Let me introduce myself. My name is Akiko Iriguchi. I was born in Sakaide, Kagawa, Japan on September, 9th, 1980. I am a second year student at Kagawa Junior College. My major is Life Information. My hobby is listening to music and watching TV. I prefer pop music.
Takamatsu is the capital of Kagawa Prefecture, which has taditionally been called the gateway to Shikoku, with the whole land of the prefecture jutting out into the Seto Inland Sea like a porch.
JR Takamatsu Station next to Takamatsu Harbor is the terminal of the Kotoku Line for Tokushima Pref ., the Yosan Line for Ehime Pref. and the Dosan Line for Kochi Pref ., while serving as the bus terminal to Tokushima, Matsuyama and Kochi City. Takamatsu Chikko just opposite JR Station is the terminal of Kotoden trams to and from Kotohira,the seat of 'Kompira-san'.
The New Takamatsu Airport handles non-stop flights to and from Seoul, Korea.
Another place in Takamatsu appropriate as a gateway to Shikoku is the Takamatsu Heike Monogatari Historical Museum 高松平家物語歴史館 that features not only the famous historical literature called Heike Monogatari but also about 50 great historical figures closely associated wite Shikoku or native to Sikoku.
Takamatsu became the capital in 1587 with the advent of Lord Ikoma I as governor of Sanuki Province. The castle he built on the harbor was succeeded by 4 generations of his descendants, and then by 11 generations of Matsudaira lords, governing Takamatsu Province with a fief of 120,000 koku.
One ninth of the former castle ground is preserved as Tamamo Koen Park 玉藻公園 across the street from JR Takamatsu Station. The donjon is gone, but two of the 15 turrets and Mizute Gomon Gate from the 17 th century (Important Cultural Properties) survived the air raid in 1945. Admission: \100.
Traditionally the popular sightseeing spots in Takamatsu are Ritsurin Koen Park near downtown and Yashima Plateau over looking the city and the Inland Sea. They are accessible by bus or tram, with terminals at Takamatsu Chikko 高松築港 just opposite JR Station.
◎ 30 minutes' walk from JR Takamatsu Station.
The busy street in front of JR Takamatsu is the main street of downtown Takamatsu, and leads to the main gate to Ritsurin Koen Park, a National Special Scenic Spot. This spacious garden laid out with shapely mounds, cool ponds and about 160 varieties of trees and flowers provides a classic example of a Japanese garden or even a Chinese Taoist paradise fit for meditation.
Originally it belonged to a local warlord, and then to Lord Ikoma. When it was transferred to the Matsudairas, they spent five generations developing it into a larger stroll - type garden for their villa. Seasonal charms of flowers and blossoms such as ume (Japanese plum blossoms) in February, camellias in March, cherry blossoms in April, wisteria and azaleas in May, Irises and water lilies in June, giant lotuses in August, and Japanese bush clover in September, and brilliant maple leaves in November add to the pleasure of strolling.
Kikugetsu - tei 掬 月 亭 , one of the pond - side teahouses, was originally one of the Matsudairas' formal buildings. The museum just inside the main gate 讃岐民芸館 houses a variety of mostly local handicrafts. There is a zoo, too, inside the gate.
Open daily. Admission to the park: About \300.
Bus: 30 minutes' ride from Chikko to the terminal (Kotoden Bus for Yashima - sanjo or Yashina Hilltop 屋島山上）.
Tran + Cable: 30 minutes' tram ride from Chikko to Yashima (Shido-sen Line 志度線) + 5 minutes' cable-car ride.
Yashima, a pine-wooded tableland to the northeast of downtown Takamatsu, is one of the world's rare lava mesas, about 290 m high, 3 km wide, jutting 5km out into the sea.
The hilltop, overlooking the archipelago of the Inland Sea, features Yashima -ji 屋島寺, an aquarium and observatories all linked by forest promenades.
One of the observatories, Dankorei 談古嶺, commands a view of the inlet fringed with memorials to the Gempei Yashima Battle (the second last battle in Gempei War fought between the two rival clans, the Minamotos and the Tairas).
Once a British poet, Edmund Blunden, visited Yashima and wrote a poem that was engraved on a stone here at Dankorei observatory:
Like a long roof, men say, and will they say, This hill of warrior ghosts surmounts the plain...
In 794 Kyoto became the capital of Japan and it enjoyed peace for about 350 years (811-1155) - the longest peace Japan has ever attained in her history.
The last 30 years of this period, however, were far from peaceful. In 1156 the first battle took place in the capital, thus opening up a new era dominated by martial emotions. Tow martial clans - the Minamoto and Taira clans - began to acquire greater and greater influence in politics through fighting against each other in the name of "the Emperor" or "the Ex-Emperor".
In 1159, the Tairas succeeded temporarily in staving off the Minamotos. The 20 years that followed saw the Tairas rise to increasingly control the Imperial Family, inviting animosity from the reigning Emperors, the Ex-Emperors, powerful priests, warriors and lords, to say nothing of the Minamotos in exile.
In 1181 the patriarch of the clan Taira no Kiyomori died just when the Tairas faced more battles against the Minamotos, who were gradually consolidating their power.
In 1183 the Tairas were driven from the Capital along with the 6-year-old Emperor Antoku and his mother, who was Kiyomori's daughter. They wandered far in search of supporters, while fighting losing battles.
Now in 1855, Minamoto no Yoshitsune attacked the remaining Tairas here at Yashima, then at Dan-no-ura in the westernmost corner of the Inland Sea, where the proud Taira finally fell, the noblewomen casting themselves into the sea with the child Emperor Antoku.
Thus the age of ancient nobility yielded to the age of Shoguns (1185-1867).
Yashima-ji Temple 屋島寺 treasures in its museum a folding screen depicting the Gempei no Kassen Battles. The bell in the belfry, cast in Kyoto in 1223, was dedicated here for the repose of the defeated Tairas. But no one can strike the bell, as there is no hammer. They say, "Strike the bell, and invoke the ghosts of the Tairas."
On the last weekend in March the Gempei Yashima Festival is held, whose highlight is the Warriors' Pageant.
It was an insurrection caused by the discord between Emperor Goshirakawa (1127-92) and Ex-Emperor Sutoku (1119-64). Sutoku was defeated and banished to Sanuki (Kagawa Pref.) to die a miserable death 8 years later. His ashes were buried at Temple 81. In 1184 the court elevated him to Shinto deity to placate his ghost.
Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159-89): By bringing about victory in the civil war, Yoshitsune had greatly helped Minamoto no Yoritomo, his elder brother, who in 1192 was to establish the first Sho^gunate at Kamakura. But Yoshitsune had to spend the rest of his life escaping yoritomo, until four years later he killed himself. His tragic life and death was so appealing to Japanese sentiment that he has taken on heroic proportion in Kabuki, Noh and Joruri plays, based on what is called Yoshitsune Literature.
Very few Japanese visit Yashima without being reminded of an episode shown in the picture above:
It was on the afternoon of February 19, 1185, that Minamoto no Yoshitsune mounted another surprise attack against the Tairas at the then Yoshima Island. Frightened by the imagined immensity of enemy forces, the Tairas jumped into their boats and sailed off. A fierce battle lasted for hours.
Now the sun was setting. Both sides began to retreat, when a fair vessel parted from the Taira legions and stopped about 80 m from the beach. Then a beautiful lady appeared from the cabin, produced a pole with a bright red fan on its top and beckoned to the puzzled warriors on the shore.
''What does she mean?'' said Yoshitsune.
''Perhaps she is inviting one of us to shoot the fan .Or she may be inviting you to come out onto the front line for her archers,'' said his attendant.
''Then let it be shot down by someone,'' said Yoshitsune.
Soon a young man called Nasu no Yoichi appeared on horseback with bow and arrow in his hands. The north wind was strong. The boat was tossing up and down. The fan painted with the golden sun at its center was fluttering on the pole.
All the Tairas in the boats and all the Minamotos on the shore were watching Yoshi. What would he do? What would he do? Would he succeed?
Yoichi rode into the water as far as he could. But it was still about 70 m to the target. He closed his eyes and prayed. Then the wind fell for a moment. He shot. The arrow pierced through a little above the rivet. The fan, flying up a moment or two, came floating down, glittering in the setting sun. There was great applause from both sides.
Then a man in armor appeared in the same boat. He began to dance an elegant dance perhaps in genuine appreciation of Yoichi 's archery. Then Yoichi got another order and shot down the dancing man, too. Some said, ''Good shot !'' Bot others said, ''Not fair.''
The Tairas were silent this time. Was it a precursor of their demise? Two months later, the Tairas finally fell.
◎ 3 minutes' walk after leaving the bus at
Toshogu-mae 東照宮前. (Kotoden Bos: Yoshima-sanjo ←→ Toshogu-mae ←→ Chikko)
◎ 3 minutes' walk from the cable-car station.
This is an open-air museum laid out at the foot of Yoshima Plateau. About 20 old rural buildings from various parts of Shikoku have been reassembled here, including a Farmers' Kabuki Theater, peasants' houses, a fisherman's house, a sugar mill, a shed for steaming mulberry bark to make paper, and workshops for making soy sauce and so on. There is a reprica of Kazura-bashi from Nishi Iyayama-son, too.
Open daily: 8:30-16:30. Admission: \500
On May 5, people including children from Shodoshima Island, from which the Kabuki Theater came here, stage an annual performance of their traditional farmers' kabuki.
Takamatsu Heike Monogatari Historical Museum 高松平家物語歴史館
◎ 3 minutes' walk from Nihon Tabako-mae 日本タバコ前
Bus Stop after 10 minutes' ride from JR Takamatsu. (Kotoden Bus: Asahimachi 朝日町 Line)
◎ 30 minutes' walk from JR Takamatsu Station.
Japan's largest wax doll museum. The first floor is dedicated to the 41 dolls of historical figures or modern men and women of celebrity who have been closely associated with Shikoku.
The one of Kobo Daishi in his nyujo has its own corner as a special exhibition.
The other dolls include:
Sakamoto Ryoma 坂本龍馬 Nakaoka Shintaro 中岡慎太郎 Nakahama Manjiro 中浜万次郎
Wenceslau de Moraes Inokuma Genichiro 猪熊弦一郎 Takahama Kyoshi 高浜虚子
Ninomiya Chuhachi 二宮忠八 Setouchi Jakucho 瀬戸内寂聴 Makino Tomitaro 牧野富太郎
Yasuoka Shotaro 安岡章太郎 Kagawa Toyohiko 賀川豊彦 Yokoyama Ryuichi 横山隆一
Terada Torahiko 寺田寅彦 Abe Yoshishige 阿部能成 Nanbara Shigeru 南原茂
Masaoka Shiki 正岡子規 Kotoku Shusui 幸徳秋水 Nakae Chomin 中江兆民
Kikuchi Kan 菊地寛 Manabe Hiroshi 真鍋博 Yoshida Shigeru 吉田茂 Itagaki Taisuke 板垣退助