{"id":55155,"date":"2019-11-20T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-20T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=55155"},"modified":"2020-07-22T23:53:35","modified_gmt":"2020-07-22T14:53:35","slug":"oita-ajimu-kote-e-reliefs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/oita-ajimu-kote-e-reliefs\/","title":{"rendered":"The Architectural History of Kote-e Reliefs in Ajimu, Oita"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When I think of the onsen rich prefecture of Oita, three distinctive features come to mind: I think of the coastal cities of Beppu and Oita<\/strong>. I think of the velvet greenery of rolling landscapes. And I also think about the wonderful historical treasures<\/strong> scattered throughout the countryside. So, it didn\u2019t come as a surprise when I found out that in the heart of wine country of Ajimu, was one of the largest collections of Kote-e <\/strong><\/em>plaster reliefs<\/strong> in all of Japan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crafted using a deft hand of trowel and plaster used to cover exterior walls of buildings, Kote-e (<\/em>\u93dd\u7d75) rose in prominence during the 19th and 20th century. Adorning the walls and eaves of residences and storehouses, auspicious characters were often chosen to ward off evil spirits and invite good fortune. A high number of plasterers developed their craft during the Meiji Era, including locally born Nagano Tetsuzou (\u9577\u91ce\u9435\u8535)<\/strong>. Today, about 70 Kote-e<\/em> still remain intact in Ajimu, with some of Tetsuzou’s original work amongst them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Largest Collection of Kote-e in Japan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To the north of Ajimu is the famous Usa Jing\u016b<\/strong>. Whether you believe in the divine protection of Usa Jing\u016b or not, most of Northern Oita came out relatively unscathed by the bombings of WW2, effectively preserving one of the richest collections of Kote-e<\/em> in all of Japan. With the reliefs found in the neighbouring cities of Kitsuki and Hiji, Ajimu is less traversed by tourists even though it boasts just as impressive of a collection. As I walked leisurely down Kote-e<\/em> dori<\/em>, I received a personal introduction to the 150-year-old craft from a local guide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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