This morning we took a train from Toyama to Takaoka to see the Takaoka Daibutsu, one of the three largest Buddha statues in Japan. Ella’s photos give you an idea of his enormity. Below the Buddha there was a shrine which had a semi-circular hallway behind it with paintings of bliss alternating with paintings of demons reminding me of the dark hallway below and behind the huge wooden Buddha we saw in Fukuoka. It’s interesting how in the Japanese Buddhist tradition these images are somewhat hidden whereas with the Christian churches in Europe heaven and hell are colorfully displayed in stained glass (or on the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel) as background for worshippers to contemplate while they follow the liturgy.
After we visited the Big Guy, we wended our way through the historical district to the Kanaya-machi area noted for its tradition of Imono, or metal casting going back to the 17th century. Preserved are five townhouses of metal casting masters the remains of Nombu Foundry.
We entered through a gate that opened onto a circular pool that was sort of a shrine to the iron workers.
Inside a wooden townhouse implements of ancient iron casting were displayed.
It was overcast in the low-seventies, really nice weather to wander the neighborhood, but it seemed like we were the only people there.
The empty streets with their dark slatted wooden structures made me think of those Kurosawa movies where the entire town has shut their doors and is hiding from the bandits. All we needed was rain and we could be doing a scene from “The Seven Samurai.”
One shop we passed was selling hand-woven rugs. A young woman inside was doing a photo shoot. The rug hanging outside reminded me, in size and pattern, of something I might have bid on at a Crownpoint rug auction.
It was a nice quiet stroll, something we could reflect upon once we were in the public frenzy of Tokyo.
Taking the train back to Toyama, we switched to a tram and, eleven stops later, got off to check out the Port of Toyama. From an observation tower, we could gaze out onto the Sea of Japan.
There was a misty rain which seemed to dampen the sound. The Port was very quiet. A morning visit to the Takaoka Daibutsu and the whole day becomes hushed.
Picky Henry here: not the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (old testament scenes); the back wall (Last Judgement). The saved and the damned are a common theme on Romanesque west fronts. The most outstanding one is on a church dedicated to Ste. Foy in the village (and I mean village) of Conques. Google it — it’s fantastic.
I Googled the site. The abbey church doorway carvings of Ste. Foy are quite vivid in the rendering of hell!
When I was in the Sistine chapel I had to crane my neck to look up at the damnation scenario, so you could say it was only on the wall, but it certainly curved up towards the ceiling and emotionally dominated the chapel. The ceiling directly above might have been creation oriented, but the idea was, with the touch of a finger, salvation. But the point was, good or bad Biblical references weren’t hidden.