Imabari - The City I Live In

This is the Ginza and Central Business District of Imabari. Its a little on the 80's retro side but its still the central hub of the town. Every Japanese town has a Ginza or mall and some of them can go for miles and miles but this one's only small. On the right you can see NOVA which is the main english learning school in Japan.
This is Imabari's Daimaru. Its the mega department store chain of Japan. This one's only small and not really worth the space and time but if you go to the big ones in Tokyo you can buy practically anything at a Daimaru.
This is The Imabari Kokusai (International) Hotel. Its the only sky scraper in town which means that un-direction-wise Jane uses it as a reference point for everywhere I go. This is where I have my weekly Rotary meetings on the second floor in the Rose Room.

This is Imabari Castle, first established 400 years ago, burnt to the ground during the second world war and then rebuilt shortly afterwards. In Japan it is particularly special as it has a sea water moat that is tidal. However, this means that massive drifts of seaweed tend to build up to in the corners which have to labouriously scooped out and turned into garden mulch which in the hot Shikoku sun quickly turns stinky.	This is the castle close up. The interior, as it is a reconstruction is completely refurbished and turned into a museum about the area. However, as a castle purist, having seen the ancient beauty of Himeiji-joo, I think this modern gutting of the castle is positively horrendous and everything should be ripped out and rebuilt in the old style of narrow wooden stairways, tatami rooms and murder holes.
	This is the view from my favourite "get away from everything Japanese" meditation/survival spot on the top of the high battlements of Imabari Castle. Its where I like to go to just relax and read or sit under the trees sipping grapefruit drink and watch the city pass me by.

This is the Shinto shrine inside of the Imabari Castle complex. Most Japanese are both Shinto and Buddhist and you will often see families bringing a new baby to be blessed or wedding processions haveing photos taken in front of the shrine. There is a wooden box at the front of the temple for offerings of money. Once you pop your coin in (usually 10yen) then you take a fortune slip from the other small box and see what the future has for you. The first time that I did it I got the best one that you can get, and for only 10 yen too!

This is the Harvest Temple, situated to the right of the main temple. You can't see them but there are fox statues at the sides of the temple which are traditional figures of the Harvest shrines and help to bring good weather and a bountiful harvest. Although when you are taking photos of the statues all alone in a deserted courtyard with the wind blowing softly at your ankles then they are kinda freaky.