Let me introduce myself. My name is Yang Xue Wu. I was born in Liao Ning Sheng Dan Dong Shi (丹東市）China on June 10.1966, I am a second year student at Kagawa Junior College. My major is management and information. My hobby is playing sports.
Takamａｔｓu ｉｓ ｔｈｅ ｃａｐｉｔａｌ ｏｆ Kagawa Prefecture, which has taditionally been called the gateway to shikoku,with the whole land of prefecture jutting out into the Seto Inland sea like a porch.
JR Takamatsu Station next to Takamatsu Harbor is theterminal of the Kotoku line for Tokushima pref,the Yosan Line for Ehime pref.and the Dosan Line for Kochi pref, while sreving as the bus treminal to Tokushima, Matsuyama and Kochi City. Takamatsu Chikko just opposite JR station is the terminal of Kotodentrams 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 Musenm 高松平家物語歴史館 that features not only the famous historical Iiterature called Heike Monogatari but also about 50 great historical figures closely associated with Shikoku or native to Shikoku.(p.40)
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 Iords, governing Takamatsu Province with a fief of 120,000 koku.
One ninth of the former castle grund is oreserved as Tamamo Koen Park 玉藻公園 across the street from JR Takamatsu Station.The domjon is gone,but two of the 15 turrets and Mizute Gomon Gate from the 17thcentury (Impotant Cultural Properties) survived the air raid in 1945. Admissiom:\100.
Traditionally the popular sightseeing spots in Takamatsu are Ritsurin Koen Park near downtoen and Yashima Plateau overlooking the cuty and the Inland Sea. They are accessible by bus or tram. with terminals at Takamatsu Chikko 高松築港 just opposite JR Station.
Ritsurin Koen Park 栗 林 公 園
◎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 maingate to Ritsurin Koen Park, a National Soecial 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 blossms)in February, camellias in March, cherry blossoms in April, wisteria and azaleas in May, 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 buikdings. The museum just inside the main gate 讃岐民芸館 houses a varietu 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 Yashima Hillto 屋島山上).
Tram+Cable: 30 minutesa' tram ride from Chikko
to Yashima ( shido-sen Line 志度線)+ 5 minutse' 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 5 km out into the sea.
The hilltop, ogerlooking the archioelago of the Inland features Yashima-ji ( No. 84)屋島寺①, an aquarium ② and observatories al linked by forest promenades.
One of the observatories, Dankorei 談古嶺 ③, 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 everattained in her history.
The last 30 years of this period, however, were far from peaceful. In 1156 the first battle*1 took place in the capital, thus opening up a new era dominated by martial emotions.Two 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 Emoeror"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, powerful priests, warriors and lords, to say nothing of the Minamotos in exile.
In 1181 the oatriarch 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 nd his mother,who was Kiyomori's daughter.They wandered far in search of suoporters, while fighting losing battles.
Now in 1185, Minamoto no Yoshitsune *2 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 afolding screen depicting the Gempei no Kassen Battles.(See p. 42)The bell in the belfry, cast in kyoto in 1223,was dedicated here for the repose of the defeated Tairas. But no noe 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 Marcg the Gempei Yashima Festival is held, whose highlight is the Warriors' Pageant.
*1 It was an insurrection caused by the discord be-tween Emperor Goshirakawa(1127-92) and Ex-Emperor Sutoku (1119-64). Sutoku was defeated and banishe 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.(See p.50)
*2 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 Shogunate at Lamakura. But Yoshitsune had to soend 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．
Nasu no Yoichi (by favor of Senyotei 扇誉亭）
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 Yoshitsung Mountde nother surprise attack against the Tairas at the then Yashima Lsland. Frightened by the imagined immensity of enemy forces,the Taeras jumped into their boats and sailed off. Afierce battle lasted for hours.
Now the sun was setting.. Both sides began to retreat, when a fair vessel partde from the Taira legions and stopped about 80 m from the beach. Then a beautiful lady appeared from the cabin, producde a pole with a bright red fan on its top and beckonde to the puzzlde 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 outo 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 appearde on horsdback with bow and arrow in his hands. The north wind was strong .The boat was tossing up and down. The fan paintde with the golden sun at its center was fluttering on the pole.
Quoted from the Shikoku guidebook by Akiko Talemoto and Steve Mc Carty
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