Sights in Tsuwano
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Tsuwano-jō
The broken walls of Tsuwano-jō brood over the valley. A chairlift takes you up the hillside, and there's a further 15-minute walk to the castle ruins. There's nothing here but the walls, but there are good views over the town and the valleys.
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Taikodani-Inari-jinja
Just above the castle chairlift station, thriving Taikodani- Inari-jinja, built in 1773 by the seventh lord Kamei Norisada, is one of the five major Inari shrines in Japan. Walk up the hillside to it through a tunnel created by hundreds of torii (lit up beautifully at night). There are great views of the valley and mountains from the top.
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Nishi Amane Former
Worth taking a walk along the river to see is the thatched-roof former residence of Nishi Amane (1829–97), a philosopher and political scientist prominent in the Meiji government.
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Mori Ōgai Former
Across the river from the Nishi Amane house is the old residence of Mori Ōgai (1862–1922), a highly regarded novelist who served as a physician in the Imperial Japanese Army. It's next to the Mori Ōgai Memorial Museum.
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Morijuku Museum
This is something of mixed bag. The lovely preserved building itself once served as the home of a shōya (village headman). Downstairs is a collection of soft-edged scenes painted by local-born artist Nakao Shō, a roomful of bullfight sketches by Goya, and a framed set of beautifully embroidered Taishō-era kimono collars. The caretaker will gladly point out the features of the building, including the pinhole camera hidden away upstairs.
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Katsushika Hokusai Museum
Near the post office, this museum features a small collection by the Edo-period artist and his disciples, and shows the wood-block process plate by plate.
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Chapel of St Maria
The tiny Maria-dō dates from 1951. More than 150 'hidden Christians' were imprisoned in a Buddhist temple on this site in the early years of the Meiji Restoration; 36 died before a law allowing freedom of religion was passed in 1873. A procession is held here on 3 May.
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Catholic Church
The church here is a reminder of the town's Christian history. Hidden Christians from Nagasaki were exiled here in the early Meiji period. It's interesting to peep inside to see tatami mats instead of pews.
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