Let me introduce myself . My name is Liu Shuang.. I was born in Chang Chun , Ji Lin, China on February Seventh, 1974. I am a second year student at Kagawa Junior College. My major is Management and Information.
My hobby is reading the newspaper and swimming in my free time. But My homeland is very cold in Winter. It's even cool in summer.
Takamatsu is the capi 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. and the Dosan Line for Kochi Pref.,while serving as the bus terminal to Tokushima, Matsuyama and Koch City. Takamatsu Chikko just opposite JR Station is the terminao 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 with Shikoku or native to Shikoku.
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 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 17th century (Important Cultural Properties) survived the air raid in 1945. Admission:\100.
Traditionally the popular sightseeing spots in Takamatsu are Ritsurin Koem Park near downtown and Yashima Plateau overlooking 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, Irises 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 of mostly local handicrafts. There is a zoo, inside the gate.
Open daily .Admission to the park : About \300.
Yashima Plateau 屋島
Bus: 30 minutes' ride from Chikko to the terminal
(Kotoden Bus for Yashima-sanjo or Yashima Hilltop 屋島山上).
Tram +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 word's rare lavamesas, about 290 m high, 3km wide, jutting 5 km out into the sea .
The hill top, overlooking the archipelago of the Inland Sea, features Yashima-ji (No.84) 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).
One 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...
Gempei War 源平合戦
In 794 Kyoto became the capital of Japan and it enjoyed peace for about 350 years (811-1155)-the longest peace Japan 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 throgh 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 Tairas faced more battles against theMinamotos, who were gradually consolidating their power.
In 1183 , the Tairs were driven from the Capital to Kyushu along with the 6-year-old Emperor Antoku and his mother, who Kiyomori's daughter. But they soon found Kyushu inhospitsble too, and were reduced to wandering in search of supporters.
In 1184, their faint hope was shattered when they were defeated at Ichinotani by a surprise attack led by a surprise attack led by Minamoto-no Yoshitsune.
In 1185, Yoshitsune attacked the remaining Tairas first at Yashima , then at Dannoura, where the proud Tairas first at Yashima, then at Dannoura, where the proud Taira finally fell, the noblewomen casting themselves into the sea with the child Emperor Antoku.
Kochi, the largest city on the on the Pacific coast, is the capital of Kochi Prefecture, especislly known for its marine products, forestyu and greenhouse culture of vegetables. The fishing ports dotted along the Pacific coast are usually busy greenhouse culture of vegetables. The fishing ports dotted along the Pacific coast are usually bus with small boats that bring in bonito and mackerel from the warm current offshore , and sometimes with big boats that have made six-or seven-month voyages after tuna into the Indian Ocean, the Tasman Sea, even the Atlantic
Men in this prefecture have long been know for a trait called igosso When a man is called igosso, it means he is gallantly generous , obstinately independent , carefree and passionate in his usually unpredictable actions . Women of the same type are called hachikin.
Kochi was also a castle town. The approach to the castle gate is liveiest on Sundays as the 3-century old Sunday Market is held there, the 1.2km avenue lined with hundreds of stalls stocked with every kind fo local product imaginable -vegetables ,fruits , flowers , trees ,raw ,dried or cookef fish, coral crafts , toys , knives, puppies , granny's pickles, cookies ,candies, rice cakes , pancakes and sundryitems.
Kochi-jo Castle came into being in 1588 when Chosokabe Motochika ,who once subjugated the whole of Shikoku , built his castle here on top of the hill .In 1660 Yamanouchi Kazutoyo took over the castle, rebuilt it , and 16
generations of Lords Yamanouchi reigned until 1869 when the Province was officially returned to the Emperor Meiji.
The Otemon Main Gate built in 1630 still stands .The statue seen on entering the gate is that of Itagaki Taisuke
板垣退助, leader of Japan's popular right movement .The other buildings -the highest donjon , turrets and gatess-also retain their original style, though they were rebuilt around the middle of the 18th century.