Showing posts with label masuda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label masuda. Show all posts

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Torii Tunnels


nag5261

Lines of red torii placed so close together they form a tunnel are a common sight throughout Japan. The most famous and most photographed are at the Fushimi Inari Shrine near Kyoto, but smaller versions can be found all over at shrines and temples.

tad2377

They are usually made of wood, occasionally steel, but more often nowadays plastic pipe is being used. Each torii will have been paid for by a donation, and the name of the donor is usually written on each, similar to how some shrines will have lines of more expensive stone lanterns.

kok559

The top photo is from the Inari Shrine in the grounds of Suwa Shrine, Nagasaki. The second photo is at Tadaji Temple in Hamada. The third is a small Inari hokora near Kokura Castle.

mas2960

The photo above is an Inari shrine in the grounds of the Hitomaro Shrine in Masuda.

tsu927

If the Inari shrine is on a hillside, like at Fushimi, then the torii tunnels will switchback up the hillside like the photo above taken at the Taikodani Inari Shrine in Tsuwano.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Manhole Fish

dzm1

This is the manhole cover for Nishinoshima, one of the islands that make up the Oki Islands. I know a squid is not a fish, but its close enough.

A walk from Tsuwano to Masuda 7164

Masuda down in the southwest of Shimane has the Takatsu River and I'm guessing these are carp.

ys4

This is from Taki Town up in Izumo and its hard to tell from the design exactly which fish it is meant to be, could be flying fish or it could be an Orca.

miho6439

Fukuura is a village on the Shimane Peninsular and now a part of Mihonoseki. The fish is probably a Sea Bream (tai) as Kotoshironushi, popularly known as Ebisu, used to enjoy fishing for Tai here.

miho6479

The draincover for Mihonoseki also features the Tai.

kamate4983

Another one from Masuda, and these look like Ayu, called Sweetfish in English. The Takatsu River is a popular place fro Ayu fishing.

sh427

Not sure which town this belongs to, but it was on the banks of the Shimanto River in Ehime, Shikoku. They might also be Ayu.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Big Roof Wide

mas756

I've been going down to Masuda a lot recently so I took the opportunity to revisit Grand Toit with a wide-angle lens.

mas758

Grand Toit, from the French for "Big Roof" is the unofficial name of the Shimane Arts center, so named because the building is clad in locally produced kawara, rooftiles.

mas760

Opened in 2005 and designed by Naito Hiroshi, I must admit that the building has grown on me. The light inside, and the space of the internal pool are very nice, though the overall form of the building from a distance is still not appealing to me.

mas764

This time I paid to go in and see an exhibition in the main gallery, but as yet I have not been inside the auditorium.

mas766

My favorite aspect of the building though is the highly polished wooden floor and its reflections. I'll post more of those shots later.

mas768

For more posts on Grand Toit click here

mas772

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Grand Toit (inside part 2)

A walk from Tsuwano to Masuda 7218

The inside of Shimane Arts center in Masuda, known as Grand Toit, has always fascinated me each time I visit.

An evening in Masuda 1272

The floors and walls are of highly-polished wood, so that with the changes in light due to the passing of the seasons, the time of day, and the weather, create an everchanging display of reflections.
An evening in Masuda 1286


Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Grand Toit (Inside.)

mas3930

The Shimane Arts Center, known as "Grand Toit" was designed by Naito Hiroshi and opened in 2005. Located in Masuda, at the western end of Iwami, the building is built around a courtyard with a shallow reflecting pool. There is probably a correct architectural name for such a feature, but I don't know it.

Coming soon 16!!!!!

Pictures of the outside of the building can be seen here

An evening in Masuda 1292

The reflections of the buildings tiles with the tiles under the water makes for some interesting effects.

An evening in Masuda 1298

At night a whole new universe of reflections comes alive!

Monday, July 28, 2008

Grand Toit (outside)

A walk from Tsuwano to Masuda 7203

The Shimane Arts Center in Masuda combines galleries and performance spaces. Opened in 2005, and designed by Naito Hiroshi, the rectilinear boxes of the design is unusual in being clad by more than 250,000 rooftiles, hence the building is commonly known as Grand Toit, from the french for big roof.

An evening in Masuda 1290

The rooftiles were made up the coast at Gotsu in the reddish-brown color typical of the region.

mas3918

Externally the design is not particularly noteworthy, but inside is spectacular.

See photos inside Grand Toit here