the early morning from Takasaki. It was a dull cloudy day. We had been staying at the Tokoyo Inn in Takasaki. It’s just a 5 minute walk from the station and has good facilities.
Takasaki Station
I had been to Nikko once earlier when I visited Lake Chuzenji, so I knew it takes some time specially on the local train from Utsunomiya Station on the JR Nikko Line. I hope they would schedule some express trains in the future for tourists who generally go directly to Nikko, rather than stopping at all stations. That would save a lot of travel time.
The Max Toki express from Takasaki to Utsunomiya
We reached Nikko by noon. At the station the first thing we did was check with the information booth.
The lady at the counter alerted us that a huge traffic jam was underway and we would be better off on foot rather on the sightseeing bus. So we walked down the quiet streets. Along the way, we picked up a couple of ice cream cones for the road.
The city of Nikko is a cozy place with small shops and restaurants. We saw many foreign tourists also making their way towards the shrines. The city does not have many hotels and generally visitors come here on day trips and head out before dusk.
Shin-kyo Bridge
After walking for about 20 minutes we were at a beautiful arch-shaped bridge covered in vermilion lacquer and supported by stone piers. The Shinkyo Bridge acts as a gateway to the shrines and temples of Nikko.
The arched Shinkyo Bridge
Legend has it that once Shonin was unable to cross the strong rapids of the Daiyagawa river. So Shonin prayed to the gods and gods answered by sending two snakes which formed a bridge for him to walk across. We stayed at the bridge for some time enjoying the cool breeze across the river.
The arched Shinkyo Bridge
History of Nikko
From the bridge, we entered the forested area of Nikko. A series of moss-covered steps led us up the mountain towards the Tosho-gu Shrine. It had started to drizzle as we made our way uphill towards the shrine. Even though Nikko is 3 hours away, the cloud cover had followed us all the way from Takasaki
Moss covered stairs leading up to Toshogu Shrine
The sacred forest of Nikko dates all the way back to the 8th century. It was then that Shonin founded the Shihon-ryu-ji Temple (formerly Rinno-ji Temple). Later he also founded the Chuzenji Temple in 782 at the foothills of Mount Nantai. Shodo Shonin passed away in the year 817 and was buried in Kaizan-do Temple. Thereafter for centuries, the area with its forest and mountains became a training ground for Buddhist monks.
However it was only when the forest was chosen to house the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the ruling warlord of Japan, that Nikko became popular. People came from all over Japan to witness the beautifully ornate shrine.
The path to the Tosho-gu shrine is lined with giant ancient trees that reminded me of the Kumano trail in Nachi.
At certain points pilgrims had tied Ema on the bushes.
Ema tied to bushes near Toshogu Shrine
After the initial climb, the trail is easy and we were quickly at the shrine.
The sacred forest of nikko
I was surprised by the huge crowd that had gathered at the Tosho-gu Shrine. Nikko, it seems is very popular among foreign tourists and even though it was a Monday afternoon, there was no letting up. Many of them are like me who may not be Buddhist but still appreciate the ornate temples created by craftsmen in the late 17th Century. From that moment on, I couldn’t enjoy the place. Too much noise disturbs me. A spiritual place like Nikko can only be enjoyed in silence. But since we were here we decided to at-least witness the decorative Tosho-gu Shrine.
Crowd in front of the Toshogu Shrine
Tosho-gu Shrine
Tosho-gu is the main Shinto shrine in Nikko, and the entrance is through the magnificent Omote-mon gate. It was built as a shrine and mausoleum to deify Ieyasu Tokugawa (1543-1617), founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that lasted over 2 centuries. As many as 450 thousand workmen and artisans labored over a period of two years to complete Toshogu.
There was a long queue for the admission tickets to the shrine. Beside the ticket booth there is a heavily decorated 5 storyed pagoda. The original pagoda dated from 1650 but burned down in 1815. The present tower is a reconstruction from 1818. The twelve Chinese zodiac signs are carved around the Pagoda’s first level.
Go-Juu-No-Toh Pagoda just outside the Toshogu Shrine
While Mani stood in the queue to obtain the tickets, I took some shots of the Omote-mon gate.
The gate is protected by huge red Nio guardian kings on either side.
Ungyo Nio Guardian at Niomon Gate of Toshogu Shrine
Through the Omote-mon front gate we found ourselves in front of the three San-Jinko Sacred Storehouses. The beautifully decorated storehouses with colorfully painted carvings are used to keep costumes for spring and autumn festivities. One can see a carving of elephants on the top-tier of the buildings, even though they are not indigenous animals of Japan.
To the left of the entrance is the famous Shinkyusha (meaning “Sacred Stable”), decorated with wood carvings of monkeys. The stable is Toshogu’s only unpainted structure. The only decorated carving is of the three, “Hear no evil, See no evil and Speak no evil” monkeys demonstrating the three principles of Tendai Buddhism. The stable houses a horse named Kotuku, donated by the government of New Zealand.
Shinkyusha
The “Three Monkeys”, carving below is famous throughout the world for the “see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil” poses. The carved monkeys covering their eyes, ears and mouth, respectively, were inspired by the Buddhist teaching that if we do not hear, see or speak evil, we ourselves shall be spared from evil.
Monkey Carvings on the Shinkyusha
To the left of the stable on can find some sacred lanterns made of stone and bronze.
Lanterns inside Toshogu Shrine
Further on after a right-hand bend in the path is the Omizuya lavabo, a holy washing trough, dating from 1618. Water is siphoned from the nearby river for worshipers at the shrine to purify themselves.
A staircase leads up to the Yomei-mon gate. In front of the gate, there are two bells on either side, the roofs of which have a carved Baku on each of the four corners. The elephant-like Baku (獏) is an imaginary creature from Chinese mythology thought to prevent or devour nightmares. It has the trunk and tusks of an elephant, the eyes of a rhinoceros, the tail of a cow, and the paws of a tiger.
Bell at Toshogu Shrine
The Yomei-mon (meaning “Sunset Gate”) is another amazingly decorated structure with gold leaves, intricate, colorful carvings and paintings of flowers, dancers and mythical beasts and Chinese sages. Historians say about 2.5 million sheets of gold leaf were used, each gold leaf being about 4 square inches. The extensive decorations of the gate displays the artistic taste of this ruling family of Japan that lasted for two and a half centuries. The Youmeimon tower gateway is famous for its lavish decorations that include over 300 dazzling carvings of mythical beasts, such as dragons and Chinese sages. Unfortunately, the gate itself was partly covered due to the restoration underway.
We were finally inside the main area of the shrine. It was so crowded in there, we had to forego all hopes of getting inside the shrine.
During the years, the area has been subjected to many natural disasters, mainly due to earthquakes. Each time, the damaged buildings were restored faithfully, following rigorously the original plans and techniques, using the original materials whenever possible. This has enabled the site to maintain its authenticity and continue to function as a place of religious rituals drawing pilgrims from all over Japan.
Nikko is a vast area of shrines and temples that it is almost overwhelming! Outside the Toshogu shrine, we walked past many other small temples, some closed, some in ruins. The drizzle had stopped by 2 pm and we slowly started on our way back to the train station.
The Nikko shrines and temples is a perfect illustration of the architectural style of the Edo period as applied to Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. The shrine and temple buildings, together with their natural surroundings, have for centuries constituted a sacred site and the home of architectural and decorative masterpieces. It was a satisfied feeling to have visited the shrine, although I would have loved to be in a less crowded place.
Thanks for reading. Please leave your comments below or follow my story as we visit the Shorinzan Daruma Temple in Gunma.
Today we travel to the quaint town of Iwatsuki in Saitama Prefecture. Iwatsuki is today Japan’s largest producer of traditional dolls employing over over 300 doll-makers creating miniature masterpieces using only natural materials since the 17th century, a tradition that continues to this day. Just like manga or anime that appeals to the young and old alike, these Japanese dolls from Saitama are loved by people of all generations.
My fascination with dolls started in my childhood years when I visited the Children’s Museum in Kolkata. I was deeply touched by the depiction of the story of Ramayana in a series of figurines behind glass panes. Even as I transitioned to adulthood, my love for collecting and cherishing figurines depicting local culture never waned. To this day, I take immense delight in my figurine collection procured from different parts of the world.
The name of “Saitama” originates from the Sakitama (埼玉郡) district. Sakitama has a long history and even finds a place in the famous Man’yōshū (万葉集), the oldest existing collection of Japanese poetry, compiled sometime after 759 CE. The colloquial pronunciation gradually changed from Sakitama to Saitama over the years.
Train from Takasaki to Iwatsuki
We were staying at the Toyoko Inn at Takasaki. From Takasaki, we took the Joetsu Shinkansen to Omiya, the biggest city near Iwatsuki. The Shinkansen does not go all the way to Iwatsuki so we had to change to the local Tobu-Noda Line at Omiya Station. From Omiya, it’s just a 15-minute train ride to Iwatsuki. If you are in the Kanto region, it is a good idea to obtain the Tokyo Wide Pass, or in my case the JR Pass.
Takasaki Station
After a short ride on the local train, we arrived at Iwatsuki Station at 11 a.m. The Tougyoku Doll Museum is just a minute away from the station in a tranquil neighborhood.
History of Saitama Dolls
In Japan, dolls have been a part of everyday life since ancient times. Japanese dolls reflect the customs of Japan and over the centuries have developed in many diverse forms. The Japanese term for “doll” (人形) is constructed by combining two kanji characters, where the first character signifies “human” (人), and the second character denotes “form” (形).
The first Ningyō (dolls) in Japan were the Dogu and Haniwa. The Dogu, appeared in the Jomon period (10,000 B.C.E. to 300 B.C.E) as a prominent fertility symbol. It held immense significance for the Japanese populace, representing the fertility of the land, animals, and people, and therefore played a crucial role in society.
The Haniwa, unglazed terra-cotta cylinders and hollow sculptures were most likely influenced by the Chinese terra-cotta. The Haniwa dolls added a new dimension to the Japanese Ningyō, introducing the concept of protection. These two elements, fertility and protection became the two most important factors of the Japanese Ningyō over the centuries to come.
This is the oldest form taken by Hina Ningyō used to pray for the happiness of girls. They represent a young warrior and his wife from a period roughly 500 years ago
Later around the 7th century, simple dolls made from wooden planks were created to entrust them with protection against misfortune in the coming year, after which the dolls were floated away on rivers. Katashiro paper dolls are still used today in purification rites for the same purpose at Shinto shrines throughout Japan.
With the introduction of Buddhism following the end of the Kofun period, the use of the Haniwa and Dogu faded and a new form of Ningyō was introduced that later evolved into the Amagatsu and Hoko. Amagatsu and Hōko (Nos.2,3) are dolls designed to protect babies from any misfortune that may befall them. As time passed and the Ningyō styles succumbed to the effect of commercialisation. Due to this the Ningyō slowly lost its connection to fertility and protection and their importance shifted to the aesthetics side.
The doll town of Iwatsuki
Around 3 centuries ago, Eshin, a Buddhist image sculptor from Kyoto, devised a method of making dolls out of Paulownia wood powder using a technique called Tosokashira. The process involved mixing the paste of Paulownia powder and Shobunori (paste made from wheat starch). In addition to Paulownia wood, the abundance of high-quality water found on Iwatsuki also became essential in creating the Tosokashira mix. The technique was passed down the generations and is still employed today for making these detailed handmade dolls.
Iwatsuki has a very interesting connection with the Toshogu shrine of Nikko. About 366 years ago, Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu invited skillful carpenters from all over the country in order to build the Toshogu Shrine, a mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu. In those days Iwatsuki used to be a small castle town on the Nikko-onari-kaido road between Nikko and Edo (Old Tokyo).
The workmen and artisans labored for the next couple of years to build the heavily ornate Toshogu Shrine. Iwatsuki and its outskirts were abundant with the finest Paulownia trees. Once the Nikko Toshogu Shrine was completed, some of the disbanded carpenters chose to settle down in and around Iwatsuki and began earning their living by creating household furniture.
Tougyoku Doll Museum
The history of Tougyoku museum runs parallel with that of the town of Iwatsuki. Founded in 1852 CE, the museum was started with the idea of protecting and furthering the indigenous art of doll-making in Iwatsuki. Today, the museum exhibits hundreds of dolls including some really historical ones like the Iwatsuki ganso kamishimo hina doll.
From the outside, the Tougyoku Doll Museum building looks like any other building and is easy to miss. An elevator took us up to the museum on the fourth floor floor. Out of the lift, we found ourselves in front of a dimly lit room.
The dimly lit Tougyoku Doll Museum
No one was around at the entrance so we just put the admission money in a box and entered the premises. The admission cost is ¥300 per person.
The museum was empty barring one family. Many of the dolls here, date back hundreds of years and are truly works of art. It is also interesting to see how they have evolved over time.
Dolls in Tougyoku Museum
Near the entrance there are various nifty little dolls made of fabric hanging on strings, creating a sort of curtain. Some were in the shape of Owls, one of the very popular creatures in Japan. Some time ago I did research on the Owl superstitions among the Japanese.
Saitama Doll
Clay Dolls
The first section my eyes went to was these miniature clay dolls. Beside it were the words – “Hatsu uma“, the first day of the horse. In the old Japanese calendar, the first day of the horse falls at the beginning of February, which coincides with the first planting of rice for the year. A festival is held at the “Fox Shrine” to pray for a good and prosperous harvest. This little figure is dancing at that festival.
Doll of Hatsu Uma
This is a miniature clay art cute little boy, with a happy facial expression, who is taking part in the same Hatsu uma festival. He is shown wearing a beautifully painted kimono, decorated with colorful flowers and is playing a Japanese taiko or drum.
Doll of Hatsu Uma
Shichou dolls from Taisho period
On the left wall, the Shichou dolls are on exhibit from the Taisho era (1868-1926). These impressive samurai warrior dolls were crafted for display on Boys’ Day, celebrated annually in Japan.
Shichou Dolls from Taisho Era
The exquisite detailing of these works of art is beyond words. Extreme effort has been put into making the expressions so human.
Shichou Dolls from Taisho Era
Another doll from the same era.
Shichou Dolls from Taisho Era
Ichimatsu Dolls
Ichimatsu Ningyō dolls were widely loved by people as a typical cuddly toy-doll during the Edo Period (1603-1867) and remain popular today as a gift for girls and as an art object. It is said also that a newly married couple will be blessed with a healthy baby when they display this doll.
Dolls at Tougyoku Doll Museum
The widely held explanations regarding the origin of the name of Ichimatsu Ningyō the name came from Ichimatsu SANOGAWA, a kabuki actor in the mid-Edo period.
Dolls at Tougyoku Doll Museum
Ichimatsu Ningyō, which consists of a head and limbs made from the mixture of sawdust of paulownia wood and wheat starch, or from wood, painted with a white pigment made from oyster shells (or that made from clam shells), connected to a body made from a sawdust-stuffed cloth, is sold naked and the purchaser makes its costume. It ranges in size from as small as 20 centimeters to larger than 80 centimeters, but it is generally around 40 centimeters high. There are girl and boy dolls, and the girl doll has a bobbed hair transplanted and the hair of the boy doll is drawn with a brush.
Kokin-bina Dolls
Hara Shugetsu, a doll-maker in Edo (Tokyo), developed the Kokin-bina style during the Meiwa Era (1764-1772 CE). The style’s name comes from the Kokinshu, a Heian Period poetry anthology. Kokin-bina draws from several earlier doll styles. The Emperor doll usually wears a simple black ho, emulating the courtly style of the Yusoku-bina. The Empress doll is more like the Kyoho-bina style, as she typically wears an elaborate junihitoe, the twelve-layered court costume of the Heian Period, as well as a crown styled into a mythical phoenix. These inspirations show how doll-makers balanced competing tastes by pairing the austere formality of the Yusoku-bina with the elaborate textiles of the Kyoho-bina.
This is a rare Edo Period Kokin-bina Empress. It is part of a Dairi-bina Imperial Couple for the Hina-matsuri Girl’s Day celebration. The me-bina lady is wearing a spectacular crown. The dress is a formal court attire.
Kokin-bina Dolls at Tougyoku Doll Museum
An important difference between the Kokin-bina and earlier doll styles was how they were manufactured. As the popularity of the Hinamatsuri festival increased, doll-making was divided into different specialties. Carefully sculpted heads were fashioned at a workshop in Edo and the simpler bodies, hidden under clothes, were mass-produced in Kyoto. The extra care given to the heads allowed for other innovations, such as the extensive use of inset glass for the dolls’ eyes. Once complete, the heads were shipped to Kyoto where they were painted, matched with a body, and dressed.
Hina Ningyo
By the time the “Kokin bina,” shown below, became popular, it had become the tradition to display other dolls below the imperial pair. Among these were the Three Court Ladies (Sannin Kanjo) dolls and Five Musicians (Gonin Bayashi).
Hina Ningyō
From the Shichou dolls, we moved on to the most favorite of all dolls – Hina Ningyō. The Hina Ningyō dolls have a history of over 1000 years. There are quite a few types of the Hina Ningyō, the Amagatsu, Houko, Tachi Bina, Kan’ei Bina, Kyouho Bina, Jirozaemon Bina, Yuzoku Bina, Kokin Bina and the Muromachi Bina. However, the latter six dolls are all different types of the Dairi Bina, who respectively are evolutions of the Amagatsu and Hoko.
Hina Ningyo at Tougyoku Doll Museum
These dolls are made with extremely ornamental details and calm expressions. They usually represent the Emperor, Empress, and other court attendants of the Heian period (794-1185) During the Hina Matsuri festival, celebrated on March 3rd each year, families with the girl child display their Hina Ningyō dolls and pray for their child’s growth and happiness. Most Hina dolls are heavily ornate.
Traditional Hina Doll
The carpenters did not just make dolls. They also created some exquisite furniture to go with the cute dolls. The miniature vessels and furniture are perfect for a doll house. Hina Dolls are traditionally displayed on March 3rd, the Girls’ Day held to wish for healthy growth and happiness of girls. In the Heian period (794-1192 C.E.), people made dolls with paper or grass, imbued them with misfortunes and bad luck they might suffer from, and then released them to rivers or the sea as their bodily substitutes. Separate from that, there were also paper dolls called Hina Dolls which aristocratic girls played with. With time, the customs of Hina dolls that were floated on water and those that girls played with were integrated to give birth to paper dolls and standing earthen dolls that led to the Hina Dolls of today.
Traditional Hina Doll
These Hina always appeared in pairs, and these pairs would always be placed on the highest part of the Hina display. These Hina as pairs were called the Dairi Bina. Two of the most important dolls would most likely be the Houko and Amagatsu, which have been thought to be the predecessors of the Dairi Bina. The Houko and the Amagatsu are thought of as a pair, where the Amagatsu is the male equivalent while the Houko is the female one.
Hina Ningyo
Gogatsu Ningyō
On Boys’ Day which is observed on May 5th, families pray for their sons’ good health and success. On this day, also known as Tango no Sekku, families display figures of costumed warriors with miniature armor and warrior helmets. These dolls especially made for boys are called Gogatsu Ningyō and appear with fierce expressions, wearing armor, and showing the courage, bravery, and honor expected of the Samurais. Models of armor and dolls of heroes are put on display for the festival, and rice-cake sweets wrapped in blades of bamboo grass or oak leaves are eaten in celebration.
Hero dolls that are particularly popular include Momotarō and Kintarō, both known for possessing super-human strength and for having saved the people by overcoming monsters.
Gogatsu Ningyo at Tougyoku Doll Museum
Origin of Gogatsu dolls
The origins of Gogatsu dolls come from an age-old samurai tradition. In the old days, when a boy was born in the family of a samurai, his parents used to put ornamental helmets and trinkets and hang them at the entrance gate to celebrate his birth. They also had a custom of gifting a new samurai body armor to the child. These items were put together to form the Gogatsu doll, though in a smaller size. To this day people display Gogatsu dolls to protect their sons from evil and Koinobori (carp streamers) along with wishes for good health and social success.
Gogatsu Ningyo at Tougyoku Doll Museum
Oyama Doll
Oyama Ningyō is the name given to traditional Japanese female dolls which are, for the most part, inspired by ukiyo-e images from the Edo period. These types of Japanese doll express a woman’s beauty through a gorgeous costume and elegant figure.
Handmade Oyama Doll
This kind of doll has been very popular since the Edo period, and it is also used for the Girl’s Festival held on March 3rd. When girls of the Samurai class got married, their parents gave them the Dressed Dolls as a ‘substitute’ that would consume possible misfortunes on behalf of the girls. For this reason, the dolls were crafted as women of high ranks.
Oyama Doll
As the crafting techniques evolved with time, the dolls today have come to be enjoyed by all people. Particular among them is the doll modeling a Japanese traditional dancer called Oyama Doll named after Jirosaburo Oyama, a renowned doll maker in the Edo period.
Most of the Oyama dolls are derived from Kabuki each representing a particular dance.
Oyama Doll
I totally loved the intricate details on the kimono of this doll.
Oyama Doll at Tougyoku Doll Museum
Eto Dolls
Introduced from China in the period of Yin, an ancient dynasty that reigned around the 17th century B.C., to Japan, Eto is a cycle of sixty years that consists of twelve signs relating to animals and ten elements. Originating in China and spreading to Japan, Vietnam, Russia, and Eastern Europe, it was used in the calendar, as well as to indicate angles, time, and directions. When applied to the calendar, each year has one of the twelve signs of animals.
Dolls at Tougyoku Doll Museum
Thus the calendar has a twelve-year cycle. The order of years is; rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and boar. Each year, Japanese people place an Eto Doll of the animal of the year. They believe that the Eto Dolls absorb their misfortunes during that year.
After about an hour of going through some amazing history, we left the museum. Just across the street, opposite to the museum, one can find a souvenir shop that also has a huge collection of Hina and Gogatsu dolls for sale.
The biggest festival in Japan surrounding dolls is the Hina Matsuri, or the Doll Festival, even though the Hina Matsuri is still celebrated today the original meaning of the festival is lost to most Japanese people. In ancient times the Hina matsuri was about the cleansing of body and soul, but as it moved closer to modern times, it was the festivities and beauty of the festival that mesmerized the Japanese people
Tougyoku Doll Prices
One of the cheaper ones can set you back by ¥200000.
The Hina dolls are kept on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Although the Hina display does not have a longer history than from the Edo period (1600-1868), the celebrations around it had been prominent since the Heian period (794-1185)
Tougyoku Doll Shop
For the Japanese, these dolls enjoy a special place in their lives. In most countries, the term “doll” typically refers to playthings. However, in Japan, beyond being toys, Ningyō have evolved into forms of art, craftsmanship, and objects laden with wishes. There remains a prevalent belief in Japan that anything crafted in the likeness of living beings should be treated with respect. When someone can no longer keep a cherished doll, it is not discarded as waste; instead, it is dedicated to shrines or temples, where a Ningyō kuyo, or doll funeral service, is requested. This practice has endured since ancient times and continues to this day.
The ground floor has some nice cheaper souvenirs for tourists like us 🙂 Rummaging through the souvenirs I found a set of cards with hand-drawn paintings of 6 UNESCO sites in Japan. They looked beautiful. I had visited all barring the Nikko Toshogu Shrine. We decided right then to visit the shrine the next day.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the museum and the shop. I wasn’t carrying enough cash to own one of these from the shop today but I am really determined to come back one day to get one of these for my souvenir collection. After a fun morning, we were on our way to the Saitama Railway Museum.
Address of Iwatsuki main store
1-3 Honmachi, Iwatsuki-ku, Saitama City TEL: 048-756-1111
Business Hours of Iwatsuki main store
10 am to 5 pm (May 6th to October 31st) 10 am to 6 pm (November 1st to May 5th)
Annual Closures of Iwatsuki main store
Mondays and Tuesdays (May 6th to September 30th) Mondays (October 1st to October 31st) Open every day (November 1st to May 5th) *Temporarily closed 5/8/9 ·Ten
Address of Doll Museum
4F Higashitama Building, 3-2 Honmachi, Iwatsuki-ku, Saitama City TEL: 048-756-1111
Open Hours of Doll Museum
10 am to 5 pm
Admission fee for Doll Museum
Adults: ¥300 Free: Elementary school students and younger Free Free: Persons with a disability certificate with one accompanying person
Annual Closures of Doll Museum
Mondays and Tuesdays (May 6th to September 30th) Mondays (October 1st to May 5th) *Temporarily closed 12/31, 1/1, 5/6
After a beautiful morning among the cute Hina dolls of Iwatsuki, we were on our way to the Saitama Railway Museum. While Mani had a wonderful time with the dolls I was very much looking forward to my date with the historical trains.
I have had a deep crush for trains that goes all the way back to my childhood days. It was memorable, those rides to visit my grandma in the countryside during my summer vacations.
The Saitama Railway Museum(鉄道博物館) is the largest museum of railways in Japan. The museum exhibits real trains ranging from age-old steam locomotives to cutting edge Shinkansen trains. The huge exhibit, almost the size of a football field, takes one on a ride through the history of the Japanese railway system.
From Iwatsuki Station, we took a local train to Omiya.
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From Omiya, the New Shuttle Rail took us to Tetsudo-Hakubutsukan Station. The Railway Museum is just a minutes walk away from the station.
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The Saitama Railway Museum was built as the centerpiece of the JR East 20th Anniversary Memorial Project by the East Japan Railway Culture Foundation, a non-profit affiliate of the East Japan Railway Company.
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The Railway Museum (鉄道博物館) opened amidst much fanfare on the 14th of October, 2007. It features about 30 railway cars excluding various miniature railway models. This historical museum tells the industrial history of the development of the railway system with displays of actual models of trains from each period
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The museum has a number of restaurants and shops selling railway souvenirs. Below is a list of some of the ancient beauties in the order of their manufacture.
The first railway in Japan, owned and operated by the Japanese government was opened in 1872 with the technical leadership of British engineers. The Locomotive No.1 was imported from Vulcan Foundry, UK, for the Tokyo-Yokohama Railway. Just prior to the fall of the Shogunate, the Tokugawa regime had issued a grant to the American diplomat Anton L. C. Portman to construct a line from Yokohama to Edo (present Tokyo). Since Japan lacked railway technology, British engineers were hired by the Japanese. On September 12, 1872, the first railway, between Shinbashi and Yokohama opened with nine round trips daily. Back then it used to take 53 minutes by train from Shinbashi to Yokohama (29 km) stopping at Shinagawa, Kawasaki, Tsurumi and Kanagawa stations. At that time the engine drivers were all British. The first Japanese engine drivers were appointed in 1877.
The Kotoku 5010 is one of the oldest surviving passenger carriages in Japan. The artistic classic passenger carriage appears to be directly adapted from some western classic movie. The carriage was imported from USA in 1880 for deployment on the Hokkaido Kaitakushi line. Being equipped with an air brake system, the Kutoku 5010 was a state of the art passenger carriage during its time. The saloon car was designated a VIP car and used mostly by American Kaitakushi officials.
The Benkei Steam Locomotive was established by the American-run Hokkaido Kaitakushi, and appeared very much like its American counterparts of that time. The 7101 Benkei, named after a 12th-century warrior monk, was the first steam locomotive to operate in Hokkaido and played a major role in the islands development. The lightweight engine was built by H K Porter in 1880. It was designated a Railway Monument in 1958 and is currently coupled to a Horonai Railway coach at the Saitama Rail Museum.
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Hanifu 1 Passenger Carriage
The Hanifu 1 No.De 968 was a streetcar type of railway. It was inaugurated in 1903 in Tokyo running between Shinbashi and Shinagawa. It was the first Electric Railway manufactured indigenously by a private company called the Tokyo-Densha-Tetsudo Co. However, these small cars could not catch up with the increasing number of passenger transportation volume and were gradually scrapped from 1927 to 1955. In 2007, the Matsumoto Railway Co donated the below coach to JR-East for display at this museum.
The Mallet-Type engines employed an extra pair of cylinders compared to other stem locomotives in the same category. The extra set allowed the engine to make tight curves in spite of its long body. This locomotive was used to cross Gotemba on the Tokaido Main Line.
The C51 No.5 was one of Japan’s first high-speed steam locomotives. It was manufactured in 1919 at the Ministry of Railways Hamamatsu workshop, equipped with faster 1750 mm drive wheels. It was initially deployed to Kobe area and later transferred to Himeji, Takasaki and Umekoji depot. After World War II, the engine was stationed at the Nara depot ferrying passengers around Kansai until it was retired in 1962.
The ED17 No.1 was one of the first electrified locomotives in Japan. After Word War I, Japan had only a handful of electrified sections and this engine was imported from the United Kingdom in preparation for the electrification of the Tokaido Main Line.
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Oha 31 Passenger Carriage
The Oha 31 No. 26 was one of the first steel mass-produced typical passenger car series in pre-WW2. Until 1926, most Japanese passenger cars used to be made out of wood. As a direct impact of the 1926 Sanyo line derailment that resulted in many deaths, the railways pushed forward into the era of steel designs. In 1927, the first steel passenger car replaced the wooden Class Oha-44400. OHa-31s slowly lost their prominence during the early years after the WW2 and were retired by 1966.
The Maite 39 No.11 was Japan’s first observation car. It was imported from the US by the Kyushu Tetsudo Co for use exclusively by distinguished guests. The MaITe-39 shown below was manufactured at the Oi workshops during 1930. It used to be coupled to the tail of the limited express “Fuji” and was active between Tokyo and Shimonoseki on the Tokaido, Sanyo line. In those days, few people used Fuji’s observation car, as the upper class was quite less in numbers. Some time in 1941, the observation car was removed from duty due to bombings. After the war the MaITe39 went into ruin because of its poor state of preservation. In 1999, it was restored at the shops of Oi and a few years later the “Momoyama” style interior decoration was also restored as authentically as possible before putting it up for exhibit here at the Saitama Museum
The KiHa 41300 No.41307 was one of Japan’s first domestically mass-produced internal-combustion railcar. It was manufactured at the Kawasaki-Sharyo Co. and was completed on the 30th of January, 1934, as a gasoline-engine car. After its inception, the KiHa was active mainly on the Koumi line, in the Nagano area. During December, 1948, it was remodeled as a natural-gas engine at the Nagano workshop, and was renamed, the Class KiHa-41200 No.41207. KiHa-41000s were deployed to many local lines, but their passenger carrying capacity was inadequate. During November 1952, it was re-fitted with a diesel engine, and renamed, the Class KiHa-41300 No.41307. Around the 1980’s, it was retired and exhibited at the Sakura Transportation Park in Tsukuba city, Ibaraki prefecture. In 2007, she was restored to the original condition of the KiHa-41307 and was moved to the Saitama Museum.
The Museum exhibited Class KuMoHa-40 No.074, which was produced during 1936. It was developed primarily for Tokyo’s urban neighborhood where the population saw rapid growth during 1910-1920. Accordingly, with the increasing number of passenger transportation volume, there was a need for more train service. But the Tokyo urban lines could not accommodate the 20 meter long body cars, as the platform or block lengths were not long enough. Therefore, in the Tokyo area, 17 meter short body cars were used in new models up to 1933. The Tokyo area’s track improvement construction was finished during 1933, and Series-40 classes were deployed to the Tokyo area from the next year 1934. The seven classes had a total of 425 Series-40 cars that were produced by 1940, and they were to become the standard model of urban commuter electric cars during the pre-WW2 period. Of these, seventeen Class KuMoHa-40 were still active at the following places during 1976. However, the last Series-40 were retired during March 1987.
The Class EF55 is a 2Co+Co1 wheel arrangement electric locomotive type consisting of three locomotives built in 1936 by Hitachi, Kawasaki, and Tōyō Electric in Japan. They were nicknamed “Moomin”. They were originally intended to haul limited express trains on the Tōkaidō Line. The locomotives were placed in storage from 1958, and then officially withdrawn in 1964.
In 1959, JNR announced its long term plan to withdraw all steam locomotives from regular operations. The Nahanefu 22 No.1 was the first modern permanently coupled type passenger car series for night limited express. When all of the Tokaido main line was electrified during November 1956, there was a need for long-distance trains between Tokyo and Kyushu. The Series-20 passenger car unit was completed in 1958 designed with a diesel generator equipped ONE-POWER-SUPPLY car. All the train’s electrical consumption like air-conditioning, heating equipment and illumination were provided from this power supply car. The brown colored traditional passenger car color was changed to a cool blue color with a white line. This color went on to become the standard color for all night trains in Japan, and they were called “Blue Trains”. Because of their luxurious interiors, they were also called “Running Hotels”. The Nahanefu Series-20 gradually started to become obsolete from the late 1970s and the last running “Akebono (dawn)” train between Ueno to Aomori via Akita was finally retired in 1980.
Built in April 1964, this was the first Shinkansen fleet delivered for use on Hikari and Kodama services on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen route. The first shinkansen, linking Tokyo and Osaka, had its maiden run on Oct 1, 1964, just nine days before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics. The train was decommissioned in 1978. For some time it was on display outside Tokyo Transport Museum before being moved here at the Saitama Railway Museum.
The ED75 No.775 is a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement AC electric locomotive that operated on passenger as well as freight services in Japan since 1963. The first two prototypes, ED75 1 and 2, were delivered in 1963, built by Hitachi and Mitsubishi respectively. From 1971 to 1976, 91 Class ED75-700 locomotives continued to be built by Hitachi, Mitsubishi, and Toshiba, for use on the Ou Main Line and Uetsu Main Line.
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It was fun checking out these locomotives and carriages from yesteryear. The gradual evolution in the railways is also a reflection of the Japanese society, as to how they have improved upon everything in their daily lives and helped create such a beautiful country. From having to employ foreign drivers to run their own trains in the 1800’s they have come a long way.
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During my stay I have travelled thousands of kilometers in a day without the least bit of hindrance. In terms of safety, punctuality and cutting-edge technology none in the world even comes close. I had a great time reliving my childhood fantasy surrounded by these historical pieces of human ingenuity.
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It was late afternoon but the day was not over for us yet. We were very near to Chiba, so we headed down to picturesque Chiba Castle for the evening.
The Chiba Castle was not on my bucket list, but while we were in the Kanto region, we decided to give it a visit.
From the interesting Saitama Rail Museum, we took the JR train to Chiba Station. From Chiba Station, we took the Chiba Urban Monorail, a two-line suspended monorail system. It is the world’s longest suspended monorail system travelling along a 15 km route. This dual-tracked system was built by the Mitsubishi Company, to connect the suburbs of Chiba Prefecture with main city.
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It was fun watching the cars go by below our feet as the Chibatoshi-Monorail passed through the heart of the city. The ride is short, all of 6 minutes and costs ¥200. The monorail dropped us off at Kencho Mae station from where the Chiba castle is just a 10 minute walk. It was a cloudy evening as we walked towards the park.
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The directions are easy to follow and we at the Inohana Park in no time. A wide paved stone path leads to the castle grounds.
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A series of steps carried us up to the castle. The park was deserted, we were the only ones around. A vending machine was sitting in a corner surrounded by trees. As we faced the castle, it appeared fairly well maintained.
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The white castle was built by Chiba Tsuneshige around 1125 CE. Tsuneshige and his descendants ruled over the domain from this castle until the 1400’s. In front of the castle, on the left lies a bronze statue of the castle’s founder, Tsuneshige Chiba, on a horse.
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In 1455, Makuwari Yasutane, a related member of the Chiba clan, attacked the castle and took control of Chiba. He built a new castle (Motosakura Castle) nearby, abandoning the Chiba Castle and leaving to ruin for hundreds of years.
When the Satomi clan moved to southern Chiba Prefecture in the mid-15th century, they too ignored the Chiba castle and ruled from a newly created Otaki Castle created in 1521 by Nobukiyo Mariyatsu. Over the years as the control of the land passed from the Satomi to the Tokugawa shogunate and subsequently to the Abe, Aoyama, and Inagaki clans before being handed to Matsudaira Masahisa, whose descendants continued to rule from Otaki Castle until the Meiji restoration period.
It was only in 1672, when an application was made to the Tokugawa shogunate for permission to rebuild the Chiba castle. By that time, the castle had undergone severe devastation. It didn’t have a single functional gate and the 4-story donjon had fallen into ruins. The castle was rebuilt in the 16th century. However the reconstructed donjon again burned down in 1842. The current castle we see today is actually a reconstruction from 1967. A new donjon was added in 1975. Even though it looks picturesque, this reconstruction is not in keeping with the original castle design.
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Due to lack of any surviving records indicating the appearance of the original donjon, the current structure was modeled after a 1832 sketch. However for a castle built in the 1100’s there should not be such a magnificent keep. Keeps came into prominence much later.
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The castle houses the Chiba City Folk Museum. There are five floors inside exhibiting personal effects relating to the Chiba Clan. Many artifacts like swords, guns, and other samurai weapons or on display here. The museum also talks about Chiba’s history and includes photos comparing it from the early 1900s until now.
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Chiba Castle is very easy to reach and can be visited for a quick couple of hours tour. If you just want to see a castle, this would be an easy trip, but if you are deep into historical things like me, you might not enjoy it so much. Not many people visit this castle and that makes it a quite and peaceful place to spend some time.
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It was dusk and we started on our way back to Takasaki, stopping for a brief moment at Tokyo.
From a quick tour of the Niigata Manga Museum, we reached Takasaki in the afternoon. After dropping off our luggage at the hotel, we hopped on a train to Enoshima. I had heard it’s a lovely place to enjoy the evening. On clear days one can even see Mt. Fuji from the nearby Shonan Beach.
Enoshima is a small island near Kamakura. Samuel Cocking, a British trader who arrived in Japan in 1860s, married a Japanese woman and bought most of Enoshima Island. He built a botanical garden and power plant on the island. The power plant was one of Japan’s first and grew to become the Yokohama Cooperative Electric Light Company, we know today.
Armed with our JR Rail passes we caught the Joetsu Shinkansen from Takasaki to Ofuna Station.
Joetsu Shinkansen
Shonan Monorail
At Ofuna we hopped onto the Shonan-Monorail bound for Shonan-Enoshima Station. Shonan Monorail opened on March 7, 1970, the first monorail of its kind in Japan. The monorail goes up and down along the mountains and valleys in the region. It was a thrilling experience as we made our way along sharp curves and through a tunnel as if on a roller coaster ride.
Shonan Monorail
The three-car monorail runs every 7 minutes except early mornings and late evenings. It conveniently connects Shonan area between Ofuna in Kamakura-shi and Enoshima in Fujisawa-shi. It took us about 14 minutes to reach the Shonan-Enoshima Station from Ofuna Station.
Shonan Monorail
From the Shonan-Enoshima Station, a narrow stone-paved lane leads towards the beach. Many animated tourists, still in their beachwear were heading back. On both sides of the lane one can find various restaurants, souvenirs stalls and convenience stores like 7-Eleven and Family Mart.
The Enoshima island is connected to the mainland by bridge. It’s also known as a romantic island and said to be created by the love goddess Benzaiten. At the bridge, we turned right. It was late in the afternoon and we were not thinking of going to the island per se. We were here just to enjoy the lovely breeze on the Shonan Beach and if possible see Mt. Fuji in the distance.
The sun was about to set as we reached the beach. A narrow wooden pier snaked its way far into the sea. The pier offers a lovely view of the island and the Sagami bay. Further up along the pier, we took up seats on the some rocks facing the wide, long surfing beach.
The weather was quite foggy and it was futile attempting to make out Mt. Fuji. I was barely able to make out a silhouette of some mountains in the distance. Still we just sat there watching the sky slowly turn red and purple.
Sagami Bay
Shonan Beach
The Shonan beach was still full of surfers having fun in the warm waters. Although not one of my favorites, Enoshima beaches are the closest to Tokyo. But if you want to play in the waves, get some sun, play beach volleyball, or just chill outside, this is where you want to be. ere’s a wide, long surfing beach on both sides of the bridge to Enoshima known as Shonan. On the other side Enoshima was just getting dressed up for the evening.
Enoshima Island
Enoshima Island
The day grew dark and gradually the small restaurants and shops on Enoshima Island lit up. From the pier on the beach the island looked like a mystical land in the middle of the sea. We went up to the end of the pier till the we were at the end.
Enoshima Island
There is an interesting story behind the Enoshima island. There are three different shrines on Enoshima that are collectively known as Enoshima Shrine. They are all dedicated to the goddess Benzaiten. According to Japanese mythology, Benzaiten created Enoshima Island as part of her battle with a troublesome sea dragon. In some variations of the myth, she agrees to marry the dragon if he will tame his troubled ways. In the popular imagination she is the goddess of love. Enoshima Shrine offers pink ema with hearts on them that are popular amongst couples.
Enoshima Sea Candle
The lovely breeze across the bay drew us into a long discussion of the lovely beaches we had been to in Japan. As the night grew, the lighthouse on the island was glowing in Azure light. What I thought was a lighthouse is actually a mobile phone tower.
Enoshima Sea Candle
We stayed around till 7 pm and then head back to the monorail. Most places in Japan become deserted by 6 pm. It was surprising to see heavy crowds still lingering along the beach at this time.
Bridge to Shonan Beach
It was night by the time we reached Takasaki Station. The Toyoko Inn is just a 5 minute walk from the station and we were back in the comfort of our room in no time.
Takasaki Station
Enoshima is a lovely place to spend a day for travelers who are looking for a day trip near Tokyo.
Thanks for reading. Please leave me a comment if you liked the post or follow my story as I visit the amazing Togyoku dolls of Iwatsuki.
My love for Japanese culture started with watching endless hours of anime. While in Niigata, I dropped in at the Manga & Animation Museum which houses the works of some of the popular manga and anime artists born in this prefecture. Incidentally, my very favorite Rumiko Takahasi, creator of Inuyasha, also hails from Niigata.
We were lodged at Hotel Lungwood during our stay in Niigata. The hotel is adjacent to the station and can be accessed directly via an internal passage. If you are planning to stay in Niigata, it is highly recommended. The rooms are great and the service is admirable.
It was a warm sunny day as we left the hotel for the museum. It was a weekday and people were going about their everyday business. From the station, the museum is about 15 minute away on foot. As we walked along the wide road, we passed by many magnificent, high storey buildings. After a few minutes we were back at the Bandai bridge. It looked very different in the daytime as opposed to the night before, when it was illuminated like a beautiful Christmas tree.
Bandai Bridge
From the Bandai bridge we made a left turn towards the museum.
Niigata Waterfront
Niigata city is the birthplace of a surprising number of popular manga and anime artists. Some of the popular names that I can easily remember are Rumiko Takahashi, Shinji Mizushima, Mineo Maya and Fujio Akatsuka. The museum presents their biography and also exhibits some of their representative works. It’s just a couple of blocks away from the Bandai bridge. The admission to the museum cost us ¥200 per person.
Niigata Manga Museum
The museum adopts an interactive approach to entertain visitors and I had a lot of fun at the interactive booths. There is an exhibit titled Manga Taiken Table where one can play with popular characters, learn about expressions used in manga by playing with characters created by Fujio Akatsuka.
In another exhibit titled Let’s Become Voice Actors, visitors can try their hand at the profession by dubbing their own voices in scenes featuring anime characters.
The museum also features a mini-theater.
In a separate area of the museum, an exhibition was going on of “Evangelion and Japanese Swords” One needs a separate ticket to access the exhibition, costing ¥1000.
Girls of Evangelion
I am not a big fan of the Evangelion, but I find Asuka pretty adorable. I also wanted to see the anime figurines on display, so we went inside.
Evangelion started as an anime in 1995 and then it also went on to become a best-selling manga. The growing popularity subsequently resulted in many theatrical films, the most recent of which, Evangelion 3.0 premiered in 2012.
Just beside the entrance, there is a big figurine of Damashii Eva 01. Next to the figurine, many swords are on display from the anime.
Bandai Bridge
Evangelion
Just beside the Damashii figurine, is a three-meter-long, 30-kilogram recreation of Evangelion’s “Spear of Longinus,” one of the weapons playing an important role in the series. While the anime’s weapon measured 70 meters, the reproduction spear is smaller but still a hefty 3.3 meters. This weapon is an emblem of Evangelion’s universe and has been manufactured using traditional techniques. The weapon took a master swordsmith 6 months and 20 swords worth of steel to create.
Swords of Evangelion
Japanese swords have been cherished not only as weapons but also as artistic and spiritual embodiment’s. In the anime, every sword is an imaged character of the Evangelions. The swords on display at the museum aren’t models, but real swords created by professional swordsmiths, inspired by the world of Evangelion. Some popular swords on display include the “Nagisa Kaworu Sword,” the “Ayanami Rei Sword” and the “Natayanagi Naginata Sword.”
Swords of Evangelion
Along with Bizen Osafune and Magoroku Sword replicas, the gigantic Lance of Longinus is undoubtedly the most popular exhibit at the museum. Connecting the two rooms of the exhibition room is a life-sized Asuka.
Life-sized figurine of Asuka
Any Evangelion fan visiting the exhibition will surely be greatly excited by looking at these swords reflecting the Eva characters. In the next room one can find various “katanas”.
Katana of Evangelion
Also on display is a mask and a war helmet themed on the arousal of Evangelion Unit – 01.
Near the exit gate, a life-size figure of Rei greets visitors as they prepare to exit the exhibit.
Life-sized figurine of Rei Ayanami
The souvenir shop at the museum offers various Eva goods including limited items available only at the exhibition. I was looking for a foot-sized figurine that I could carry in my check-in luggage, but unfortunately they didn’t have any.
The exhibition is well worth a visit specially for Evangelion fans. The delicately created Japanese swords are pieces of art. I had a fun day playing with Lum Invader from the anime Urusei Yatsura and snapping lots of pictures of the swords. Now we head back to the Niigata Station to catch a train for Takasaki.
It was almost 8 pm by the time we arrived in Niigata. The JR Station, operated by East Japan Railway Company lies at the centre of Niigata city.
We had our reservations at the Hotel Lungwood. It’s right beside the JR Station. In fact one doesn’t even need to go out of the station building. There is a corridor that connects directly to the hotel.
Niigata is the largest city on the Sea of Japan coast. The city is blessed with an abundance of nature, surrounded by sea on one side and mountains on the other. On the way we had been already treated to one of the most jaw-dropping beautiful sunsets.
After dropping our luggage at the hotel, we went out for a walk towards Niigata city’s iconic Bandai Bridge (萬代橋) , a landmark that’s popular with both local residents and tourists alike. The bridge lights up at night, showing off its beautiful workmanship.
It was about 8 pm and most of the stores had closed for the night. We walked along the wide footpath following the trusted Google Maps. It took us about 20 minutes to reach the waterfront. The current Bandaibashi (as it is called in Japanese) was constructed in 1929, spanning the Shinano River in a continuous arch of reinforced concrete. In April 2004, the bridge celebrated its 75th anniversary and was designated as a national Important Cultural Property. This same year, much of the bridge was reconstructed to resemble its original model from 1886.
The Bandai Bridge is a prime example of large-scale concrete arch bridges from the Showa Period. The current bridge contains six arches and is made of reinforced concrete with granite siding, and was strong enough not to collapse during the 1964 Niigata earthquake which destroyed large sections of the city. Today the Bandai Bridge is considered the symbol of the city of Niigata and is one of the city’s most scenic spots, especially when lit up at night. We stood there for some time enjoying the light show.
Towards the north of the bridge one can find the Furumachi and Honcho shopping districts, and towards the south, from where we came, lies the Bandai shopping district and Niigata Station. Below the Bandai bridge there is an underpass that takes to the other side to a verge along the banks of the river.
Along the river bank many groups of people were lying down, enjoying the cool breeze flowing across the river. A few stalls of food and beer were still open. I guess this is a very happening area of the city and lots of people come down in the evening for fun.
We got us some grilled chicken from a nearby convenience store and sat on the soft carpet of green grass overlooking the silent river.
History of Bandai Bridge
The bridge lights had gone off at 9 pm but we were in no hurry to go back. The gentle breeze from the river forced us to relax for a bit more. The bridge has a long story with historical importance. The first Bandai Bridge was constructed out of wood in 1886, during the Meiji Period, and was the first bridge across the Shinano River. Before it, people had to use boats for daily trade which was a big inconvenience. As the first bridge across the Shinano River, it encouraged trade between communities on the opposite banks. The original bridge was 782 meters long, the longest bridge in Japan at the time, and 2.5 times the current length as the river has grown significantly narrower since. After the destruction of the first two wooden versions, the third features a reinforced concrete design.
In March 1908, a major fire destroyed more than half of the Bandai Bridge. The second Bandai Bridge was completed in December 1909, and quickly became the transportation hub of the growing city of Niigata. The new bridge was built using planks recovered from the remains of the 1908 fire as a base, and was the same size as the original design.
Due to gradual dilapidation of the second bridge, a third version was constructed in 1929 using reinforced concrete. Because of water diversion projects along the Shinano River throughout the early 20th century, the water level at the time of construction had decreased from 770 meters to 270 meters since the construction of the first bridge. Because of this, the third bridge was far shorter yet wider in order to allow for easy passage of automobiles.
On June 16, 1964, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit Niigata, causing major damage to nearly all bridges on the Shinano River. Although the base of the Bandai Bridge on both sides sunk approximately 1.2 meters, the bridge was left intact.
In 1985, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first bridge, new lanterns were added to the bridge to decorate the night skies. A folk-dance procession is held annually as part of the annual Niigata Festival.
It was almost 10 pm and the area wore a desolated look. The waterfront was still simmering with the lights from the buildings on the far side of the river. We gradually made our way back to the hotel.
Please leave your comments if you enjoyed my journal or you can read about my visit to the Niigata Manga Museum.
From the beautiful prefecture of Akita, we were headed to Niigata. Unfortunately there are no Shinkansen lines along this route, so we caught a local JR train along the Uetsu Line to Sakata. From Sakata we changed to another train on the Inaho line towards Niigata.
The Inaho line passes through endless paddy fields. During summer, the lush green fields are a treat to the eyes.
On the way we had planned to take a break at Tsuruoka in Yamagata Prefecture to visit the Nangaku temple. The Nangaku Temple houses the mummy of Tetsuryukai’s, who was mummified at the age of 43. He lived through one of the most tumultuous periods in Japanese history during which the feudal system came to an end. It was also an era of reforms when the samurai class was abolished, and a western-style national army was created.
It was afternoon by the time we reached Tsuruoka. Leaving our baggage at the station locker, we set out towards Nangaku Temple. The sun was bright and strong. The weather had been mighty pleasing in Aomori but as we moved south, it was becoming hotter. Nangaku-ji is within walking distance from the JR station in Tsuruoka, but being new to the area, we decided to use the local bus service. Bus services are at frequent intervals so we didn’t have to wait too long.
The bus dropped us off at the Nangaku Temple stop. Nangaku-ji is hidden behind a flurry of houses and it took us some time to locate the temple. The temple grounds were deserted and the temple itself appears to be more like a house. Unsure, we eventually rang the bell and an elderly lady opened the door. She was the caretaker and showed us to the hall where the mummy of Tetsuryukai rests, beneath the main temple. Photography is forbidden so I couldn’t get a shot of the mummy itself.
Tetsuryou-kai [1816-1877]
Inside the hall, housed behind a glass case, lay the mummy of Tetsuryou-kai. He is referred to as a Sokushinbutsu. Sokushinbutsu is a practice of self starvation by Buddhist monks to become a mummified Buddha. It was performed by mountain ascetics for the welfare of poor farming communities. This practice has been abolished in Japan since the 19th century.
Tetsuryou-kai was born in Akita Prefecture in 1816 into a family of a menial laborer. His given name was Shindo Yuzo.
In the late 19th Century, Emperor Meiji instituted a number of governmental reforms, the most controversial of which was the abolition of the Samurai. Various sections of the samurai rebelled but they were suppressed by the army. The reforms caused much discontent among the common folk. Tetsuryukai grew up during these turbulent times and it is said his insecurities drew him to join the Issei Gyonin sect at Nangaku-ji under the able guidance of Tetsumonkai Shonin.
It was at Nangaku-ji, that Shindo Yuzo took up the name the name of Tetsuryukai, by which we remember him today. His name at Nangaku-ji was created from the words Tetsu (iron) and Ryu (dragon). Following on the path of Tetsumonkai, he allegedly cut out his own left eye while training in austerities, like his master had done years before..
Tetsuryukai desired to become a Living Buddha, a self-mummified monk. He regulated his diet and practiced severe austerities, such as meditation in freezing water and extended periods of starvation. Due to the hardships, he became extremely ill. His physical condition became so bad that he could not continue on the path to Sokushinbutsu. He died still aspiring to become a “Living Buddha.”
After his decease, it is said, the saint appeared in the dreams of many people, requesting that his body be dug up. A man from the temple named Maruyama, and a charcoal dealer named Tojiro, exhumed the body and carried it from the grave site to Kannon Hall in Nanoka-machi, Tsuruoka. It was here that his body was mummified and later moved to Nangaku-ji.
After telling us this long history, the elderly lady led us out of the hall. She went away for her other chores and left us to take a look around the other artefacts in the temple. We made our way up the stairs into a giant hall. This hall on the first floor contains many miniature shrines dedicated to monks.
This unusual Buddhist tradition of Sokushinbutsu was practiced in Japan’s northern region of Tohoku until the mid 19th century. Six mummies are known to exist in the area. Tetsuryou-kai gradually starved himself in this process that lasted around 1,000 days, eating only nuts and seeds. During the process, a priest’s inner organs slowly dry. After no longer being able to eat food, they would be placed in a hole in the ground where they would recite Buddhistsutras. When their voice was no longer heard they were believed to have become a ‘mummified living Buddha.’
It was a rare sight to see a live mummy. The clouds had enveloped the sun as we came out of the temple. The light breeze motivated us to walk back to the station.
On the way we also passed the lovely Tsuruoka park. Tsuruoka Park is best known as a popular hanami (cherry blossom) destination but that happens in mid April. We circled around the park for a bit. Swans were swimming along a wide moat.
There is a small fountain in the center of the park where we rested for a while.
From the park it took us less than 15 minutes to get back to the JR Station. We picked up our luggage from the locker and went up to the platform.
The sun was gradually winding down for a good nights sleep as we waited for the train.
The train arrived in a while and we were off to Niigata. The Inaho line does have limited express trains, it was like a shot in the arm after the slow moving local train that brought us to Sakata.
The Limited Express train had plush interiors almost like a Shinkansen. It was really comfortable inside as we settled down near the window facing the Japan Sea.
On the way we passed by one of the most beautiful sunsets on the Japan Sea.
It was almost 8 in the evening by the time we reached Niigata. But the night was still young and decided to catch a glimpse of the famed Bandai Bridge under the stars.
