Ogasawara of Karatsu

Article posted on Sunday, June, 5th, 2011 at 10:02 am

The heraldic designs of Japan are usually very simple, though they can also be complex. Whether their subject be a flower, a plant, an animal, a Chinese character or an everyday item, whether it be stylized or true to the original's form, they are contrastingly coloured and generally, as high as they are wide.

The topic of these family crests (Kamon – 家紋) is a large one and I apologize for that brief introduction. Anyway, moving on.

The symbol we see below is the triple-level water caltrops (Caltrops? Diamond shaped thingies) of the Ogasawara clan (小笠原家). What this aged and tattered, gold-leafed geometric shape is on, is a gate formerly of Karatsu castle and before that, Hizen Nagoya castle.

Today the gate is found at the Kinshō temple in Karatsu city. Within the temple’s grounds are the graves of some former Ogasawara & Terasawa clan lords. There is also the Ogasawara memorial hall, which would have to be the saddest effort to cobble together lame-ass & loosely-related historical artifacts I have ever seen.

The view from Hizen Nagoya castle

Article posted on Tuesday, May, 24th, 2011 at 10:23 pm

You may recall from previous posts that I recently had myself a little half-day trip to Karatsu. During that trip I was able to visit the ruins of Hizen Nagoya castle (肥前名護屋城). It should be noted that the decommissioned mess of Hizen Nagoya castle was where Karatsu castle got much of its building materials.

Hizen-Nagoya is such a unique beast. It was built in the late 1500′s, and it was huge. Such was its size that it is believed to be the second largest Japanese castle ever built. The epic citadel of Edo taking the top spot. Interestingly, Hizen-Nagoya was only in use for less than a decade. That being the case though, it was able to maintain its original shape; a rare feat.

The remnant stonework may be in rather poor condition, but I strongly recommend a visit to this castle if you find yourself in Kyūshū. It’s a fascinating place in a quiet corner of Japan.

Karatsu’s dark forest

Article posted on Tuesday, May, 3rd, 2011 at 10:58 am

Below is a photo of a manhole cover I took from my recent trip to the city of Karasu. Kewl-lookin', it features a stylized depiction of the Niji-no-matsubara.

What the Niji-no-matsubara actually is, is a 4km-long strip of grotesquely-contorted & growth-stunted pines that act as a barrier to the strong winds coming in off the bay; the wind causing the deformations.

The twisted forest

So, back in November, 2007, myself & a couple of workmates headed up to Karatsu to take in the sites. One of our main goals was actually to sample the Karatsu burger.

We found a burger-serving van in a car-park on the side of the road that passes through the forest. The pepper-mayo garnished (run-of-mill) hamburger was phenomenal, the 30-minute wait & small serving less so.

After polishing off our meals (snacks), we walked through the forest in search of weirdness. In amongst the weirdness, we found a dragon. (Not this first picture, and not the last one either. You’ll know it when you see it.)

The castle

The final destination for the day was the local castle where, as can be seen, shenanigans ensued. For information about the castle check out its profile page: Karatsu castle.

Karatsu castle – video

Article posted on Sunday, May, 1st, 2011 at 8:42 pm

If you saw the last post (Karatsu day trip) you’ll know that I recently visited Karatsu… on a day trip. It was a great trip, and one I’d recommended anyone make, especially during Golden week. There’s wisteria, azaleas, comfortable weather & the very cool Karatsu Kunchi festival. And, at any time of the year you can enjoy Karatsu castle, the Karatsu burger (actually, pretty much a regular burger) and Niji-no-matsubara, a wicked pine forest.

Not much else to say other than press play.

The following video can also be found on Youtube: Karatsu castle.

Karatsu day trip

Article posted on Saturday, April, 30th, 2011 at 8:47 am

I woke up bright and early and drove to the city of Karatsu in Saga Prefecture (on the island of Kyūshū.) I’d been tracking the weather all week and the weather on the day was absolutely superb.

It was a fairly easy schedule, first was the castle of Karatsu (lots of repairs going on.) Then I visited some temples whose main gates had come from Karatsu castle via Hizen Nagoya castle. Finally, I drove up to see the thoroughly-fascinating Hizen Nagoya castle itself. I did manage to get some good photos but camera battery life was a limiting factor. It’s okay, there will be a next time.

Below is one of the first photos I took of the castle. The man fishing had just thrown some chum in the water to lure in his breakfast.