Torii Tunnel
You don’t have to go to Kyoto to experience a tunnel of torii gates. Today’s photo is from the Sanno Inari Jinja (山王稲荷神社) in Tokyo’s Akasaka district (東京赤坂). This shrine is basically on the same property as the Hie Shrine (日枝神社).
TravelJapanBlog.com - Japan (07, 09-10, 13), Denmark (08, 11, 16-19, 21, 24), Korea (13), Poland (21), Mexico (14, 15, 19, 26), Iceland (17, 19), Hawaii (14, 17, 22), Czech Republic (16, 17, 19, 21)
|
The above will search Traveljapanblog.com. Concerts - Landscapes - Sports |
Posts tagged shinto
Swastika water
As I’ve mentioned previously, the swastika was commonplace before the Nazis. Now you don’t see it much, except in Japan where it is still usual to see the swastika represent a Buddhist temple on a map or in religious architecture like at this Shinto shrine. Today’s photo is from Nezu Jinja (根津神社) in Tokyo. I’m not sure when this particular temizu basin was created, but this Shinto shrine has been in existence for over 300 years.
Notice the senja fuda (千社札) or stickers on the posts of the covering over the temizubachi (手水鉢). These name stickers were much more common in the Edo Period than they are now, but you still see them. Shrine visitors paste or stick senjafuda on the temple gate or shrine buildings to prove that they visited that temple or shrine and to obtain good luck or good fortune.
Hatsumode (初詣)
Giant torii gate entrance at Toshogu Shrine in Nikko, Japan
The first visit to a shrine after the new year is called hatsumode. The shrines are packed for the first few days of a new year. I haven’t done hatsumode in Nikko, but I’m guessing it is pretty crowded. I have done hatsumode at Meiji Jingu twice and both times it was teeming with people.
Oji Inari Jinja (王子稲荷神社)
王子稲荷神社
If you are in Tokyo for New Year’s Eve you may find the festivities to be rather tame as most people stay home and watch TV. However, there are several places where there is some action and this shrine is one of them. Oji Inari Jinja is the head Inari shrine of the eight provinces of the Kanto region (greater Tokyo area). On New Year’s Eve, foxes, who are considered to be the guardians and messengers of the god Inari, gather here from all over the Kanto region. There is an annual Oji Fox Parade on New Year’s Eve to honor the foxes that gather here on this night. Everyone dresses up, and it is said to be quite the affair. I haven’t actually been there on New Year’s Eve myself.
I have been in the Tokyo area on two New Year’s Eves. For the first (in 1988) I went to Kawasaki Daishi (川崎大師). For the second (in 2009) we celebrated the new year at Zojoji (増上寺). I would recommend either of those places as well.
Mizu Inari Jinja (水稲荷神社)
水稲荷神社
The white paper on this Shinto shrine is called gohei (御幣). The bells are rung to summon the gods. The kanji written on the bell pulls say Asukai (飛鳥井). I’m not sure of the significance.
This shrine dates back to 941, but, like many shrines in post-WW2 Japan, 水稲荷神社 has been moved from its original location. Mizu Inari Jinja has been in its current location (between Waseda University and Kansenen Park) since 1963.
Monkey God (Sarugami at Hie Jinja)
日枝神社の猿神像
When I first saw this statue I thought it was a legendary kappa. However, on closer inspection, I found it to be a monkey wearing a Shinto priest’s hat. A little research turned up the fact that sarugami, also known as masaru, is the patron god of the Hie shrines all over Japan. I took today’s photo at the one in Tokyo.