The Cement Factory --Junking

 

You are probably wondering why I am writing about a cement factory of all things.  Sounds thrilling, doesn’t it? Well, actually this factory had been closed down and is now a place where used and surplus goods are sold for great prices! It is a great little gem where Americans frequent. My Japanese friends don’t even know about it! This is what the front of the establishment looks like so you know what to look for when you get there.

 

The factory was set up a lot differently that I imagined. There are several “rooms” if you will, with different products inside. For example, there was one section for kitchen items, one section with a lot of things used for restaurants and another with cds and movies.  My favorite room is pictured below. There  were a lot of art pieces, cast iron teapots, clocks, and framed pictures. You could probably spend hours just going through the framed pictures!

I know you are just dying to know what we bought! We ended up getting two heated toilet seats for ¥1500 each. (Heated only, no bidet). And a Hina Matsuri (Girls’ Day) Doll display for ¥2000! You read that right! They usually go for around $400 brand new.  I bought it for my 3 month old daughter. (I’ve actually wanted one since I’ve been here). She is the reason I’ve been on hiatus for 4 months.

 

Map to the Cement Factory from Misawa

美味鲜 (Delicious Fresh) Taiwanese Restaurant

 

美味鲜 is a Taiwanese restaurant located in Hachinohe. (There are 2 in Hachinohe)  It is very similar to this Taiwanese Restaurant in Towada. You get a lot of food for cheap. I liked the food here a bit better, though.

 

Hours: 1100-1500          1700-2400

Telephone: 0178-80-7568

Map to the restaurant from Misawa

World Heritage: Hiraizumi: Chrysanthemum Festival

 

We took a trip to Hiraizumi in Iwate Prefecture to take in the fall colors and experience some Japanese history.

Chuson-ji Temple:

In the latter half of the 11th Century, two bitter wars were fought in Oshu, the northeastern area of Japan. The first Fujiwara lord, Kiyohira, lost his father, wife and children in these conflicts, yet realized that hatred and revenge could never heal the sorrow.

Instead, he constructed Chuson-ji Temple and offered a pledge before Buddha to console the spirits of the dead, whether friend or foe, human or animal.

In June 2011, Hiraizumi’s cultural heritage was inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is hoped that the philosphy of peace espoused by the Oshu Fujiwara family, who ruled Hiraizumin the 12th century, will be recognized worldwide.

Konjikido (Golden Hall) (National Treasure): The Konkikido (Golden Hall) was completed in 1124. The principal image is of Amida (Buddha of Infinite LIght) and the magnificent decoration is meant to represent his Pure Land western paradise. The inlay of work of iridescent shells, the Southeast Asian rosewood and African ivory show the extensive trade network at that time.

The Konjikido is the only remaining example of a building from the Fujiwara-era to be found at Chuson-ji Temple. Between 1962 and 1968, extensive preservation and restoration work was carried out on the Konjikido, returning it to its former brilliance.

The mummified remains of four generations of Fukiwara lords rest inside.

Sankozo (Museum) : The museum contains more than 3,000 treasures from the time of the Oshu Fujiwara. Among them are three massive seated Buddhas, burial accessories from the Konjikido (Golden Hall) and sections of the Chusonji-Sutras.

Chuson-ji Kyo (Chuson-ji Sutras) :

Complete transcriptions of the holy canon of Buddhism on deep blue paper in gold ink o alternating lines of gold and silver ink. Three generations of the Osu Fujiwara devoted their lives to the meritorious act of sutra transcription.

 

Hiraizumi is especially beautiful in the fall. At this time, they were having their Chrysanthemum festival.

We also went to Sahara Glass Park which was nearby. This small “street” had a lot of glassware displayed and there was an entire store full of glassware and decorations. Everything was beautiful and there was so much to see!