Posts Tagged Shinto

Visit To A Shrine

Wed, Apr 22nd, 2009  |   Musings, Places, Adventures 2 Comments

shideIn the hills just above where I was diving in Izu, there is a shrine.

Situated in a natural cul-de-sac carved in the mountainous terrain, the shrine isn’t particularly famous (at least I don’t think it is), and it’s certainly not ostentatious. Far from it.

It’s nestled among lush vegetation, ranging from soft fuzzy moss encrusting the rocks to towering cypress trees that have probably seen the better part of a century or two.

Fresh water trickles gently down from higher ground, and rays of sunlight pierce through the canopy to produce dramatic lighting.

The air is crisp, alive and clean. It’s an amazing place.

The name of the shrine is the Hachimangu Kinomiya Jinja (八幡宮来宮神社), quite a mouthful even in Japanese. Shinohara-san brought me to this place one afternoon when we took a bit of time off to look around.

I’m not a particularly spiritual or religious person per se, but it was impossible not to be moved. Perhaps it was the preponderance of trees. Maybe it was the cool spring breeze. Or it could have been moody lighting.

Whatever it was, as soon as I stepped into the grounds, I felt rejuvenated, uplifted…energised and recharged. It just felt like there was a benevolent guardian watching over the area…warding off anything remotely negative.

Yes, I sound loopy, but the shrine really left a strong impression…so much so that I went back again later…to sit, listen, watch, feel and just be.

shrine

Hatsumode at Kawasaki Daishi

Fri, Jan 2nd, 2009  |   Musings 1 Comment

It’s a tradition in Japan to visit a shrine or temple during the first few days of the new year (called hatsumode). Many people go right at midnight for the ringing of the big bell to herald the transition from one year to the next, but it’s too cold and too late for me. I slept in and ate all day yesterday.

For my hatsumode, I visited Kawasaki Daishi this morning. Though it’s one of the most popular places for these beginning-of-the-year visits, I don’t think many people outside Japan have heard of it, especially in comparison to the more famous Asakusa temple and Meiji Jingu shrine in Tokyo.

My last visit was two years ago, as I was in Papua New Guinea last year, sitting on the balcony of a friend’s apartment overlooking Port Moresby Harbour.

Below is a video of some of the sights and sounds from this morning that’ll hopefully give you a flavour of what it’s like. The full-size version is here. If you have a slow internet connection, let the video buffer before you play it.