Kamui Mintara - Playground of the Gods
Kamui Mintara is a collection of wooden, elaborately carved monumental totem poles and animal figures scattered around a large neatly shaved grass field of Kushiro Park at the heart of Burnaby Mountain. With carved animals at play, it is easy to assume the site is something to do with First Nations. Many visitors indeed are misled by the artwork.
The truth about Kamui Mintara may actually surprise you!
Kamui Mintara is translated as Playground of The Gods directly from Japanese language. The Playground of The Gods art was given to Burnaby and placed within Burnaby Mountain Park as a gift from its twin city in Japan – Kushiro. Hence the name of the location "Kushiro Park"
The totem poles were carved in 1989 by Japanese artists Nuburi Toko and Son Shusei, who belong to the Ainu people of Indigenous tribes of Japan. Just the same as Canada’s First Nations people, Ainu believe that all the creatures in the world are sacred, they worship the nature around them
Located up on Burnaby Mountain this is one of the most unusual spots in Vancouver, unique Japanese art & best sunsets in town!
The Ainu people are an Indigenous population living on the Japanese island of Hokkaidō, but also once occupied areas of northeastern Honshu and the Russian Islands of Sakhalin and Kuril. The Ainu worship the natural world around them; a world in which all creatures are believed to be sacred.
Ainu methology is closely connect to the water. According to Ainu beliefs, all things in nature are spirits sent to the Ainu mosir (human land) from Kamuy mosir (Spirit land) disguised as animals and elements. Kamuy (gods) send these spirits to humans as good or bad gifts depending on how respectful humans are to nature. If humans are not respectful, the evil gods will punish them with floods, droughts, and other natural hardships.
These carved columns are directly inspired by Northwest Coast totem poles, while the location and title of this sculpture are a reference Mount Daisetsu in Daisetsuzan National park near the centre of Hokkaidō. Admired for their height, beauty, and remoteness, the Ainu refer to this cluster of volcanic peaks as Kamui mintara (The playground of the gods).
The sculpture tells the story of people, gods and creatures living together on the earth.
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In order to log this virtual you will need to do a bit of counting, and read the cache page and the three stone plaques that talk about the Playground of the Gods.
Email the answers to the following:
1. Count the number of free standing wooden structures (these would be any wooden structures that has one or more posts that are connected together)?
2. What three animals did the Gods assume the shapes of?
3. Ainu methology is closely connect to what?
Post in your found log:
4. Posting a creative photo of one or more of the structure (You do not have to be in the photo - have fun with this)
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Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.