立ち達磨
The Tachidaruma is a statue located on Mt. Kannon, within the grounds of Hodasan Tounji Temple. This bronze statue was created in 1973 and modeled after a Bodhidharma painting by the beloved monk Kojun Kyugaku, who later served as deputy head chief of Eiheiji Temple. He left many paintings and calligraphy works for the people of Kamioka during his stay with Daijun Sotan, the 20th head priest of the temple.
Kamioka has a long history of being a prospering mining town and the bronze used to create the statue was sourced from Kamioka Mine itself. The cast bronze statue stands at an imposing 8.9 meters tall and weighs 8 tons (approximately 14 meters including the pedestal), overlooking the town of Kamioka.
One of Hida Furukawa’s biggest annual events is the Furukawa Festival, held in April every year, which sees beautifully decorated floats (yatai) paraded through the city — but what happens to them during the rest of the year? There are 10 storehouses (屋台蔵, yatai-gura) aroun...
This little unassuming store along a Hida Furukawa backstreet is well worth seeking out on your Hida travels. If not to chance your luck by observing a live demonstration of Mishima-san making his Japanese candles (Wa-rousoku) inside the entrance, then just to meet and admire his incredible passi...
