また鹿児島さ行って来た。火山達はおとなしかったが、ちっと雨降った。
今度はさつま町。１６０３年に島津氏分家・宮之城家の当主であった島津忠長が菩提寺として建立した「曹功寺」（臨済宗）の墓石群を見物。明治時代、お寺が壊されたが、宮之城家の墓所だけは残され、跡地は墓所を鑑賞するための公園となっている。藩主達のお墓ですから、けっこう迫力ある。
北日本の藩主のお墓は木で出来ている社に守られているものが多いような気がするが、こちら、さつま町のはどっしりした石です。北日本は「木」の文化、西日本は「石」の文化か？
とにかく、ちょっとしたビデオ作ったから、見てけらっしゃい。
I went down to Kagoshima again this weekend. The volcanos were all pretty calm this time. Instead, it rained.
I had a speech in Satsuma-cho, way up in the mountains in the northern section of the Prefecture. We had a little free time, so they took me to see an historical Edo Period graveyard of the 16 generations of feudal lords of the Miyanojo Clan (closely related to the Shimadzu Clan) at a temple called Soko-ji. Actually, the temple buildings themselves no longer exists because some overly zealous Meiji Period bureaucrats (and their hired thugs) decided that Shinto should be promoted over Buddhism. They tore down the temple, even shattering the pottery, and purposefully tearing up the artwork inside. Fortunately they left the graveyard intact.
What sets this graveyard apart from others I’ve seen around the country is that the headstones are further protected by an outer stone sarcophagus-like housing. I’ve never seen ones like this made out of stone. In northern Japan, you often see the outer housing made of wood. But stone is too precious in the north.
Interesting difference.
Anyway, I made a quick video. Check it out.
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