Takino Reien... Summer Sounds and Mysterious Sights

5th August, 2010 - After departing one cemetery, we were off to another... to visit Otousan's fathers grave in Takino, further to the south of Sapporo. Now as many 'regulars' might realise (though really, if you're a regular, you should most probably re-assess your priorities).... I've been to the Takino cemetery, or Takino Reien, a few times before. In fact I've posted about it before in our trips from 2003, 2006 and 2008... It's almost certainly more notable as one of the more seriously odd cemeteries in Hokkaido... but more on that shortly.

It was hot, and the cicada's call was resounding through the hills of Takino. Cicada's, or semi, as they are known in Japan, are synonymous with summer - and they have a truly awesome sound - a sound we don't really have here in Adelaide, Australia... though it's common on the East Coast.

Visits to cemeteries are slightly odd in Japan. They're more like family meetings than anything particularly sombre. We've had lunch at Takino Reien after 'visiting relatives', and I can't imagine sitting down in a cemetery here for a bite to eat. I guess it's a time to talk... akin to a friendly update... for relatives who have already passed on. But there is a serious side - and the important thing is to first clean the grave site... and that means washing, replacing any old offerings and setting up some nice flowers (out of Okaasan's garden). 

The mood is strangely more cheerful here compared to earlier in the morning, the still forested foothills of before are replaced by the open and I have to admit sprawling cemetery plots... a forest of headstones. Yet, perhaps it's the artificiality of it that makes it less a imposing atmosphere. L-kun was definitely happy to lend a helpful hand when it came to cleaning....

As before, Okaasan and Otousan put together a beautiful floral arrangement, and prepared the candles and joss-sticks. The food offerings are made for those departed, but unlike years gone by, the food offerings are taken with us to avoid luring wild animals into the cemetery.

Now I mentioned before that Takino Reien was notable for it's oddness... as I've posted before, one of the most bizarre sights I've seen is the Easter Island heads lining the entrance of the cemetery:

From 2003 visit

Well, it's always a bit of a mystery as to what they'll build next, but even I wasn't expecting the addition that we found. A new Easter Island head had suddenly appeared since last we were there. This one had a distinctively different air about him however. Something a little more modern... virile... commanding... he obviously had leadership potential in the way he stood out from the crowd. Seriously - no one apparently can understand or appreciate why they do these things... just that they do. I'm not sure if it's a black sense of humour or a complete disconnect from reality...

Then again, this is also the place where you will find a giant buddha hiding behind a lifesize replica of stonehenge... of course.

It's enough to make you need a sit down... .and what better place to do it...

As I said, Takino Reien is a unique place - but very popular in Sapporo. It is one of the things that makes Japan, Japanese - but it's also one of those places that just makes you want to pull your hair out with exasperation. What the....!!!!! Some things are always to remain a mystery.

Meeting With Family Departed - A Traditional Sapporo Cemetery

5th August, 2010 - Today was going to be a big day, and it was going to start off with a trip to T-chan's Ojiichan's grave in Sapporo. L-kun had been to Japanese cemeteries a few times now, and he knew (instinctively) that these were different sorts of places. He also knew that there was a connection between this place and what Okaasan did in terms of the family shrine, or butsudan back at her home. He naturally did, as he often does at home, and put his hands together in prayer. I doubt that there's much prayer going on - other than wishing for some of the food offering to be offered his way... Still, it makes you wonder. What do children think about in cemeteries?

Now this cemetery is quite different from the one at Takino (where Otousan's family's grave is). This is more your old-school cemetery. Nothing too fancy, and a little more traditional. The cemetery is in a relatively nice location in the city with the graves leading up to a hillside shrine, Souma Jinja... it's a peaceful resting place.

The mood in this cemetery is still, and slightly sombre. In that, it reminds me of a more typical cemetery that I might find in country Australia (ok - minus the Buddhist statues...). And quite a contrast to our next stop...

I'm sure there are many stories to tell in this place... and it's also the sort of place that invites the visitor to wander around and examine the headstones (though I'm not sure about how this is seen). There are many interesting examples in the cemetery, which a sense of unease prevented me from focussing on. After all, a cemetery is not the sort of place that makes for a good blog story in general. It is a personal place, and filled with many memories. 

Yet there's something in seeing how different cultures mark the passing of their people; their parents, their children, and even those that are no longer remembered in any other way. And how at the end of the day, they are not too dissimilar.

I have to admit that I don't know much about the history of this small cemetery...It's a nice spot however to be at one with the earth again, and I suppose that's not a bad thing to seek for in that which comes after. 

We paid our respects to T-chan's Ojiichan - whom we last saw back in the 2005 New Year prior to his passing. Partings are never final however, and we often meet even those that have gone before in our thoughts. I hope that he would have been happy for his grand-daughter, and satisfied that I had been looking after her well enough. I recall his soft gentle smile the first time I met him; and seeing him at our pre-wedding party back in October 2003. They are happy memories for me.

Is This The Best Place for Cherry Blossoms in Hokkaido?

7th May, 2008 - After our unsuccessful attempts to see the Cherry Blossoms previously, we set out again with determination (now that Golden Week had officially finished) to see if we could catch a glimpse of the real thing. Our destination was Toda Kinen Bochi Kouen, near Atsutaka Ishikari.... and this time we weren't going to be disappointed.

The park is some 55km North from Sapporo Station, an inland drive along the coast. It's a pleasant drive... but last time, we turned back just before the bridge over the Ishikari River due to the grid-locked traffic going to the park. About 20 km away from the park. That's Golden Week for you.

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Anyhow, the park has some 8,000 yoshino sakura (I didn't count them all). Many of the trees are planted as beautiful sakura namiki (rows of cherry blossoms) along the roadways. It certainly made for some spectacular driving in the green forested hills of Hokkaido. Perhaps the trees were made more beautiful for the backdrop of green that surrounded them...

Or the deep blue Hokkaido Spring sky....

Either way, these were the sakura that I had come to Japan to see. I was definitely satisfied... arigatou otousan to okaasan! The previous disappointment of Maruyama Kouen and previous aborted drive were wiped away that fine morning.

There are a number of tree-lined avenues that were absolutely spectacular - including one that is about 1 km long and is a veritable cherry blossom tunnel. The strange thing is that whilst common-sense would suggest that you get out of your car and walk... common-sense does not necessarily mean the same thing to all people. So whilst you would be enjoying the beautiful sakura blossoms, you'd occasionally have to get off the path whilst someone drove their car past. Sometimes quite a few cars...

A sakura tunnel

Now... what exactly is this park?... well the observant among you (well, it's not that hard to see) will already know that Toda Kinen Bochi Kouen is actually a cemetery. Yes, we had driven over an hour to walk around the petal festooned paths and roadways of a cemetery. Like the cemetery at Takino, this is a fairly famous cemetery around Sapporo. This one is associated with the Sōka Gakkai, an unusual blend of philanthropic organisation and lay religion (based broadly on Nichiren Buddhism). With approximately 8-12 million followers, it's a significant slice of the Japanese population...and one that is surrounded by some controversy for it's political connections. For me, I am happy to leave those questions to those best equipped to answer them. As such, I can enjoy these beautiful trees with an open mind.

And whilst the tombstones themselves lack the interesting variety of Takino, and the cemetery certainly has a deficiency of Stone Henge's and Easter Island Heads... it makes up for it however in beauty and serenity. There are certainly worse places to rest your weary bones (even if they are cremated).

L-kun, still under 1 year here, and whilst he was sort of interested, his interest was pretty well limited to having Cherry Blossom showers... and when you're 1, why not!

Meanwhile, this is definitely one of the best places to see the cherry blossoms in/around Sapporo if you have access to a car, and don't mind sharing the view with the living-challenged. It's not really a place however to strictly enjoy hanami (normally associated with eating, drinking and being merry). There is still a sombre mood to the park - it is a cemetery after all. There are places where you can eat, or where you can find a seat an have a picnic lunch... 

Is this the best place to view Cherry Blossoms in Hokkaido? Maybe it is the most spectacular (I haven't seen that many), but it may not be able to capture the exuberant atmosphere that accompanies a typical Japanese hanami. It is however one of the most beautiful places to view sakura at their peak in Hokkaido. I'd definitely go there again - just not in Golden Week.

Of Prayers and Nature in Takino

10th October, 2006 - It's always an important time for T-chan's family when visiting T-chan's grandfather (on Otousan's side) - back at Takino Cemetery (Takino Reien) . The tombstones are for family plots... and yes, people are all cremated in Japan. An important part of the journey is to clean the head-stone and say a short prayer for the departed. This year we've an important prayer to offer... for our unborn child. On a side note - you might note the shape of the head-stone is a little strange... it's based on a shogi piece (Japanese chess piece).


As you may recall - Takino Cemetery (check the link) is like the Fantasy Island of cemeteries, with a bizarre historic monument tribute avenue (with Easter Island heads and Stonehenge to name just a couple). This year a new addition was included... a giant Buddha. I guess at least this had some cultural relevance.

This Buddha was brand-spanking new - and it looked as if the statue might not be for free-public display in the future... but at this time it was easy to walk in and have a look around.

And when you see a big bell... you must ring it! I always get a bit self-conscious about ringing bells, but I shouldn't, as this is good luck. There's two interesting things to notice in the background... one the vending machines (and ashtrays), and the second is the workman skulking away. Apparently they didn't like my bell-ringing either.

After having lunch at the cemetery (most probably sounds a strange thing to do from a Western perspective), we went for a country drive to a small little waterfall, Ariake-no-taki. This is about another 2.5 km (to the east) by car from the cemetery.

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(Once again - thanks to Street View... the car park looks like...)

The waterfall is quite a distance off the road, in amongst a typically lush and vibrant Japanese forest. Yes - bear territory. Yet, who could think about such dangers when surrounded by such beauty as the light softly glowing through the leaves...

Coming from Australia, where it's native forests are largely Eucalyptus gum trees of one form or another, it's always a treat for me to step into a Japanese forest.

 I can appreciate why the Japanese were a nature loving people (even if they sometimes only remembered in bitter-sweet moments for many city-dwellers). Their forests are magical. Or is this also the fact that they are so different to what I'm used to (and the grass is always greener on the other side).

Here we are... as mentioned it's a small waterfall (even in October)... and if you expect a lot you might be disappointed. However, if you stop to take it all in, you will find a peaceful place of reflection, and a moment to re-connect with time's missing moments.

Just don't fall in... actually, they don't let you get too close, so I'm guessing plenty of people must already have done just that.

The light at this time of day was quite nice... filtering through the forest it had a palpable texture. If you're up in Takino, pop in and see for yourself. 

Takino Cemetery - A Different Take on Resting

3rd November, 2003 - Cemeteries are meant to be reflective places; peaceful and still. They are meant to be private and respectful. The Japanese have a slightly different take on the whole cemetary thing. At least in Sapporo. T-chan's grandfather is buried in the Takino Cemetery (Takino Reien) to the south of Sapporo. We often come to pay our respects when we come to Sapporo, and today was beautiful weather. We packed a lunch (onigiri or rice balls) and headed off - it's about 20km from Sapporo and best reached by car.


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The cemetary is a long drive from T-chan's house, and it's deep in the wooded area. Yet there's a few things that you will notice about the cemetary... there are odd monuments that dot the surrounds. Some classic greek sculptures alongside a traditional Japanese pagoda? Why not.

Hold on... was that that for real? Yes.... it was.

Ok... I'll see that and raise you a full-size Stonehenge replica (in fact, this one is complete, unlike the original).

But perhaps the finale is the collection of silent watchers that stand at attention near the entrance of the cemetary. Of course every cemetery needs a collection of Easter Island Heads.

Of course, you could waste a lot of energy trying to explain what all of these monuments have to do with a Buddhist cemetary. Don't bother... it's one of life's mysteries. It is, however, quite a Japanese thing to do. In a later post I'll show you the new arrival.... but you'll need to wait. In the mean-time, we said hello to T-chan's grandfather, had a lovely lunch, and reflected on our own interpretations... and sent our own small messages of peace off into the universe.

Day 12 - Hakodate

11th February, 2003 - Returning to the port area, we had lunch in the "red brick warehouse" where there are some nice restaurants and cafes. There a few nice shops to spend your time in - but nothing too exciting. There's a really nice beer hall in here - and that should keep the cold at bay for an hour or two at least.

After lunch we headed across town to the Foreigners Graveyard... hmmm we seem to be spending a large amount of our time running around cemetaries! Actually - it's not high on the list of places to see in Hakodate, but it's a stark reminder of how isolated this town must have been way back then.

The graveyard itself is fairly small, and only really approached on foot. The scenery isn't that remarkable as it is desolate. The author of the words on this memorial may be un-attributed, but the feeling remains powerful today. (The poem is from Epitaph for Wolfe Tomb, and is authored only by "a shipmate"... The memorial remembers one of the crewman from one of Perry's ships in 1854). Now their spirits gaze forever westward; a long way from home.



Leaving the sad and last lookout over the seas off Hakodate, we then walked to Koryuu-ji...being built in 1633, it is the oldest temple in Hakodate - however, in that time it's moved to three different locations, the final one since Meiji times.

On the way to and from Koryuu-ji, it's worthwhile just walking around as you will find many interesting examples of "cross-cultural architecture"... and in some cases, you can't even tell where one architecture finishes, and the other begins.

 One of the things that is common in the architecture here are the window covers... they look like something that should be on an Egyptian tomb, rather than a window awning - but of course, here they need something to keep out the cold, COLD winds. Overall - the town towards the Onsen left a lot to be desired, but once you hit the older areas, you see a charm that is often missing from Japanese cities these days.

And on that note we made our way back to the hotel, and said good bye to Hakodate. It was two days of extreme cold, lots of walking and lots of different views of Japan - some dating back to the time that Perry shattered the wary peace of feudal Japan. After grabbing a take-away dinner we jumped aboard the train back to Sapporo (left around 5pm) and prepared ourselves for the 4 hour journey back home. What a trip!