Road tripping in Iwami: Temple in the sky, mountain whales, and demon heads
Dramatic coastlines, a temple in the sky, mountain whale ramen, and demon head pottery bring an Iwami road trip to a close.
This is Part 3 of Road Tripping in Iwami.
Part 1 | Part 2
After a bracing early morning walk to the beach near HISOM HISO, it was time to move on.
Passing once again through the onsen district of Yunotsu, this time by the light of day, I was again struck by the number of inviting cafes and restaurants clustered in this tiny area. And with opportunities to view legendary Iwami Kagura performances at the local shrine, Yunotsu is definitely on my must-return-to list.
Shimizudaishi Temple
But, it was time to head to the hills to Shimizudaishi Temple. We were once again treated to a thrilling drive up a steep, narrow forest road (a common theme when getting off the beaten track here in Iwami) that wound its way up to the entrance to the temple, where we were greeted by the head priest and his ebullient partner.
We were too early in the season for cherry blossoms, but the views from the top of the mountain where the temple sits were incredible. The now even more tiny cluster of buildings that make up Yunotsu was easy to spot, cutting a narrow swathe through the surrounding forests. The Japan Sea seemed to stretch into infinity, beckoning you to the Buddhist paradise of the Pure Land.
ShimizudaishiTemple is an open and welcoming temple that welcomes all visitors, even if only to enjoy the views and take matcha tea in its cafe (and be sure not to miss a trip to the toilet), which has equally impressive views (and a manga book series about Buddha and Jesus hanging out and visiting Disneyland!). They also offer shukubo overnight stays, which provide the opportunity to take part in daily Buddhist rituals.
I am endlessly fascinated by Buddhist temples’ efforts to maintain a place in contemporary society’s hearts, minds, and travel itineraries. On a temple tour, the head priest told us that Shimizudaishi-ji Temple is a stop on a local Shichifukujin (7 Lucky Gods) pilgrimage.
Explaining that it seemed out of step with today’s society that only one of the traditional seven lucky gods is represented as female, at Shimizudaishi Temple, one of the male gods has been demoted, and another female god, Kisshoten, the goddess of fertility, happiness, fortune, beauty, and merit, who is derived from the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, has been installed in his place.
After a conversation over tea that ranged from the tenets of Buddhism to Madonna, we left Shimizudaishi Temple, and headed further inland to Misato Town. Misato is famous locally for being a hub for canoeing and a close relationship with the Indonesian island of Bali, but we were here to make pottery. But first, lunch!
In search of the Mountain Whale
Our lunch stop was at the contemporary-styled restaurant Matatabi on Misato’s main shopping street. Browsing the menu, I was intrigued to see several yama-kujira dishes.
Mountain Whale??
It turns out that Matatabi is a gibier restaurant, a place that specializes in wild game meat. Yama-kujira, or mountain whale, is the local name for wild boar, with which local farmers are engaged in an endless struggle.
I was unnerved as a vegetarian, but my traveling companions enjoyed the signature wild boar ramen and a huge lunch plate that contained a veritable menagerie of boar, deer, and chicken. They wolfed it all down!
Iwami Ozangama Pottery Workshop
We park at the side of the road, a few minutes’ drive from Matatabi. Tamae Moriyama has been awaiting our arrival, standing in remnants of the previous day’s snow. She leads us in the forest, down a narrow path, and across a river over a rickety bridge. “Don’t slip,” she calls behind her as she climbs up the other side of the bridge. The bridge is adorned with ceramic objects, many very cute, some rather curious.
We arrive before a splendid traditional farmhouse well over 100 years old. We are shown into her husband’s gallery. An ancient woman sits hunched over by a window surrounded by Ryoji Moriyama’s pottery—at least that’s what we think it is. It’s actually a kakashi figure, made by the person responsible for populating Negoro Tokushima Prefecture’s village of dolls.
We start to realise that this is no ordinary couple. While Tamae chats away, we take in the huge variety of ceramics on display. All manner of styles can be seen, but it is the demonic heads stand out….
Originally a painter, Ryoji Moriyama, now in his late 70s, began pottery in his 30s after returning to the family home from Tokyo. While his ancestors had built kilns to fire wood to make charcoal for the Iwami Ginzan silver mine, he built them to fire clay. He is self-taught and a free spirit. His take on pottery is refreshing and honest, following his imagination and, by all appearances, his nightmares.
The master himself emerges, and leads us down to the workshop. He is a man of far fewer words than his wife, but his eyes are kindly and a wry smile can often be seen on his face. We are ostensibly here to make a 5-piece coffee set. He calmly takes us through the process of forming the cups, tray, miniature flower vase, and stirrer with good humor, encouraging us to follow our own imagination along the way.
I had great fun working with the clay with Moriyama-sensei and laughing with my companions, but it was spending time in a bucolic location with a unique couple (the second of the day) that made this experience so enjoyable.
After we have finished the workshop, we leave our creations to be fired and sent to us by mail in the weeks ahead, and return to the house. Tamae serves us coffee, and sweets on coffee sets just like the ones we had been working on, but made by the master himself, and the conversation and laughter continue until it is time to leave.
Just before we return to the car, Tamae offers to show us her husband’s paintings in another gallery space. In an adjacent room, we notice skillfully drawn manga hanging on the walls and displayed on the table (some in manga collections we recognize from major bookstores.) Tamae notices our interest, and says, “Oh don’t mind that. That’s just how I make a living.” In the car as we head back to Hiroshima, we reflect on our afternoon with the Moriyamas and all agree that there is much more to this laidback couple than meets the eye.
Glimpses of Iwami whet the appetite
You may head to eastern Iwami to visit the Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Site, but it is by sticking around and exploring that the region’s most prized nuggets are discovered. As with many a road trip into the Japanese countryside, I returned from my two days in Iwami’s land of silver with a list of places to return to learn more about. With many more precious encounters to make and stories to hear in Iwami’s land of silver, I can’t wait to get back on the road.
Read the rest of Road Tripping in Iwami: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
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