Wakayama City (和歌山市) is the capital city of Wakayama Prefecture in the Kansai District of Japan.  Wakayama occupies 4% of the land area and has 40% of Wakayama prefecture's population.  The city was founded on April 1, 1889.  The city population rose from 382,155 in 2003 to 386,501 in 2004, a growth of 1.87%.  This population increase has occurred despite Wakayama's beleaguered economy, which has suffered since Sumitomo Steel (住友金属工業) moved much of its steel producing operations to China.  The Wakayama Steel Mills (和歌山製鉄所) have since been reduced and restructured, with part of the industry completely shutting in 2004.  As of March 1, 2011, it has a population of 368,640 and the density is 1,760 persons per sq km.  The total area is 209.23 sq km.
  Wakayama is cleft in two by the Kinokawa River (紀の川).  The city is bordered at the north by mountains and Osaka Prefecture.  In the city center is Wakayama Castle (和歌山城), built on Torafusu Hill (虎伏山; 48.9 m high; the name means "a tiger leaning on his side").  During the Edo Period, the Kishu-Tokugawa family (紀州徳川家) ruled from Wakayama Castle.  Tokugawa Yoshimune (徳川 吉宗), the fifth Kishu-Tokugawa lord, became the eighth Tokugawa shogun.
  Wakayama is famous across Japan for its umeboshi (梅干し; pickled ume) and mikan (蜜柑; tangerine).  (Main Reference: the site of "Wikipedia")
  

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Wakayama Station

Wakayama Station (和歌山駅) is station located at 5-61 Misono-cho, Wakayama City (和歌山市美園町5丁目61). It is on the JR Kisei-honsen Line (紀勢本線) in the northbound , JR Kinokuni Line (きのくに線) in the southbound, and on the Kishikawa Line (貴志川線) of the Wakayama Electric Railway Co. Ltd. (和歌山電鐵株式会社).

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(Wednesday 16 March) Wakayama Station, 5-61 Misono-cho, Wakayama City

Ide-shoten

Ide-shoten (井出商店) is a most popular ramen restaurant of Wakayama. It is located at 4-84 Tanaka-cho, Wakayama City (和歌山市田中町4丁目84); about 5 minutes' walk from Wakayama Station.

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(Wednesday 16 March) Ide-shoten, 4-84 Tanaka-cho, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) My lunch at Ide-shoten, 4-84 Tanaka-cho, Wakayama City

Wakayama Castle

Wakayama Castle (和歌山城) in Wakayama City, sits at the mouth of the Kii River (紀の川). Originally Ota Castle (太田城), home of the Saiga Ikki (雑賀一揆), it was captured by Hideyoshi Toyotomi (豊臣 秀吉) in 1585, during the Siege of Negoro-ji Temple (根来寺); many monks from Negoro-ji Temple sought refuge in Ota, which was soon destroyed by flood. Hideyoshi ordered the building of dams on three sides of the castle, focusing the rainwaters and diverting the river to ruin the castle. As hunger set in, the samurai, monks, and peasants inside Ota surrendered, and fifty warrior monks led a final charge against Hideyoshi's army, committing honorable suicide. Ota was rebuilt as a temple for the Jodo-Shinshu sect (浄土真宗) of Japanese Buddhism, severed from its history as a home to warrior monks. Wakayama Castle was then built on the same site, under the supervision of Hidenaga Toyotomi (豊臣 秀長), Hideyoshi's brother, with Takatora Todo (藤堂 高虎)'s participation. Yoshinaga Asano (浅野 幸長) arrived in 1600 to serve as feudal lord, under Ieyasu Tokugawa (徳川 家康). The castle was later attacked, in 1615, by forces loyal to Hideyori Toyotomi (豊臣 秀頼), who were trying to end the siege of Osaka. In the summer of 1615, parts of the Osaka garrison left the city, ambushing various elements of the Tokugawa forces. Harunaga Ono (大野 治長), Naoyuki Ban (塙 直之) and Noritsuna Okabe (岡部 則綱) led part of the garrison in attacking Wakayama Castle, held by Nagaakira Asano (浅野 長晟) at the time. They had with them 3000 men, but the castle boasted 5000 in its garrison. Asano's men left the castle to meet the Western (Toyotomi) forces in what came to be known as the 'battle of Kashii.' Ban and Okabe were killed, and Ono was forced to flee back to Osaka. The castle's current appearance is the result of renovations made by Tokugawa Yorinobu (徳川 頼宣), tenth son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, in the early seventeenth century. At the end of the Edo Period, in 1867, the feudal structure fell apart, and Wakayama Castle was opened to the public for the first time. The castle was destroyed by Allied bombing during World War II, but was rebuilt in 1958 out of concrete and is open to the public as a symbol of the city and historical site. (Reference: the site of "Wikipedia")

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(Wednesday 16 March) Okaguchi-mon Gate (岡口門) to Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City (和歌山市一番丁)

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(Wednesday 16 March) Okaguchi-mon Gate (岡口門) to Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Matsuno-maru (松の丸) on the way to Tenshu-kaku (天守郭; the donjon), Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Matsuno-maru (松の丸) on the way to Tenshu-kaku (天守郭; the donjon), Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Matsuno-maru (松の丸) on the way to Tenshu-kaku (天守郭; the donjon), Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Matsuno-maru (松の丸) on the way to Tenshu-kaku (天守郭; the donjon), Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Tenshu-kaku (天守郭; the donjon) of Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Tenshu-kaku (天守郭; the donjon) of Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Tenshu-kaku (天守郭; the donjon) of Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Gate to Tenshu-kaku (天守郭; the donjon) of Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Tenshu-kaku (天守郭; the donjon) of Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Tenshu-kaku (天守郭; the donjon) of Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Tenshu-kaku (天守郭; the donjon) of Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Entrance to Tenshu-kaku (天守郭; the donjon) of the Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) A view from the top of the donjon of Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) A view from the top of the donjon of Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) A view from the top of the donjon of Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Stone Wall of Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Oimawashi-mon Gate (追廻門), Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Oimawashi-mon Gate (追廻門), Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City

Equestrian Statue of Yoshimune Tokugawa

Yoshimune Tokugawa (徳川 吉宗, November 27, 1684 - July 12, 1751) was the eighth shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate Government of Japan, ruling from 1716 until his abdication in 1745. He was the son of Mitsusada Tokugawa (徳川 光貞), the grandson of Yorinobu Tokugawa (徳川 頼宣), and the great-grandson of Ieyasu Tokugawa (徳川 頼宣). Yoshimune Tokugawa was born in 1684 in the rich region of Kii (紀伊), a region which was then ruled by his father, Yorinobu Tokugawa. Yoshimune's childhood name was Genroku (源六). At that time, his second cousin Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (徳川 綱吉) was ruling in Edo as a shogun. Kii was a rich region of over 500,000 koku (五十万石), but it was still in debt. Even during Mitsusada's time, Kii was in deep debt and had a lot to pay back to the shogunate. In 1697, Genroku underwent the rites of passage and took the name Shinnosuke (新之助). In 1705, when Shinnosuke was just 21 years old, his father Mitsusada and two older brothers died. Thus, the ruling shogun Ienobu Tokugawa (徳川 家宣) appointed him daimyo of Kii. He took the name Yorikata Tokugawa (徳川 頼方) and began to administer the province. Nonetheless, great financial debt which the domain had owed to the Shogunate since his father's and even grandfather's time continued to burden the finances. What made things worse was that in 1707, a tsunami destroyed and killed many in the coastal areas of Kii Province. Yorikata did his best to try to stabilize things in Kii, but relied on leadership from Edo. In 1712, Shogun Ienobu died, and was succeeded by his son, the boy-shogun Ietsugu Tokugawa (徳川 家継). Now, Yorikata decided that he could not rely on the conservative Confucianists like Hakuseki Arai (新井 白石) in Edo and must do his best to stabilize things in Kii. But before he could plan things in effect, Shogun Ietsugu died in early 1716. He was only seven years old, and died without an heir. The other children of the late Shogun Ienobu were too young to rule, thus it was decided by the Shogunate to select the next shogun from one of the cadet lines. Yoshimune succeeded to the post of the shogun in 1716 (享保元年). His term of his shogunate would last for 30 years. Yoshimune is considered the best of the Tokugawa shoguns per Screech. Yoshimune established the gosankyo (御三卿) to augment (or perhaps to replace) the gosanke (御三家). Two of his sons, together with the second son of his successor Ieshige, became the founders of the Tayasu (田安家), Hitotsubashi (一橋家)and Shimizu (清水家) lines. Unlike the gosanke, they did not rule domains. Still, they remained prominent until the end of Tokugawa rule, and some later shoguns were chosen from the Hitotsubashi line. Yoshimune is known for his financial reforms. He dismissed the conservative adviser Hakuseki Arai and he began what would come to be known as the Kyoho Reforms (享保の改革). Although foreign books had been strictly forbidden since 1640, Yoshimune relaxed the rules in 1720, starting an influx of foreign books and their translations into Japan, and initiating the development of Western studies, or rangaku. In 1745, Yoshimune retired, taking the title Ogosho and leaving his public post to his oldest son. The title is the one that Ieyasu Tokugawa had taken on retiring in favor of his son Hidetada, who in turn took the same title on retirement. Yoshimune died in 1751 (寛延4年) at the age of 66. (Main Reference: the site of "Wikipedia")

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(Wednesday 16 March) The equestrian statue of Yoshimune Tokugawa (made in 1994 [平成6年]), 1 Fukiage, Wakayama City (和歌山市吹上1丁目); Along the Sannenzaka-dori (三年坂通り) at the southwest edge of Wakayama Castle or the north (in front) of The Museum of Modern Art, Wakayama (和歌山県立近代美術館)

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(Wednesday 16 March) The equestrian statue of Yoshimune Tokugawa, 1 Fukiage, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) The equestrian statue of Yoshimune Tokugawa, 1 Fukiage, Wakayama City

Birthplace of Yoshimune Tokugawa

The birthplace of Yoshimune Tokugawa, 2-4 Fukiage, Wakayama City (和歌山市吹上2丁目4). He was born here in October 1684 (貞享元年) between 2nd Kishu-Tokugawa lord Mitsusada Tokugawa and O-Yuri (お由利; later 浄円院) who was a daughter of a farmer.

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(Wednesday 16 March) The birthplace of Yoshimune Tokugawa, 2-4 Fukiage, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) The birthplace of Yoshimune Tokugawa, 2-4 Fukiage, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) The birthplace of Yoshimune Tokugawa, 2-4 Fukiage, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) The birthplace of Yoshimune Tokugawa, 2-4 Fukiage, Wakayama City

Kimii-dera Temple

Kimii-dera Temple (紀三井寺), or formally called Kimii-san Kongoho-ji Gokoku-in Temple (紀三井山金剛宝寺護国院), is the head temple of Kyusei-Kannon-shu sect (救世観音宗) of Buddhism and the second amulet-issuing office of a pilgrimage of Thirty-three Buddhist Temples [Kannon] throughout the Kansai Region of Japan (西国三十三箇所観音霊場). It was founded by Iko-shonin (為光上人) in 770 CE (宝亀元年). It was named after the fact that there are three wells in this hill of Kii Country. It enshrines the 161.5 cm standing statue of the Eleven-faced Kannon (Ch. Kuan Yin; Skt. Avalokitesvara) (十一面観音立像, 10th century). The address is: 1201 Kimiidera, Wakayama City (和歌山市紀三井寺120). The nearest station is JR Kimiidera Station: about 10 minutes' walk.

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(Wednesday 16 March) "Ro-mon" (楼門; two-storied gate) of Kimii-san Kongoho-ji Gokoku-in Temple, 1201 Kimiidera, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) "Ro-mon" (楼門; two-storied gate) of Kimii-san Kongoho-ji Gokoku-in Temple, 1201 Kimiidera, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) "Shojo-sui" (清浄水) or one of the three sacred wells (三井水) on the right side of the stone steps to Kimii-san Kongoho-ji Gokoku-in Temple: The other two are "Yoryu-sui" (楊柳水) and "kissho-sui" (吉祥水).

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(Wednesday 16 March) Stone steps to Kimii-san Kongoho-ji Gokoku-in Temple, 1201 Kimiidera, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Hon-do (本堂) or Kannon-do (観音堂), Kimii-san Kongoho-ji Gokoku-in Temple, 1201 Kimiidera, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Hon-do (本堂) or Kannon-do (観音堂), Kimii-san Kongoho-ji Gokoku-in Temple, 1201 Kimiidera, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Statue of "Binzuru" (賓頭盧; Skt. Pindola Bharadvaja), Hon-do (本堂), Kimii-san Kongoho-ji Gokoku-in Temple, 1201 Kimiidera, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Taho-to (多宝塔) Pagoda, Kimii-san Kongoho-ji Gokoku-in Temple, 1201 Kimiidera, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Taho-to (多宝塔) Pagoda, Kimii-san Kongoho-ji Gokoku-in Temple, 1201 Kimiidera, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) "Bustu-den" Hall (仏殿), Kimii-san Kongoho-ji Gokoku-in Temple, 1201 Kimiidera, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Rokkaku-do Hall (六角堂; lit. hexagonal hall), Kimii-san Kongoho-ji Gokoku-in Temple, 1201 Kimiidera, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) "Shoro" (鐘楼; Belfry), Kimii-san Kongoho-ji Gokoku-in Temple, 1201 Kimiidera, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Approach to the sanctum sanctorum (奥の院) of Kimii-san Kongoho-ji Gokoku-in Temple, 1201 Kimiidera, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) The sanctum sanctorum (奥の院) of Kimii-san Kongoho-ji Gokoku-in Temple, 1201 Kimiidera, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) A view from the sanctum sanctorum (奥の院) of Kimii-san Kongoho-ji Gokoku-in Temple, 1201 Kimiidera, Wakayama City

Kishu-Tosho-gu Shrine

Kishu-Tosho-gu Shrine (紀州東照宮) is a shrine dedicated to Tosho-dai-gongen (東照大権現) or the 1st Tokugawa shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa (徳川 家康). It also enshrines the 1st lord of Kishu-Tokugawa clan, Yorinobu Tokugawa (徳川 頼宣). it was founded here in the Hill of Saika (雑賀山) in 1621 CE (元和7年). It is also called "Nikko of Kansai" (関西の日光). The address is: 2-1-20 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City (和歌山市和歌浦西2-1-20).

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(Wednesday 16 March) Board of Kishu-Tosho-gu Shrine、2-1-20 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) First Stone Gate to Kishu-Tosho-gu Shrine、2-1-20 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Second Stone Gate to Kishu-Tosho-gu Shrine、2-1-20 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Stone approach to the main hall of Kishu-Tosho-gu Shrine、2-1-20 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Inari-jinjya Shrine (稲荷神社) in the precinct of Kishu-Tosho-gu Shrine、2-1-20 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Inari-jinjya Shrine (稲荷神社) in the precinct of Kishu-Tosho-gu Shrine、2-1-20 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Stone steps to the main hall of Kishu-Tosho-gu Shrine、2-1-20 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) "Ro-mon" (楼門; two-storied gate) to the main hall of Kishu-Tosho-gu Shrine、2-1-20 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) "Ro-mon" (楼門; two-storied gate) to the main hall of Kishu-Tosho-gu Shrine、2-1-20 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) "Ro-mon" (楼門; two-storied gate) to the main hall of Kishu-Tosho-gu Shrine、2-1-20 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Bronze lantern with the Worshippers' Hall (拝殿) of Kishu-Tosho-gu Shrine、2-1-20 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Worshippers' Hall (拝殿) of Kishu-Tosho-gu Shrine、2-1-20 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Worshippers' Hall (拝殿) of Kishu-Tosho-gu Shrine、2-1-20 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Worshippers' Hall (拝殿) of Kishu-Tosho-gu Shrine、2-1-20 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) A shrine maiden in the Worshippers' Hall (拝殿) of Kishu-Tosho-gu Shrine、2-1-20 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

Wakaura-Tenman-gu Shrine

Wakaura-Tenman-gu Shrine (和歌浦天満宮) is a shrine dedicated to the deified spirit of Sugawara Michizane (菅原 道真, 845-903 CE). in 901 (延喜元年) when Michizane was sent to Dazai-fu (太宰府) in Kyushu, his ship stopped here in Wakaura in order to avoid a storm. On the hill of Tenjinyama (天神山, 93 m high) Michizane reportedly made two tanka poems. Later a high-ranked officer Naomoto Tachibana (橘直幹) visited here on the way back to Kyoto from Dazai-fu during the Koho Period (964-968) and built a shrine to repose the soul of Michizane. In 1621 Razan Hayashi (林羅山), who was Ieyasu Tokugawa's Neo-Confucian scholar, visited here and told that this Tenman-gu shrine is the third classic one next to Dazai-fu Tenman-gu (太宰府天満宮) and Kitano Tenman-gu (北野天満宮). After the war fire made by Hideyoshi Toyotomi (豊臣 秀吉) in 1585 (天正13年) the present buildings were reconstructed by Shigeharu Kuwayama (桑山 重晴) and Yoshinaga Asano (浅野 幸長) between 1604 and 1606 (慶長9-11年). The address is: 2-1-24 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City (和歌山市和歌浦西2-1-24).

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(Wednesday 16 March) Signpost of Wakaura-Tenman-gu Shrine, 2-1-24 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Stone shrine gate to Wakaura-Tenman-gu Shrine, 2-1-24 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Stone steps to the main hall of Wakaura-Tenman-gu Shrine, 2-1-24 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Stone steps to the main hall of Wakaura-Tenman-gu Shrine, 2-1-24 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City: Ume tree is the symbol of Michizane Sugawara.

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(Wednesday 16 March) "Ro-mon" (楼門; two-storied gate) and ume trees, Wakaura-Tenman-gu Shrine, 2-1-24 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) "Ro-mon" (楼門; two-storied gate) and ume trees, Wakaura-Tenman-gu Shrine, 2-1-24 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Worshippers' Hall (拝殿), viewed from "Ro-mon" (楼門; two-storied gate), Wakaura-Tenman-gu Shrine, 2-1-24 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Worshippers' Hall (拝殿), Wakaura-Tenman-gu Shrine, 2-1-24 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Worshippers' Hall (拝殿) and ume trees, Wakaura-Tenman-gu Shrine, 2-1-24 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Statue of the sacred cow, Wakaura-Tenman-gu Shrine, 2-1-24 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City. The cow is another symbol of Michizane.

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(Wednesday 16 March) Inari-jinjya Shrine in the precinct of Wakaura-Tenman-gu Shrine, 2-1-24 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Inari-jinjya Shrine in the precinct of Wakaura-Tenman-gu Shrine, 2-1-24 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) The three subordinate shrines from left to right: Taga-jinjya Shrine (多賀神社), Toyouke-Tai--jingu (豊受大神宮) and Tensho-Kotai-jingu (天照皇太神宮). In the precinct of Wakaura-Tenman-gu Shrine, 2-1-24 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

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(Wednesday 16 March) Place for hanging wishing tablets, Wakaura-Tenman-gu Shrine, 2-1-24 Wakaura-nishi, Wakayama City

        

Copyright (c) 2011 Eishiro Ito.  All rights reserved.