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| Hoshidekan window at night |
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| Hoshidekan window with the lights on |
Ise wants to be a bike-friendly place by 2010 so loaners were provided for at the ryokan. It made for a fair bit of exercise since the Outer and Inner Shrines were 7 kilometers apart, but, on top of saving at least 900 yen in bus fare plus the walking time plus avoiding the crowds, it was worth the effort. Besides, it was exceptionally warm for New Year`s. I soon had to ditch the sweater so it was a good thing that I had the extra T-shirt from the Fukubukuro set I bouth the day before (of all the things I needed from it...).
The Outer Shrine Pak was busy but it wasn`t as busy as I was expecting it to be, considering the occasion. As the guide book said, the shrine itself was blocked from view but I paid my respects with the rest of the crowd. I didn`t even take any pictures inside the outer fence since, from the literature I read, it seemed rude.
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| Geku, Outer Grand Shrine |
I did have the privelege of witnessing the next level of prayer, as far as I understood from the Lonely Planet guide book I checked at the ryokan in the morning. A family of six made a donation to allow them to enter the next compound level after receiving a purification rite from a Shinto priest. The purification was done with salt from a small round wood or ceramic shell bowl brushed out with a leaf at the father's feet. The family then entered the next inner courtyard with the priest and with the priest`s guidance, made some bows before the next gate to the shrine at some distance. There were two sons and a daughter in school clothes which, I think, meant they were praying for a good performance at school this year.
While I couldn`t see the main shrine, the park that houses it is full of smaller ones that is said to reflect the architecture of the main shrine. The roof style, I think, is the same as the one seen hanging over the ring at sumo tournaments. The combination of the shrine architecture and the natural setting, including 800 year old cypress trees, is comforting. Simple and elegant is used to describe classic Japanese architecture which, perhaps, is to say that it focuses on a couple of characteristics, such as, in this case, design and construction, as opposed to the elaborate ornamentation and detail as I had seen in Chinese temples and shrines. It`s certainly helps to create a peaceful environment to be in amidst the New Year`s chaos that surrounds me.
A couple of other interesting details about the park. One, is that the shrines generally have an empty lot beside them for the 20-year reconstruction cycle that is the tradition of Shinto shrines. The other is that they figured out a way to line up all their ducks in a row (put a small ledge underwater for them to stand on).
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| Smaller Shinto shrine with accompanying empty lot | Grounds of Geku, Outer Grand Shrine | Ducks in a row |
It took about 20 minutes but biking to the Inner shrine, Naiku, wasn`t bad. There were fewer people and cars en route than expected but when I got there, it was a different story. It was quite crowded getting over the Uji Bridge entrance and the line up to the shrine was huge but I chose to bear it out. At least the grounds were just as nice as they were at the Outer Shrine. The park had more manicured touches and there was also the river alongside, the Isuzugawa, whose waters are said to be from the grounds of the shrine itself making them sacred. On the whole, Naiku certainly felt quite isolated from the modern world which, I guess, is part of the point. I've always liked that about Japanese shrines, temples, gardens and parks, especially considering how congested the big cities are.
After about 40 minutes, it was clear there were two different lines, one moving much faster than the other, which apparently was for those not wishing to wait for the main prayer area. Getting out was a winding route. Overall, the Naiku site wasn`t much different, layout wise, to the Outer Shrine but it felt different if not just for the crowd.
One thing that made Naiku more festive was the hot amasake tables on the way out. Nice to have even though it was not cold (it's non-alcohol). Donations were suggested but for 500 yen, I got a nice little souvenir teacup. There were also more people there in traditional clothing, which added to the atmosphere. I met a young couple very nice kimonos that I had to get a picture of.
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| Oshougatsu crowd at Naiku | Young couple dressed for Oshougatsu |
Upon exitting Naiku, I entered Oharai Machi and Okage Yokocho, a neighbourhood of Edo period houses and stores that was another perfect place to be during Oshougatsu for atmosphere. It more than made up for my not going back to Asakusa during the holidays and I prefer the non-big city environment here anyways. I delayed lunch for this so all the food and snack stalls were a welcome site. I munched on kamaboko, ika, sushi, korokke, but didn't get to some of the traditional Oshougatsu foods I remember, like Oden and Oshiruko (sweet red bean soup with mochi), either because I couldn't find it or because of the crowds.
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| Oharai at Oshougatsu | Storehouse at Oharai | Okage Yokocho | Cat statue at Okage Yokocho |
After cycling back to the ryokan to collect my bags, I headed to Futamigaura to see the Wedded Rocks. It was about a ten minute train ride to Futamigaura station, then a twenty minute walk that was really nice because half of it was on a dyke along the sea. I was thinking about getting up early to see the sunrise, a Japanese New Year tradition, but didn't make it in the morning. I did get to see the sun set over the hills behind the shrine, though. I also just enjoyed walking along the seaside collecting thoughts, before and after visiting the rocks, as I head into the New Year.
The Wedded Rocks themselves make a different kind of tourist attraction. The rocks are joined by shimenawa, sacred ropes, and named after the primal couple in Japanese legends from which the Japan islands all came from. Naturally, the site attracts many hopeful couples looking for blessings for marriage or children but all the frogs, along with a shrine dedicated to them and the rocks, were an odd sight for such a place. I thought maybe it was because a rock behind the two main ones looked to me like a big frog with a smaller one on its back. However, a priest there explained to me, if I understood correctly, that frog in Japanese is called 'kaeru' which also means to come home, giving the shrine there and the rocks a pilgrimage character.
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| Sunset at entrance to Meoto Iwa | Meoto Iwa Rocks | Is that a rock that looks like a pair of frogs? | Seaside shore walk to Meoto Iwa |
Speaking of going home, despite the crowds I earlier encountered in Ise, the trains were surprisingly less-than-full to Nagoya on the way back to Okazaki. With my Rail Pass used up, though I still had the weekend before going back to work, I felt like it was time to settle down and get prepared to start the productive side of the New Year properly. I didn't quite travel around as much as I expected for the week but I certainly packed it in over the last two days.