Hagi

Hagi is a small coastal town, known for its pottery and its well-preserved samurai and merchant quarter. Hagi is also the site of the mid-19th century samurai revolt against the Kyoto shogunate, after which the emperor returned to power and the capital moved to Tokyo.

After a morning lecture about pottery (Hagi ware) and the Tea Bowl War, we divided the group into three parts to rotate among the three sites.

But first, the welcoming committee! We had welcomes or goodbyes in many of the ports. The mayor or the head of tourism would greet us and present gifts to the ship and tour manager; the captain would gift the Japanese officials in turn. And there was a cultural presentation too. I thought them charming. 

 Our ship! See, not very big.

I was now assigned to bus three, and Su-san. We were starting the day in the merchant quarter, followed by the first lunch slot. This also meant that we had the first shopping.

 Roof tiles. I don't know what it is, but I love them, regardless of where in the world I find them. Some day....

 The historic quarter was beautiful. Narrow streets of old well-maintained houses. Lots of wood and tile. Covered windows. And lots of pottery shops. But first, Kikuya House, a traditional merchant's house from the time.

 The nice thing about bringing up the rear of the group? Especially when it's a stop to take shoes off? I get time to snap a few photos. How nice would it be to come home each day and walk through this little courtyard? 

And then come inside and see this garden? Don't get me wrong, I like DC a lot. But I have been wondering if maybe it's time for a change. My travels this spring seem to be pushing me in that direction. 

Shoes were off because of the tatami mats. Generally, walking on wood or tatami with shoes in Japan is forbidden. And these tatami were so amazingly soft! The house had a number of small exhibits that showcased the area's history. 

This photo won't do it justice, but we were so amazed! The screen doors make a full pivot at this little corner and turn the corner to go the around the other side. Just a simple corner joint and adequate space. I love good design. This was remarkable.

Ah, thoughtful gardening for harmonious design.

 Balanced in color, height, style of plant. Usually the gardens are also balanced for season. I really wanted to just sit here with a book and a cup of tea....

 Red maple, one of my favorites.

Then folks had time to wander the quarter, do some shopping for Hagi-yaki (pottery in the 400+-year-old tradition), or just relax. We were to meet back at the bus for transfer to lunch.

Unfortunately, we were missing two, and they were part of my SI group. People had seen them. The guide and tour manager went looking. After 20 minutes, the group moved on. They were eventually found, had become separated, were trying to find a way back to us, and ended up meeting us all back on the ship. Too bad; they were very disappointed to have missed the afternoon and certainly didn't mean to cause trouble.

After lunch, we proceeded to the Toko-ji temple, well-known for its moss-covered stone lanterns guarding the Mori lords' graves. This was our second day of rain and I think that only added to the atmosphere of the place.

 Dressed for the rain? I suspect they are sponsored.

 The Mori were powerful lords who ruled the western part of Honshu Island. The samurai revolt that eventually moved the capital was, I believe, linked to their defeat. 

 It's a lovely walk up to the grave area.

 These roofs are capped with demon tiles, working much like gargoyles.

 A water spout. Love these.

Hundreds of stone lanterns, donated by the vassals of the lords. 

 Rows and rows of these lanterns flow from the torii gates, one gate for each lord. It's an incredible place.

 Our final stop was at the home of a master potter to learn about the making of the Hagi-yaki. He also has a studio shop where people bought some spectacular pieces. This is part of the Nosaka Kogetsudo kiln, which is a stepped kiln of five chambers.

Passports were collected as we re-boarded, so that Japanese and South Korean customs could be handled, as we were motoring overnight across the Sea of Japan to Ulsan. Another lecture this evening, this one on the samurai. Overall, I caught most of the lectures, but unfortunately did miss parts of some, trying to firefight some issues back in the office in DC. It was both good and bad that I couldn't connect during hours when folks were in the office. I wanted to take advantage of hours where participants would not "need" me, but it was too bad that I had to miss anything. Unfortunately, lectures and/or tea time tended to be what got caught. And no, the problems in DC were still there when I got back, but at least had advanced a bit.