Tourist Spot
tourist-spot
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Rokudou Jizou & Kongou Spring Water
On the way from Kongouji-shita (near the Kongo-ji Temple) up to Mt. Mitsugatake forest road, you will find Rokudou Jizou (a stone statue of Buddha as a savior in the 6 Buddhist realms of existence) carved into a large rock wall and Kongosui, a spring of water which comes up from underneath it. Since ancient times, it has been believed that the sacred spring water would provide special power to cure any intractable diseases and plagues. Many people stop by during hiking/trekking on their way to Mt. Mitsugatake.
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The Kunimori Residence (National Important Cultural Property)
The Kunimori Residence was built in the mid-Edo period (the late 18th century) and remains unchanged up until today. The Kunimori Family was one of the most wealthy merchants in Yanai, engaged in business and trading of lamp oil and hair oil. Their residence is one of the rare types of white-walled merchant houses during the Edo period because the white plastered 2-story storehouse has its entrance in one of the gable ends. It is constructed with a hip-and-gable roofing method, where square and round slates are laid alternately. The builders' creative contrivances to prepare for the frequent fires and...
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Shoko-an Temple / Willow tree and well
Shoko-an is a temple of the Soto Zen Sect, which has a legend that the area name of "Yanai" is originally derived from the willow tree planted there. About 1,400 years ago, the Princess Hannya, a daughter of a local wealthy man, Manono Choja in Bungo (the south of Oita) was struck by a terrible storm in the off shore of Heigun Island on her way to Kyoto to reunite with the Prince Tachibanano Toyohi (later Emperor Yohmei). Because of this, she was forced to sail back to the shore of Yanaitsu. There, she asked a local man to give...
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Grimm – the House of Music Boxes (Orgel)
This brick tower house is located in the center of Yanai's Retro Street. A large disc music box is displayed so that all visitors will be able to enjoy various pieces of music composed by Mr. Isao Hashimoto, the only music box composer in Japan. This music box is a specially-constructed instrument using as many as 50 comb teeth, as compared to the usual 35. Their calm soothing sounds bring warmth to the hearts of all people passing by.
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Gessho Museum
This museum displays a number of exhibitions regarding the Japanese Buddhist monk and thinker "Gessho" who was an enthusiastic imperialist and a strong advocate of arming Japan for protection against foreign countries at the end of the Edo Period. He shared ideology with Shoin Yoshida and Gensui Kusaka, local Choushu Feudal Samurai engendered their close friendship. At the museum, volunteer guide service is available so that visitors can get detailed explanations about major exhibitions. You can also visit "Seikyosodo" at the Myoen-ji Temple, a private academy that Gessho founded. From this academy, a number of great talents in the Meiji...
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Hourai Bridge & Atago Jizou (Hifuse Jizou)
Hourai Bashi, the oldest bridge in Yanai, was built in 1663 to connect a reclaimed piece of land called "Kogaisaku" and "Yanaitsu" side and provided many locals with the only means to travel between the two sides. Koukan Shiba, a great artist of the Edo period, wrote about going over this bridge in his book "Saiyu Nikki (Travel Diary of the West)". "Gangi (stone stairs)" where boats would be docked and "Okimi Ishi-doro (stone lantern)" to guide incoming boats to dock remain up until today. At the foot of Hourai Bridge, "Atago Jizou (stone statue of fire safety deity)" quietly...
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Koudai-ji Temple (Wan Wan Dera)
This uniquely-shaped 2-story temple gate was built in China's Ming Dynasty style and has been known for its interesting resonating sound through a large space inside the white plastered tunnel. If you clap your hands under the tunnel-like gate, the echo sounds like "Wan Wan", so many local people have been calling the temple "Wan Wan Dera". There is a monument engraved with "Kunikida Doppo's Soyu no Chi" on the right side of the gate commemorating the visit of famous novelist Doppo Kunikida, one of Meiji's great Japanese novelists, who lived in the neighborhood and would often stop by this...
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Doppo Kunikida’s Former Residence
A famous Japanese novelist, Doppo Kunikida, spent 2 years (1892-1894) in his early twenties in this house. His desk and favorite moon guitar are displayed here. You can feel the nostalgic atmosphere once you enter this tranquil house. His novels, "Kodomo no kanashimi (A Child's Sorrow)" and "Okimiyage (Parting Gift)" took place in Yanai. *You connot actually go inside and take a tour. It can only be viewed from outside.
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Muroya-no-sono Merchant House Museum (Prefecture’s Important Folk-cultural Property)
Muroya is a trade name of the Oda Family who prospered as oil merchant in Edo Period. Later they became one of the most wealthy merchant houses in western Japan. The family owned as many as 50 trading ships during the Edo Period and its trading area expanded from Kyushu to Osaka. Today, this is one of Japan's biggest merchant houses well-preserved since that era, having 11 buildings with 35 rooms including a main house, a main warehouse, an accounting house, a rice warehouse, a tool shed and a Chugen samurai room. By looking at various living wares and business...
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Yanai Machinami Museum/Matsushima Utako Museum
This building was constructed in 1907 (Meiji 40) as the head office of Suo Bank. One of few such buildings in Japan, the stately appearance of the former bank can be felt even today. It was designed by Sato Setsuo, the star pupil of Nagano Uheiji, who worked on many Western-style buildings in the Meiji period. Suo Bank later underwent several mergers, and the building was donated to Yanai City by its final owner, The Yamaguchi Bank Ltd., in 1998. The first floor of the building is used as the Machinami (Townscape) Museum, exhibiting models of townhouses in Yanai’s Townscape...
