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Back The Ring of Wind Save as PDF
Chapters (71)
  1. CHRIS BRADFORD
  2. Contents
  3. Map: The Japans – 17th Century
  4. The Letter
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. Notes on the Sources
  69. Ninja Pirate Ship Competition
  70. Japanese Glossary
  71. Acknowledgements

‘Shouldn’t your crew trim the sail?’ Jack suggested, knowing that a new tack required an adjustment to take best advantage of the wind.

‘My crew are a useless bunch,’ snorted the captain. ‘They wouldn’t know the wind’s direction even if it farted in their faces!’

He shouted at them to tighten the sheets. Wearily, the deckhands did their duty. The sail stopped flapping and the Golden Tiger picked up speed.

‘Why hire them if they can’t sail?’ asked Jack in amazement.

‘They’re cheaper than real sailors!’ laughed the captain, taking over the tiller as the boat rounded the headland.

A sheltered cove came into view. The wind dropped and the Golden Tiger coasted towards a long wooden pier that jutted out from the beach. Bizarrely, the pier was covered by an ornate green-tiled curving roof with bright red pillars. Jack was surprised that a humble fishing port would have such a grand jetty.

Then he heard Yori gasp in rapture.

Upon the headland, overlooking the bay, was a magnificent red and gold temple.

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Warrior Spirit

‘Aren’t you going to pay your respects at the shrine?’ enquired the captain, wondering why his passengers hadn’t disembarked. ‘We may be some time unloading.’

Reluctant as they were to leave the ship, Jack and his friends had no choice but to follow custom. They couldn’t appear anything less than devout worshippers, otherwise they would arouse suspicion. In spite of their misgivings, Saburo welcomed a return to dry land and Yori was delighted at the opportunity to visit such a renowned temple.

‘Oyamazumi is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan. Some monks call it “the seat of the gods”,’ he recounted excitedly as they left the pier and passed through the first torii gateway. ‘Sensei Yamada insisted that I visit here at least once in my lifetime.’

Climbing the stone steps up the mountainside, Jack was equally awed by the shrine. Tucked into the forested side of the headland, the temple sat like an ancient god within the throne of the cove. The walls – painted bright red and studded with large iron bolts – resembled the armoured breastplate of a warrior. Its gilded eaves glistened in the late evening light. And crowning the main Hall of Worship was a green gabled roof with golden shachihoko adorning each corner – these gargoyles had the body of a carp and the head of a dragon.

The four false pilgrims wound their way up the wide path towards the shrine’s courtyard. At its heart was an immense camphor tree, its ancient trunk twisting skyward to where a lush green canopy revealed a mass of white flowers emerging for spring. As they passed beneath its branches, Yori whispered in a reverential tone, ‘This tree was planted by Jimmu Tennō himself – the first Emperor of Japan!’