TokyoTomo Travel Guide

Temple Town and Tohaku Hasegawa, the Gifted Painter

Nanao has many temples, as the warlord Maeda strategically built many temples to defend his castle 400 years ago, after Noto-Hatakeyama family lost its power. This is the “Yama-no-dera Jiingun” (literally translated, temple group in the mountain) located west of the city. Nowadays, 16 temples are opened to public for sightseeing, and many history fans crowd the area in its best season in spring and autumn. Among these, there are the temples associated with the gifted painter, Tohaku Hasegawa.

“Choju-ji” and”Honen-ji” are two best temples to visit during the walk. These are places where Tohaku spent his juvenile days and a highlight of the historic walk, following the footsteps of young Tohaku during his apprenticeship as a painter. Choju-ji is a temple where Hasegaswa family belongs, the family Tohaku was adopted, and Honen-ji is the temple for Okumura family where he was born. “Choju-ji” is a Nichiren Sect temple founded in 1457. Here, the picture “Shakanehanzu (Buddha Nirvana)” is stored, which is said to be drawn by Tohaku’s grandfather, Mubun Hasegawa. This art piece was drawn around the time when Tohaku became familiar with Buddhist paintings and started to bloom his talent as a painter, lead by his father in law. Hasegawa family was involved in dyeing, and it is said that Tohaku developed his keen sense of colors during this time, acquiring to draw both black-ink paintings to gorgeous world of paintings.

The other family temple “Honen-ji” is a temple with a touch of tranquility with the main gate after going up the gradual stairs. The calmness of the temple and the remaining snow comforts the heart of the visitors. Established in 1464, this temple preserves the precious treasure “Nichiren Shonin Zazou” which was colored by Tohaku when he was 26 years old. This sitting statue, a rare work for Tohaku being a painter, has lost its color over long years, but we can still feel the bright color of that time. Though the statue is covered with cotton during the cold winter, this is a great spot to visit as all visitors may view the statue for free.

Thirty minutes drive from the city will take you to the remains of Nanao Castle. Going up the mountain from the re and climbing up the observatory deck, you can have a whole view of the city and Nanao Bay. From the time of the rule of Noto-Hatakeyama family to the time when the landlord changed to Toshiie Maeda, together with the temples, a castle town has been developed along the bay as long as 4km. In the past, pine trees were planted by the bay. It made me wonder if young Tohaku had seen the same scenery. Walking in Nanao makes me feel as if the mystery of all the masterpiece are revealed.

If you are interested in Tohaku, I would recommend you to visit “Ishikawa Nanao Art Museum.” You will be familiar to the life of Tohaku Hasegawa by maing a tour around the museum watching Hi-vision videos and artpiece. Every year, the museum holds an exhibition of Tohaku’s work in series, so you can also fit this into your agenda (held from 25 April to 31 May in 2010).

Noto is also full of festivals, with over one hundred throughlut the year. One of the largest festival in Nanao is “Seihakusai” (3-5 May), a parade in the middle of the town pulling a large float weighing 20 tons with a huge 2m wheel. Being the 400th anniversary of Tohaku’s death, this year the float will be decorated under the theme of Tohaku.

Source: Travel Vision

Travel Vision Inc. provides information on the travel industry in Japan via "Daily Travel Vision", a Japanese-language e-mail newsletter, and the "Travel Vision" website. There are nearly 110,000 people working in the Japanese travel industry, and Travel Vision is proud to be bringing travel news to more than 30,000 people through Daily Travel Vision.

Nanao in Ishikawa Prefecture is gradually coming under spotlight being the birthplace of Tohaku Hasegawa, a painter in praised along with Eitoku Kano as a prodigy in Momoyama period. Here and there in the town, footprints and remnants of the painter can be seen, being the origin of the artist who created an array of masterpiece including “Shorin-zubyobu”, one of the best ink painting ever. It just so happens that this year is the 400th anniversary of Tohaku’s death, and retrospective exhibition will be held in Tokyo and Kyoto. Let’s take a walk in the city of Nanao filled with flavor of history.

Nanao is a town located in the middle of Noto peninsula in a bent shape that once flourished its original culture as a castle town and as a base of Kitamae Ship (North Trading Ship). The town faces the rough Japan Sea, but Nanao Bay is a landlocked bay with mild waves and tranquility even during wintertime.

The town is near by Noto Airport and the highway “Noto Expressway Wakura I.C.” but the main entrance is Nanao Station, extended from JR Hokuriku-Honsen. The moment you step out of the station, you will be greeted by Tohaku Hasegawa’s “Seiunzo.” Direct train “Thunderbird” is in operation from Osaka to Nanao; many tourists visit the town during winter to taste crabs, the dish of the season.

“Oyster” and “Sea Cucumber,” the Delicacies of Winter
Crab is a typical winter food you can have in the Japan Sea, but the three major seafood around January to spring is Kanburi (yellow tail), oyster and sea cucumber. Of all, “Notogaki” (Noto Oyster) is now in its very season with a richer taste. One other thing we must not forget. Sea cucumber is also Nanao’s specialty. “Hikuchiko,” a well-dried ovary of sea cucumber is a high-end delicacy that cannot be tasted other than Nanao, even if you are within Noto peninsula.

“Nanao onsen” is by the Notojima Bridge connecting Nanao and Noto Island of Nanao Bay. Being one of the famous hotspring in Hokuriku area, almost without exception, visitors to Noto Peninsula visit this onsen to enjoy the beautiful scenery and great spring quality. Around the center the town, “Soyu,” a cheap drop-by onsen stands in the middle of a row of high-end onsen resort. In front of the main entrance, you can boil eggs in the salty hot spring while you enjoy a warm foot bath.

“Ippon Sugi Street” still has the glamorous feeling of the past amidst the cubby street. Starting from Muromachi period, this street used to be a busy street as the temple town through Edo to Meiji period. Here and there around the town, you can see classic merchant houses with black lattice door and store curtain, showing the importance of this town as the trading base.

Shops selling soy sauce, seaweed, sake, Japanese candles and family altar stand around the center of the city. Of those shops, “Takazawa Shoten,” a Japanese candle manufacturer, is a must-visit tourist spot. It is a well-established shop founded 110 years ago. Having business in Nanao, a temple city, the shop still sells candles made of Japanese papers and straw.

Even if you are not a railroad fan, you might want to try the local route “Noto Railways,” a one-track railway, running slowly in a single compartment train for 30 km between JR Nanao Station to Anamizu. The fare is 810 yen from Nanao to Anamizu. The tranquil Nanao Bay is richly cultivated with oysters, and it is worthwhile tasting the famous fresh oyster stopping off at “Noto-nakajima.” The rich taste of fresh charcoal-baked oysters is simply superb.

(To be continued…)

Source: Travel Vision

Travel Vision Inc. provides information on the travel industry in Japan via "Daily Travel Vision", a Japanese-language e-mail newsletter, and the "Travel Vision" website. There are nearly 110,000 people working in the Japanese travel industry, and Travel Vision is proud to be bringing travel news to more than 30,000 people through Daily Travel Vision.