September 16-18: Island hopping and giant pumpkins

Japanese phrase of the day: Okii biru kudasai (probably not correct japanese but it's understood)

GPS point of note:
Seven Beaches Hostel on Naoshima Island, N 34°27.589' E 133°58.496'

Brendan again.

Woke up early and took a picture out the hotel window at Himeji with a slow shutter speed.



We went downstairs to get the bikes moving when Naomi found this on her mudguards. I promptly stomped on him and we went on our way (just kidding. Could you stomp on that face).



We saddled up and set off to Himeji port to catch a ferry for Shodoshima. It was wonderful being able to roll our bicycles onto a ferry without having to take all the wheels and racks off.





The ferries in Japan don't seem to go directly between the larger islands (or we just haven't been able to communicate our intentions very well in Jing-lish). You have to get off at the intermediate islands and wait for connecting ferries or ride across the island to a port on the other side to catch the next ferry. We thought this would be a more interesting option so across Shodoshima we shall go... that was the idea anyway until we got the very hilly view out the ferry portholes.



Oh well. Up we go. There were some stone sculptures on this island to entertain us, like this giant upside down foot with it's big toe pointing up the hill.



and lovely coasts. This island is known as the olive island. It has a sister city in Greece and has olive groves all over. I think this is a young grove by the sea.



The hills, like always, are never as bad once you start riding up them. It really beats walking up them.
Naomi's heart rate would dictate our pace for the baby's sake (I think the baby will need a ride up a 100m hill just to fall asleep when it's born).



We got to the other ferry port and purchased some of the olive related goods. The olives were very delicious actually (olives Oshii! is a phrase that gets a smile. Oshii means delicious).



And then we boarded the Olive lines, a group of ferries that took the greek influence that one step further.

This is an interior shot of the ferry and that painting is of the battle for Troy with the Trojan horse and either Achilles or Neptune looking over it (I don't even know what Neptune has to do with it or even if Neptune is a Greek god but he had a trident in his hand and can be seen riding his chariot across the waves in another picture across the staircase).



September 17-18. Naoshima Island.
What a fantastic Island (apart from the heavy industry).

This Island boasts two Ando buildings, both museums and several art house installations (which are literally old houses that have been refurbished and turned into artworks by various artists).

Unfortunately we could not take any photos except when outside in the public area so there aren't many photos of the artspaces. Tadao Ando's Chichu Art Museum was sublime. Truly a work of sculpture with concrete.



This is a picture of the corner of the ticket booth to the Chichu Art Museum. The fine detail is very pretty.





This was a dynamic sculpture by the sea near Benesse House Museum (by Ando also). It is made of three metal polygons that move with the wind. Very cool.





And behind the diamonds is a wall that points to a little island just off the coast.





The wall has a little opening in it.



And inside are these giant black stone balls that are exactly like the one in Walter De Maria's work in the Chichu Museum up the hill.



The island is peppered with these public sculpture along the coast. Some sculptures would also appear in paintings in the museum and you can look out the window and be suprised with the same sculpture somewhere in the landscape. Fantastic, artistic wonderland.



Giant pumpkins.





There are also some great little pieces like this line drawing of a school kid. It's made with threads of wool and glue.



And a little alien holding the plaque for the work poping out of a conduit strapped to the wall close by.



This is a picture of the lovely lady who is the landlord of the Seven Beaches Hostel we stayed at these two nights. She even gave us a lift to the Chichu Art Museum and gave us lots of free stuff like beer and Kimchee to go with our table BBQ meal in her restaurant around the corner.

She's pointing at Naomi in disbelief after we told her she was pregnant.

September 14-15: Himeji

Brendan Again.



The ride from Kobe to Himeji was a nightmare except for a brief moment when we passed Awaji Island bridge above. We could not find the bike path suggested by the cycle Japan crew and so had to ride on the road shoulder in very busy traffic. We made it in the end but we needed a rest day. What better way to spend it then in Himeji Castle, The white Herron.

The drain covers reflected the roots of the castle name. It is said to shimmer in the sun light like a white herron because of it's white plastered walls.





The sweep of the wall is said to resemble the sweep of a folding fan. I think it was called the folding fan wall. Imaginative bunch the guys who named it aren't they.



The castle is said to be a great example of the castles of Japan with it's high stone foundations and white walls and rings of defensive structure. Bloody tiring to walk around. It was built on the idea of a spiral in plan so you walk in a gate then turn left and continue around until you get to another gate and so on, climbing the natural hill it was built on.



This little guy didn't know I was there. He was just drawing muskets.



A well. There is suppose to be a ghost haunting one of the wells in Himeji Castle. I didn't see her around. She was said to be a maid that foiled an attempted assasination on her lord but was in the end framed for a petty crime by the would-be assasins. Any crime at the time seemed to mean death so she was killed by her lord and thrown into the well. She is said to wander around looking to avenge her death. Spooky.



I then went to the Himeji Museum designed by Kenzo Tange and saw all these models of castles around Japan. I don't think I need to see anymore castles.



This was an example of a very good mixed use bicycle path around the castle walls. Pedestrians, bicycles, planting then cars.



Naomi didn't come to the castle with me. She chilled at the hotel doing internet stuff.

'Church of the Light' Tadao Ando

"Our concept was that a church must be open to anybody and also should have dignity and beauty. What we wanted is a simple building with sacred space which realizes Jesus Christ's words "...where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them."" [Letter to the visitors from Noboru Karukome, Minister of Ibaraki Kasugaoka Church).

"...construction of this building was tough. At the beginning, Mr. H. Miyamoto and Minister Karukome came to our office to commission us for a design. They explained about their conditions. First, they had incredibly limited funds at hand. Second, they wanted to build a new chapel in addition to the existing wooden building which they were using as a church at that time. After I heard their explanation about their conditions, I said that it would be impossible to realize this plan. I thought that it would not be completed to the end. The more I met them and listened to their plan, the more I felt desperate. But I came to the conclusion that I would challenge this very tough project because the church people's passion and eagerness gave me hope. I undertook this work knowing that there would be many difficulties.
...I have learned that where money makes the world go round, an assemblage of people's hearts put forth their strength. That is really what I should commemorate.
I will keep in mind that people's hearts can break economy." [excerpt from 'A building created by our hearts' Tadao Ando's speech at the dedicational ceremony on May 14, 1989)

A discreet entrance, with the stone base and garden sitting well in the context of the street.


The church and hall surround the more traditional original building.


The intimate nature of the church meant it felt much more like a chapel. I loved the dark space, tall ceilings and highly contrasting light but Brendan said he felt claustrophobic. There was a beautiful simplicity and elegance with the materiality - sophisticatingly detailed concrete walls and ceiling (exposed reinforced concrete with fluorine resin warter-repellant, cast with plywood formwork panels) juxtaposed with dark timber floor (36mm thick cedar flooring recycled from scaffolds), pews and organ.



As you would expect, the place was packed full of architecture students. The church obviously allowed this viewing time especially for visitors - they encouraged donations so it probably wasn't a bad way for the church to do some fundraising. Wonder if that occurred to them when they commissioned Tadao Ando?


In contrast to the church, the adjacent hall was filled with a warmer light reflected off the honey coloured plywood floor and pews. The hall was built a few years after the church, it was interesting to notice what changes there were - warmer coloured timber obviously and more powerpoints!



Compared to Tadao Ando's 'Universal City' train station this building was lovingly detailed. Look at how the stairs to the left cantilever off the blade wall...

and the window detailing.



In the window you can see one of the original models.


This window was hard to photograph, if you look closely you'll see that the facade wall 'folds back' and the adjacent window meets it at the fold. Here's what it looks like from the street,


inside the building,


and in the courtyard.


And a nice skyline shot.

September 11-13: Kobe

Kobe is a great little place, lots of expats seem to stay here and commute to Osaka. Consequently we've had some pretty good western style food. Including a sweet teahouse - I have a soft spot for teapots and porcelain cups which I attribute to my Mum and Granny.



The cycling journey here was uneventful. 40km in medium traffic; we were on the footpath most of the time, until a decent shoulder appeared on the road.