Kaimei School, the oldest wooden school of Japan (temple 43)
Walking through streets of old Japan with the beautiful wooden houses was always
a treat for me. The skills of woodworking, the aesthetics and the right proportions of
the structures, the love for details and the beautiful flower arrangements in front of
many old houses brought back to me old Japan, a Japan which often does not exist
anymore.
However, in temples and shrines, highly skilled and artistic woodwork is still alive
and present.
Roofwork of Meisekiji, temple 43
In Unomachi City, Seiyo City, I had enough time to visit one of the oldest elementary
schools in Japan. The school is built in “Gi-youfuu” architecture, meaning pseudo-
western style, architecture Japanese carpenters developed by imitating Western style
architecture.
Kaimei School
The classrooms are similar to Western schools
Photo of students who once attended the school
Every so often little rest stations for ohenros were built beside the street or along the
path inviting the pilgrim to take a rest.
Rest station for Ohenros with a dog in front of the building
With nearly everybody wanting to live in big cities, mostly old people stay back in the villages. This lady resting in front of a blooming tree was especially nice.
On the way to Ōzu City I passed a temple, which like “Sleeping Beauty,” seemed to be
in a 100 year long sleep. The whole temple area was abandoned and the ceiling
already collapsed with everything still in the temple. Only the bell in the bell tower
(which was also the entrance gate) was removed, with the beam for hitting the bell
still there.
Entrance gate of the abandoned temple with the statue of Kōbō Daishi in the back
A statue of Kōbō Daishi watches the collapse of the temple with open, friendly eyes.
Later on, I have heard that the name of the temple is Fudakake-ji in Nosarai,
Ōzu City. After the last priest died, the temple was deteriorating for 20 years. In
1996, an Ohenro started to renovate it on his own under the condition that he leaves,
when the next priest comes. The new priest came but something must have
happened that the priest abandoned the temple again. A sad story! Now the temple
is really collapsing!
Still intact incense holder in front of the main hall