Wonderful bike & train tour in Fukushima 福島大好きおじさんの自転車・鉄道旅日記

Today, I visited 3rd one of five Aizu traditional cherry tree series. Toranoo Cherry Tree, as shown above, stood right next to Suzumebayashi Kannon Hall of Hoyoji Temple in northern Aizumisato. The tree was in full bloom with whitish blossoms. The Kannon Hall was a traditional one founded in 720 which was one of Aizu 33 Kannon’s designated as a Japan Heritage. (More information in my blog of 2017)
本日は、会津五桜の３番目、虎の尾桜に行きました。写真のように、会津美里町北部にあり、法用寺の雀林観音の脇に立っています。白っぽい色で、ほぽ満開でした。法用寺は、７２０年開山の歴史があり、雀林観音は日本遺産の会津三十三観音巡りの２９番札所です。２０１７年のブログに説明板と御朱印があります。


A brief description about the cherry tree was found at the site as shown above. It said that the name “Toranoo” which meant “tiger tail” in Japanese came from its distinctive feature of the flower as explained below.
桜の説明板がありました。「虎の尾」は、その桜の花の形からきています。（下に説明）


In the close-up view of the flower above, you can find one of the stamens transformed to something looks like a tiger tail. This was a rare variety.
上の花の拡大写真で、おしべの一部が虎の尾のような形に変形しているのが見られます。珍種のようです。


In the same precinct of Hoyoji Temple I could find a 3-story pagoda as shown above.
法用寺の境内には、写真の三重塔があります。


A description on site as shown above said that the pagoda structure dates back to 1780.
説明板には、この三重塔は１７８０年に建てられたとあります。


This morning, I took JR trains from Koriyama to get to the nearest station. I got off at Negishi Station of JR Tadami Line and started to walk toward Hoyoji Temple. It was a pleasant walk through spring countryside along old highway called Aizu-Mahoroba Highway as shown above.
今朝、郡山からＪＲ線で、法用寺に一番近い駅に向かいました。只見線の根岸駅で降りて、法用寺の方に歩き始めました。道は、写真の会津まほろば街道と呼ぶ旧街道沿いに、春の田舎道を歩く快適なものでした。


On the way, I first stopped at Nakata Kannon or Koanji Temple as shown above just 10-minute walk from Negishi Station. The kannon was also one of Aizu 33 Kannon’s designated as Japan Heritage.
途中、まず根岸駅から１０分程の中田観音（写真）に寄ります。ここも、日本遺産の会津三十三観音の３０番札所になります。


Photo above was goshuin red seal of Nakata Kannon which I received this morning.
写真は、今朝頂いた中田観音の御朱印です。


Then I continued to walk until I found a large and old cherry tree in the middle of paddy field of Yonezawa hamlet. The tree was called Yonezawa Chitose-zakura as shown above.
そのあと、米沢地区の田んぼの真ん中に立つ、大きな桜の木に出会います（写真）。この木は、米沢の千歳桜と呼ばれています。


A description on site shown above said that the tree was 700 years old and the blossoms had been a sign of starting rice farming of the season from old days. Actually, local farmers were fertilizing the field today in preparation for starting rice planting.
写真の説明板には、樹齢７００年の種蒔桜とあります。実際、地区の農家では、田植えの準備として田んぼに肥料をやる作業を始めていました。

After I left today’s last stop at Hoyoji Temple I walked to Aizutakada Station and took JR Tadami Line train back to my home. The total walking distance was 9km.
法用寺を後に、会津高田駅に向かいます。ここから、ＪＲ只見線で帰ります。歩いた距離は、９ｋｍでした。

Lastly, I want to introduce the 4th of Aizugozakura, five traditional cherry trees in Aizu. This is called Ishibe-zakura in Aizuwakamatsu as shown in my blog of 2016. The tree blooms earliest among the five Aizugozakura’s. Meanwhile, the last blossoms among the Aizugozakura’s will be from Oshika-zakura in Inawashiro and the forecast of this season’s blossoms is at the end of this month. I will show you then.
最後に、会津五桜の４番目を紹介します。２０１６年のプログに載せた、石部桜と言います。会津五桜の中では、一番早く咲きます。一方、最後に咲くのは、猪苗代にある大鹿桜で、この春は４月最後の週末になりそうです。またそのとき、お知らせします。

The exact route and locations are shown in the map below. The map can be scaled up and down with a click and scroll.
ルートと場所は、下の地図を参照ください。地図は、クリックとスクロールで、拡大・縮小が可能です。
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（Suginoito Cherry Tree, Aizubange, April 19, 2018. 杉の糸桜 会津坂下 4/19/2018）
There are five designated traditional cherry trees in Aizu. These are called “Aizugozakura”. These are famous not only for their old age, but also for each distinctive variety and nature. Today I first visited Suginoito Cherry Tree in Aizubange which was located in northwest of Aizuwakamatsu. The tree stood in the precinct of Yakuoji Temple which was about 30-minute walk from JR Aizubange Station. The view was beautiful with the southern part of the tree in full bloom as shown above. Small white blossoms were shining blight with the background of blue sky.
会津には、会津五桜と呼ばれる名木がある。樹齢や品種、歴史に特徴があります。本日は、最初に、会津坂下（あいづばんげ）町にある杉の糸桜に行きました。ＪＲ会津坂下駅から、徒歩３０分ほどにある薬王寺の境内にあります。木の南側は満開になっていて、写真のようにきれいです。青空の元で、白い小さな花がすずなりに輝いていました。


Photo above shows the entrance of the temple. It faces a local road.
薬王寺の入口は、写真のように、道路に面しています。


A brief description board stood at the site which said the cherry tree was planted more than 400 years ago. It had been famous for its elegant weeping style.
脇に説明板があり、１５７３年から１５９０年の間に植えられ、枝垂れ桜の華麗な姿が、有名だったとあります。


（Suginoito Cherry Tree, Aizubange, April 19, 2018. 杉の糸桜 会津坂下 4/19/2018）
Photo above shows another view of Suginoito Cherry Tree from a different angle.
少し違った角度から撮った、もう一枚の杉の糸桜です。


Another large cherry tree was also in full bloom with pink flowers hanging over six Zizo guardian statues in the same precinct. (Picture above)
境内には、六地蔵に覆いかぶるように、写真の別の桜も満開でした。


On the ground surrounding the Suginoito Cherry tree, beautiful violet flowers of dogtooth violet were found here and there as shown above.
杉の糸桜の周りの地面には、写真のきれいな色のカタクリの花が咲いていました。


Then I returned to Aizubange Station and moved to Aizutakada Station on JR Tadami Line. While waiting at the station I found a board explaining the origin of the name “Aizubange”. It said that the origin was “Bakke” from Ainu which was a language spoken by indigenous people of Japan. The word meant “down the hill”, and this meant Aizubange plain was surrounded by hills.
会津坂下駅に戻り、次は、ＪＲ只見線で会津高田駅に行きます。駅で待つ間に、会津坂下の名前の由来の説明板（写真）を見付けました。それによると、アイヌ語のバッケ（坂の下の意味）からきており、会津坂下の丘に囲まれた盆地の地形によるものと分かりました。


（Usuzumi Cherry Tree, Aizumisato, April 19, 2018. 薄墨桜 会津美里 4/19/2018）
Getting off from the train at Aizutakada Station I started to walk toward Isasumi Shrine in the center of Aizumisato Town. There was another designated traditional tree of Aizu called Usuzumi Cherry Tree as shown above. This was a sacred tree of the shrine or “Goshinboku”. The original tree was very old and the variety was very rare. When I visited two days ago it was only 30% bloom but today almost 100%.
会津高田駅で降りて、会津美里町の中心部にある、伊佐須美神社に歩いて行きました。ここには、もう一つの会津五桜、御神木の薄墨桜があります。２日前に来たときは、まだ３割開花でしたが，既に満開です。この桜は、神社遷座時からあるとされ、品種も珍しいものです。


I found a stone monument inscribed with waka poem composed by the last lord of Aizu Matsudaira Katamori as shown above. He praised the color and fragrance of the cherry blossoms in his poem.
会津最後の藩主、松平容保公が詠んだ歌「世の人の　心や深く染めぬらん　うすずみ桜　あかぬ色香に」の石碑が脇にあります。


（Usuzumi Cherry Tree, Aizumisato, April 19, 2018. 薄墨桜 会津美里 4/19/2018）
A close-up view of the blossoms, cute and pretty, is shown above.
薄墨桜の、近接写真です。きれいです。


（Miyakawa-senbonzakura, Aizumisato, April 19, 2018. 宮川千本桜 会津美里 4/19/2018）
Leaving the shrine I stopped at a viewpoint called Miyakawa Senbonzakura just adjacent to the shrine. I could see a view of cherry trees along the Miyakawa River with the background of Mt. Aizubandaisan as shown above.
神社を出て、隣の宮川千本桜のビューポイントに行きました。今日は、写真のように、磐梯山もきれいに見えました。


On the way back to Aizutakada Station, I stopped at two of the temples in the town. The purpose was to receive goshuin red seals of Aizu 33 Kannon series. The first stop was at Ryukoji Temple to receive goshuin for Tomioka Kannon in the town as shown above. This was the 26th of Aizu 33 Kannon. Tomioka Kannon belongs to Fukushoji Temple in the town not to Ryukoji Temple, but as for issuing goshuin seal Ryukoji Temple takes the part, somewhat irregular practice. I visited Tomioka Kannon in 2016 as shown in this blog.
会津高田駅に戻る途中に、２軒のお寺に寄りました。会津三十三観音の御朱印を頂くためです。最初、二十六番札所の富岡観音の御朱印（写真）をもらいに、龍興寺に行きました。富岡観音は、福生寺に属していますが、御朱印だけは龍興寺さんが発行しているとのことです。富岡観音堂（国重文）には、２０１６年に訪問しています。→ブログ参考。


The second stop was at Takada Kannon and Tennoji Temple as shown above. Takada Kannon was 28th of Aizu 33 Kannon series.
次に、二十八番札所の高田観音と天王寺に寄ります。


The goshuin red seal of Takada Kannon I received today was shown above.
写真は、高田観音の御朱印です。

The exact route and locations are shown in the map below. The map can be scaled up and down with a click and scroll.
ルートと場所は、下の地図を参照ください。地図は、クリックとスクロールで、拡大・縮小が可能です。

Today, I had a special tour of old Buddist temples in Yugawa Village and Aizumisato Town, both of which are located right west of Aizuwakamatsu. This study tour was organized by Omotenashi_Guide_Fukushima, a group of interpreter guides for Fukushima. I attended the tour as a member.
本日は、会津若松の西に隣接する湯川村と会津美里町にある由緒あるお寺を巡りました。「おもてなし福島通訳ガイドの会」により企画されたスタディツアーで、会員として参加しました。

All of us gathered at Michinoeki (or Roadside Station) Aizu, which is about 30-minute ride on local Aizu Bus from Aizuwakamatsu Station. Then we traveled through the route by car.
湯川村にある道の駅あいづ（会津若松駅からバスで３０分）に集合し、そこから車に分乗して廻りました。


First, we visited Shojoji Temple in Yugawa Village which is only 5-minute by car (or 15-minute by walk) from there. A photo above shows the main Yakushido Hall building which was rebuilt in 1398. The temple itself was founded in 807 by Buddhist patriarch Tokuitsu. There was something special with this temple. It had a number of treasures including three National Treasure statues and nine other statues designated as National Important Cultural Assets, and Yakushido building which was also a National Important Cultural Asset. All the wooden statues were built in early 800’s.
最初は、湯川村の勝常寺（道の駅から車で５分、歩けば１５分）に行きます。写真は、１３９８年に再建された薬師堂（国重文）です。お寺自体は、８０７年に徳一により建立されました。このお寺には、国宝の仏像が３躯、国重文の仏像が９躯も有ります。全て、平安初期に造られたものです。（詳細は下のパネル参照）





Photo above shows Kannondo Hall building in the precinct, which keeps all of the important treasures. One of them is eleven-faced Kannon statue which is a National Important Cultural Asset and also one (10th) of Aizu 33-Kannon designated as Japan Heritage last year.
写真は、境内にある観音堂で、上記の貴重な仏像は、この中に保管されています。その中の１つは、十一面観音菩薩立像（国重文）で、日本遺産「会津三十三観音」の十番札所です。


Photo above was a “goshuin” or official red stamp of the temple which was hand-written by the chief priest in person today.
写真は、本日書いて頂いた、勝常寺の御朱印です。


Photo above shows a brief English outline panel which stood inside the precinct.
写真は、境内にある英文の説明板です。


An American artist Langdon Warner is said to have contributed to protect these treasures from war attacks. There was a Memorial inscribed with his name (in Japanese Katakana) within the temple ground as shown above.
米国人美術家ラングドン・ウォーナーが、戦時中、これらの宝を戦火から守るのに貢献したとされ、その名が彫られた記念碑もありました（写真）。


Then we moved to Ryukoji Temple where another National Treasure was kept. The location is close to JR Aizutakada Station in Aizumisato Town. A photo above shows front garden of the temple with a stone monument of the treasure. The treasure is a set of Lotus Sutra scrolls hand-written in early 800’s. In each of the nine scrolls left today, all of the sutra kanji characters were written on each lotus flower, drawn with different colors. Only a part of the image is shown in the bottom left of the picture above to give an amazing sense of it.
次に、また別の国宝が保管されている龍興寺（会津美里町のＪＲ会津高田駅から近い）に行きました。写真は、その前庭の様子で、「国宝一字蓮台法華経」の記念碑が立っています。これは、平安初期に書かれた法華経の巻物９巻で、各文字の台座として蓮の花が各色で書かれています。写真の左下の、ほんの一部のイメージから、この驚きの姿が想像できます。


Finally, we visited Hoyoji Temple also in Aizumisato Town. The temple had a 3-story Buddhist tower (23-meter high) as shown above, which was the only kind in Aizu region. It was rebuilt in 1780 for the 3rd time.
最後は、同じ会津美里町にある、法用寺です。ここには、写真の高さ２３ｍの三重塔があります。１７８０年３度目の再建のもので、会津では唯一の塔です。


A board above shows a brief outline of the tower in Japanese.
写真のパネルに、和文の概要があります。


The temple itself was founded in 720 by a Buddhist priest Tokudo. It had a Kannondo Hall called Suzume-bayashi Kannon as shown above, which was rebuilt in 1768. This was also one (29th) of Aizu 33-Kannon designated as Japan Heritage last year.
法用寺自体は、７２０年徳道上人により建立され、写真の雀林（すずめばやし）観音があります。現在の観音堂は、１７６８年に再建されたものです。日本遺産「会津三十三観音」の二十九番札所になります。



A plate above shows a brief outline of the temple and the Kannondo in English and Japanese.
写真は、法用寺と雀林観音について、和文と英文の説明があります。


Photo above was a “goshuin” or official red stamp of the temple which was also hand-written by the chief priest in person today.
写真は、本日書いて頂いた、雀林観音（法用寺）の御朱印です。

The exact route and locations are shown in the map below. The map can be scaled up and down with a click and scroll.
ルートと場所は、下の地図を参照ください。地図は、クリックとスクロールで、拡大・縮小が可能です。