hakodate

by masayuki nagare 1993 to 2004 this photo was taken inside Hakodate train station

The Hakodate train station sculpture, about parenting.

a.k.a. High Dragon Temple

334m high

I am a photography machine. I took pictures of things and places. I recorded the date, time and location of my pictures. In doing so, I hope to transform a particular moment and place into immortality. A thousands years later, when people see my photo, they can tell exactly what this place, at this moment looks like.

It's debatable whether it's worthy to transform the picture of turnips into immortality, but I think immortality, like public health care, shouldn't be the privilege of a small group of people or things.

My destination was the foreigners' cemetery. But even with the guidance of my advance GPS system, I still lost my way and ended up in the local people's cemetery, which is on the opposite side of the peninsula.

It was nice all the same. I was surrounded by sleeping people. Those who would never be disturbed by the noise of my footsteps, nor would they disturbed me on a quite Tuesday morning walk.

According to the tourist map, there was a graveyard of a famous poet, Ishikawa Takuboku around this area. I had no idea who he was, but since he was famous enough to be placed upon the tourist map, I thought it must be worthy to seek him out.

I saw a doll lying on the side of the road. Her face white and shiny, like porcelain, her green kimono was dated, and fading.

As a routine I took a picture, recorded the location and documented it with my PDA. I was going to leave her like that, but the doll was staring at me, begging me to pick her up. Through her dark little eyes, I saw her soul. Her little soul gave me the permission to steal her from the graveyard.

Technically I wasn't stealing. I've checked the tombs around, they belonged to some old men or women, too old to play dolls. She was clearly abandoned, probably by a local kid who just bought a Nintendo Wii.

I picked her up and gave her a name. I called her Midori, after a sushi restaurant I visited in Tokyo. I whispered her name in her ear, but then I found out she didn't have ears.

I wrapped her up in a 7-eleven plastic bag and the whole package fitted nicely into my backpack.

*After note: Later when I returned to the hotel, I found her photo was missing, probably deleted accidentally when I tried to clear some space so I can take pictures of some ducks. But the doll was still in my backpack, so I thought I could always take a picture later. I kept procrastinating. Eventually, I donated her to the Jinja and forgot about the picture until it was too late. The picture you see here is from the same shrine I donated her to. She was a bit smaller than this doll, but much prettier. My doll was wearing a green kimono, but the doll in this picture was wearing a blue kimono (which I painted green artificially). Also the doll I got was made of wood. I'm not sure the doll in this picture is made of wood or ceramic.

Finally I found the tomb of Ishikawa Takuboku. As expected, he was very important because there was a large paragraph of text in English and Japanese dedicated to him.

According to the text, he was a brilliant and renowned poet of the Meiji era and had close connections with Hakodate. He lived there only a short time from May to September in 1907. During his stay he lived together with his family, and spent a cozy life with the warm support of a literary group called "Bokushukusha." Takuboku liked the people and atmosphere of Hakodate so much that he once remarked, "I'd like to die here in Hakodate..." However, on April 1912 his life of 27 years came to a close in Tokyo, suffering from a disease.

In accordance to his wife's wish, Takuboku's ashes were brought to Hakodate in March 1913. Then in May, Setsuko passed away only a month or so later, as if to follow her late husband.

In August 1926 his grave was erected by both Miyazaki Ikuu, his brother-in-law, who was also a poet, and Okada Kenzo, the chief of Hakodate Library then. Takuboku and his wife, three beloved children and parents are all lying in eternal sleep there, listening to sea roars of the Tsugaru Straits.

As usual, I took the picture, record the location and copied the text in my PDA. But later, to my horror, I found out I took the wrong picture. They really should put the text closer to his tomb, not next to someone else tomb.

Miyazaki Ikuu (real name Miyazaki Daishiro) was born in Niigata Prefecture in 1885. After his birth, his family moved to Hakodate and his father started a MISO (soy bean paste) factory. Ikuu became a staff member of the literary group "Bokushukusha" which was formed in 1906. Since Ishikawa Takuboku came to Hakodate in 1907, Ikuu kindly continued to support Takuboku both financially and spiritually. In 1909, Ikuu married Fukiko, who was a sister of Takuboku's wife Setsuko.

Even after he succeeded his farther's business he kept on writing poems and passed away in 1962. The poem on this monument is included in the second chapter "Jimon Jito", literally meaning "Ask yourself and then answer yourself', in "Ikuu Kashu" (the collection of Ikuu's poem) published after his death. This monument was built by Hakodate Toshorikai (The association of book lovers) in 1968.

POEM MONUMENT OF SUNAYAMA KAGEJI: Sunayama Kageji (real name Nakano Torao) was actively engaged in the literary magazine "Gin no Tsubo" (a silver pot) which was first published In 1918. Since Kageji was an ardent admirer of Ishikawa Takuboku and his poems. we can find Takuboku's Influence on Kageji's poems. He had a skeptical outlook on life and commited suiside at the age of 20 in 1921 by leaping from an Aomon-Hakodate ferryboat.

This poem is found in the preamble of "Botchan no Kashu" (The collection of a boy's poem), and this monument was built by Kaikyohyoronsha and Hakodate Toshonkal (the association of book lovers) in 1968.

Text by CITY OF HAKODATE

CAPE TACHIMACHI "YOKO-USHI" ORIGINAL AINU PLACE NAME TACHIMACHI is derived from the Ainu name for this cape "YOKOUSHI." YOKOUSHI means "the place where people stand and wait to catch fish." The present Japanese name is thus a translation of the Ainu words, YOKO (to stand and wait for prey to come) and USHI (place), thus, the Japanese "Tachi" "Machi." At the end of the 18th century when Ezochi (Hokkaido) became a place under the direct control of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the shogunate built a fort in this area. During World War II, citizens were prohibited to enter this mountain area because of the Fortified Zone Law.

Currently, many tourists visit here as a scenic spot to command a great view of the Tsugaru Straits.

The poem monument of Yosano Hiroshi & Akiko and the tomb of the Ishikawa Takuboku family can be found very near here

I passed by the poem monument of Yosano Hirosh and I recorded the English text next to the monument. Here's what it said:

In 1956 the 13th anniversary of Okada Kenzo's death was held. Okada Kenzo is known as the founder of Hakodate Municipal Library and he served as its first curator.

On this occasion, Toshorikai, an association of book-lovers was organized and was named after Okada's pen name. In 1957 this association erected a monument in honor of Okada Kenzo on which has been inscribed the poems composed by Yosano Hiroshi (a famous Japanese poet known by his pen name Yosano Tekkan) and Yosano Akiko who had come to Hakodate in 1931, with the support of the Bonimoriya company.

Okada Kenzo has been described in the poem of Yosano Akiko as Okada Sensei (great teacher). And in the poem by Yosano Hiroshi, Okada Kenzo's best friend, Miyazaki Ikuu, appears.

However delicious it looks, it's not eatable.

My Japanese friend (whom I met previously) also mentioned something about the Japaneses in World War II, the Hakodate mountain was a military zone and got heavily bombarded by the American planes, but I didn't quite get what he said. He also told me he lived near the graveyard of foreigners and his kindergarten and primary school was also around that area.

After I took this photo, someone offered me a ride to Onuma Park. I returned to Hakodate at around 4:00pm.

*Note: This is the picture of the memorial hall, not the graveyard. I took some pictures of the Chinese graveyard, but the picture didn't turn out (that was because of the rain not because of the ghosts). I was thankful for the rain because it forced me to come to the temple district earlier than I planned.

That gave me enough time to visit the museums before they closed. I have copied a large paragraph of text from the graveyard, so I can only paste them here. The graveyard is about 30 minutes north west from the Chinese memorial hall (inside the cemetery for foreigners).

The Chinese Graveyard: There have been Chinese people living in Hakodate Since the end of the Edo period, most of them being engaged in trade of marine products.

The graveyard dates from 1876 when six Chinese rented the land from the local development office in order to lay the remains of those Chinese who drifted in from Aomori Prefecture. It was only 607 square meters In area at the beginning. Through the purchase of neighboring land In 1919. the graveyard was extended to 1,538 square meters and also enclosed by a brick wall, giving it its present appearance.

In the graveyard, there are several monuments including a tiled roof shrine made of Japanese cypress and a stone monument for those who tied no one to grieve for them (called Chinese Glcho)

The graveyard has been managed by Chinese residents of the area for generations Every year in April and August. they hold a ceremony. In which they burn paper money, to pray for the souls of their ancestors.

Text by City of Hakodate

This picture shows the antique cameras on the second floor. There is also a stereoscope with photos taken at the beginning of the century.

Exhibition on the first floor is free, the second floor cost 200Y for entry.

* ghost face photo 1 * As you can see, there is a face on the wall behind the three cameras. I am not sure what it means. It looks like some kind of stain. Or perhaps it was a local custom to paint face on the wall (for protection against the evil)?

The Hokkaido Prefectural Government's Old Branch Office In Hakodate was built In 1909 and was restored in 1982 together with the construction of an adjacent park.

One of its main features is a portico; the two-story roof is supported by four huge Column capitals (Corinthian order) and pillars which bulge Slightly in the middle (Entasis-style).

This Western-style structure is highly valued. as it shows the Hakodate of the late Meiji period as well as history of Hokkaido Colonization. Because of its historical significance, the Hokkaido Government designated it as a tangible asset In 1985.

Today. Its first floor serves as a Motomachi tourist information office. and the second floor Is open to the public as a Hakodate City museum of photograph history." where valuable photography equipment and documents are displayed to show Hakodate's history as an early hub of photography in Hokkaido.

The old Teramachi (the town of temples) area From the Edo period to early part of the Meiji period, the three Buddhist temples; Jogenji, Shomyoji, and Jitsugyoji were located side by side in this area. This area was thus bustling with 'many people visiting these temples for worship. So it was called Teramaohi (The town of temples).

For a while after Hakodate port was opened to foreign vessels, these temples were used as temporary residences for the British consul, the, American consul and the Russian consul. In 1872.

The headquarters of the old police department was located in Jogenji Temple. and it was also used as Emperor Meiji's temporary quarters when he visited Hakodate in 1876.

After the great fire in 1879, these three temple's rebuilt in other places. On the site of the old Jogenji Temple and the old Shomyoji Temple, Yayoi Primary School was built in 1882.

the famous Japanese poet, Ishikawa Takuboku once taught as a substitute teacher here.

Furthermore, this school is the alma mater of the famous literary critic Kamei Katsuichiro. The Dresent school was rebuilt in 1938.

Text by City of Hakodate

Didn't take a picture of the motomachi area, so I decided to paste the text on this photo which doesn't has much to do with the text (but it is inside that area)

THE IMPORTANT PRESERVATION DISTRICT FOR A GROUP OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS IN HAKODATE MOTO-MACHI AND SUEHIRO-CHO AREA: Hakodate was opened as Japan's first international trading port along with Nagasaki and Yokohama in 1859. Since its opening, Hakodate has been prospering as a trading and fishery base and also the gateway of Hokkaido.

This Preservation District has been of the greatest importance in the city development There still remain old foreign diplomatic establishments, many kinds of religious buildings, public facilities, a cluster of red brick warehouses and many other such buildings. In addition, they are mingled with the townhouses built In a unique semi-Western style besides those built in Japanese and Western styles. All of them contribute to the exotic atmosphere of Hakodate's streets.

The area of the Preservation District is approximately 14.5ha and Includes parts of Yayoi-cho, O-machi, Suehiro-cho Moto-machl and Toyokawa-cho. The designated Historic Buildings still have traces of the old days creating a historical atmosphere In the District.

The City of Hakodate decided to hand down these buildings to posterity and designated the "Preservation District for a Group of Historic Buildings~ based on the "Hakodate City Townscape Ordinance." Only this District was selected as an "Important Preservation District for a Group of Buildings" in Hokkaido by the National Government. It will be preserved for good

Text by Hakodate City Board of Education Useful resource: [[http://www.city.hakodate.hokkaido.jp/english/$sight/guide/area/default.htm,hakodate city]]

This dates from 1859 when It was built as a temple attached to the first Russian Consulate. It was formerly called "Hakodate Sanctuary of the Resurrection."

In 1869 the young priest Nicholel came to Hakodate from Russia to propagate the Russian Orthodox Church for the first time in Japan after the embargo on early Christianity in Japan was removed. (He was transferred to Tokyo in 1872.)

In 1907 it suffered a disastrous fire and was rebuilt in 1916 in the Russian Byzantine style of architecture. The domed celling inside this temple was of characteristic design. The crown-like structure with many crosses on the roofs and decorations is unique. The green copper roof was repaired in 1968 and the blue-green hue was created chemically.

The two ton bell was moved to Nicholei Hall in Tokyo which had been damaged by Kanto Earthquake in 1923. It was exchanged for 6 bells, large and small. People loved this church and called it "Gangandera" meaning the melody of ringing bells. These bells were handed over to the government use during the war.

The present bell was given by a master caster from kuwana city in Mie prefecture in June 1983.

This church was designated as an important cultural asset in June 1983.

Text by the city of hakodate

In 1859 the first temporary Catholic Chapel was founded by French Missionary Mermet De Cachon. Priest of Paris foreign missions society. It was the beginning Of such work in Japan after the deporation order of Christians by the Tokugawa Government. This church is as historical as the Yamate Church in Yokohama and the Oura Church in Nagasaki.

In 1868 priest Mounicou and Priest Ambruster built a temporary church at the present site. and in 1877 tile first wooden church was built by Priest Marin. However, was destroyed by fires three times. The Present Church was built In 1924.

This church. in a Gothic architectural style is fire proof But the Aitar and the fourteen sculpture stations of tile Cross showing scenes on each, along the wails on both sides. are tilolean wood carvings. They are of historical value because they were presented by Pope Benedict XV.

The Hakodate Episcopal Church belongs to the Episcopal church of Japan. A missionary W. Denning of the Anglican Church Missionary Society, first came to Hakodate to preach the gospel in 1874 and established a base here.

In 1878 the first sanctuary was built in Suehiro-cho. After many fires. it was rebuilt here in 1921.

During that time the church took an active part in education (starting an Ainu School and the Seiwa Girl's School etc)in medical service and other works of charity.

The present building was completed in 1979 and 1001's like a cross from above. This is a modem design influenced by the architecture of Medieval European Churches.

This is the view you can see from the cafeteria on Hakodate zan. The food is cheap. Probably the best valued resturant around the area.

From this picture, you can see the port, the Hakodate JR train station and Toyoko Inn (the hotel I stayed).

CEMETERY FOR FOREIGNERS is on the north eastern side of Hakodate (not on this picture). I paste the text here merely because I have lost the photos I took in the graveyard.

The cemetery area, which used to be called Yamasedomari, was the original cemetery for sailors who died during their port call at Hakodate, and for foreign residents of Hakodate.

Gravestones for late sailors of Perry's fleet and the first British fleet were placed there back in 1854 and 1855 respectively. In addition, according to some records, French sailors who died of illness were buried there after the ship had to be rushed into port at Hakodate despite no diplomatic relations with Japan at the time.

By the year 1870, Britain and Russia already had their own cemeteries there. Following a new demand for Catholic cemeteries Hokkaido settlers decided to lend France a part of the area as a Catholic cemetery. It is currently a cemetery for the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres.

In 1876 the cemetery for Chinese people, now called the Chinese Graveyard, became part of the larger Foreign Cemetery.

Text by City of Hakodate