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Matthew Haswell | profile | all galleries >> Japan 日本 >> Chūgoku 中国 >> Yamaguchi and Hōfu 山口と防府 tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Okayama 岡山 | Kurashiki 倉敷 | Takahashi 高梁 | Tottori 鳥取 | Hiroshima 広島 | Miyajima 宮島 | Matsue 松江 | Adachi Art Museum 足立美術館 | Izumo Taisha 出雲大社 | Ōmori and Iwami Ginzan 大森と石見銀山 | Tsuwano 津和野 | Iwakuni 岩国 | Hagi 萩 | Yamaguchi and Hōfu 山口と防府 | Shimonoseki 下関

Yamaguchi and Hōfu 山口と防府

A small, relaxed prefectural capital, the city of Yamaguchi sits in the mountainous interior of its eponymous prefecture. Once visited by missionary Francis Xavier, it is often referred to as a "Little Kyōto of the West" for both its many temples and its past status as an alternate imperial capital during the Sengoku period (when Kyōto was being ravaged by war).

The later shots in this gallery come from the city of Hōfu, a modern industrial and commercial city known for its large Tenman-gū shrine - one of the three largest shrines dedicated to Tenjin, the kami of scholarship.
Countryside in eastern Yamaguchi-ken
Countryside in eastern Yamaguchi-ken		 Rice fields in rural Yamaguchi
Rice fields in rural Yamaguchi		 Above the tracks at Yamaguchi station
Above the tracks at Yamaguchi station		 Platform with train at JR Yamaguchi
Platform with train at JR Yamaguchi
Old houses on a Yamaguchi sidestreet
Old houses on a Yamaguchi sidestreet		 Torii in front of Gokoku-jinja
Torii in front of Gokoku-jinja		 Barren path to Gokoku-jinja
Barren path to Gokoku-jinja		 Outside Jōei-ji
Outside Jōei-ji
Main entrance to the temple
Main entrance to the temple		 Sesshutei garden within Jōei-ji
Sesshutei garden within Jōei-ji		 Interior room in Jōei-ji
Interior room in Jōei-ji		 Rocks in the zen garden
Rocks in the zen garden
Folding screen inside Jōei-ji
Folding screen inside Jōei-ji		 Zen rock garden in front of the temple
Zen rock garden in front of the temple		 Mini Mt. Fuji in Sesshutei
Mini Mt. Fuji in Sesshutei		 Rock garden with temple gate
Rock garden with temple gate
Tourists admiring the garden at Jōei-ji
Tourists admiring the garden at Jōei-ji		 Lilypad-covered pond in Sesshutei
Lilypad-covered pond in Sesshutei		 Old buildings along a residential street
Old buildings along a residential street		 Old kura behind a fence
Old kura behind a fence
Memorial to St. Francis Xavier
Memorial to St. Francis Xavier		 Prefectural Government Archives Museum
Prefectural Government Archives Museum		 Entrance to Rurikō-ji
Entrance to Rurikō-ji		 Five-storied pagoda at Rurikō-ji
Five-storied pagoda at Rurikō-ji
Main temple buildings at Rurikō-ji
Main temple buildings at Rurikō-ji		 Front of the five-storied pagoda
Front of the five-storied pagoda		 Main hall at Rurikō-ji
Main hall at Rurikō-ji		 Kannon statue at Rurikō-ji
Kannon statue at Rurikō-ji
Manicured lawn with Rurikō-ji pagoda
Manicured lawn with Rurikō-ji pagoda		 Stone sculpture of the pagoda
Stone sculpture of the pagoda		 Kendō instructor statue outside Rurikō-ji
Kendō instructor statue outside Rurikō-ji		 Rural outskirts of Yamaguchi
Rural outskirts of Yamaguchi
Restored teahouse at Unkoku-an
Restored teahouse at Unkoku-an		 Yamaguchi Saikotei
Yamaguchi Saikotei		 Taisho-era building at Yasaka-jinja
Taisho-era building at Yasaka-jinja		 Main hall at Yasaka-jinja
Main hall at Yasaka-jinja
Yamaguchi Furusato Heritage Center
Yamaguchi Furusato Heritage Center		 Front entrance of the old machiya
Front entrance of the old machiya		 Jizō at Ryūfuku-ji
Jizō at Ryūfuku-ji		 Old brick building beside the Prefectural Museum
Old brick building beside the Prefectural Museum
Ugoku-shiro fountain in Kameyama-kōen
Ugoku-shiro fountain in Kameyama-kōen		 St. Francis Xavier Memorial Church
St. Francis Xavier Memorial Church		 Next to the modernist church
Next to the modernist church		 Memorial statue of St. Francis Xavier
Memorial statue of St. Francis Xavier
Yamaguchi Civic Hall
Yamaguchi Civic Hall		 Old telephone booth and vermilion bridge in Hōfu
Old telephone booth and vermilion bridge in Hōfu		 Outer torii leading into Hōfu Tenman-gū
Outer torii leading into Hōfu Tenman-gū		 Torii detail at Hōfu Tenman-gū
Torii detail at Hōfu Tenman-gū
Hōfu Tenman-gū
Hōfu Tenman-gū		 Front view of the main gate
Front view of the main gate		 Copper lantern beside the main gate
Copper lantern beside the main gate		 Children's calligraphy on display at the shrine
Children's calligraphy on display at the shrine
Main hall and omikuji booth
Main hall and omikuji booth		 Tied omikuji draped over the booth
Tied omikuji draped over the booth		 Lion figure outside the main hall
Lion figure outside the main hall		 Rows of ema at Hōfu Tenman-gū
Rows of ema at Hōfu Tenman-gū
Looking at the votive plaques
Looking at the votive plaques		 Stack of ema hung up together
Stack of ema hung up together		 Sake barrels at Hōfu Tenman-gū
Sake barrels at Hōfu Tenman-gū		 Skyline of old and new Hōfu
Skyline of old and new Hōfu
Mountains at the edge of Hōfu
Mountains at the edge of Hōfu		 Wooden carving in the old bell tower
Wooden carving in the old bell tower		 Main path leading away from the shrine
Main path leading away from the shrine		 Decorative souvenir shop building
Decorative souvenir shop building
Wall tiles near Suo Kokubun-ji
Wall tiles near Suo Kokubun-ji		 Niō-mon leading into Suo Kokubun-ji
Niō-mon leading into Suo Kokubun-ji		 Main hall of Suo Kokubun-ji from the Niō-mon
Main hall of Suo Kokubun-ji from the Niō-mon		 Main hall with incense urn
Main hall with incense urn

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