My Trip to Japan -- October 2012

Naritasan Shinshoji Temple in Narita Outside Tokyo

October 9, 2012

Shinshoji is a great temple that was formerly a Shinto shrine. It was converted to a Buddhist temple in the 700's. The founder of Buddhism in Japan is buried in Shinshoji. It is one of the most sacred places in Japan. More than twelve-million visitors a year come here, but on the day I was there, October 9th, 2012, it was uncrowded.

I met Katsumi Kamikawa at Shinshoji. He was doing his once a month volunteer stint as a docent. Katsumi-san had lived in the USA for twenty years and he spoke excellent English. He told me many things about the temple/shrine. He said that a temple is Buddhist and a shrine is Shinto. Shinshoji is both a temple and a shrine and there are many Shinto buildings left from before the Buddhist conversion. I mentioned to Katsumi-san that the entry to the temple grounds was not marked in English and he said, "Maybe we don't want foreigners to find it." I think he was serious.

The following photos are images from the town of Narita and Naritasan Shinshoji temple:

The Peanut Man's Store -- Big Peanut Upper Right

City Map for Narita Showing Temple Location

I Think This is a Traditional Rice Bale

The Kitty is in Front of the Little Princess Kimono Shop

The Entry Court to Shinshoji Temple Complex

Another Entry Building to Shinshoji

The Entry Map in Japanese -- No English Here

Entry Court

Hand and Mouth Cleansing Station at Entrance

The Main Temple Building -- Much Bigger Than It Looks

Main Temple Grounds

Next to Main Temple

Plaque From Hillside Bronzes -- 8 Disciples and 36 Disciples

Small Side Room in Temple -- Temple Doors are Huge

Another Hand and Mouth Cleansing Station

The Tomb of the Founder of Japanese Buddhism

Decoration at Front of Tomb

History Plaque

Decoration

Trees Around Temple Grounds are Beautiful

Decoration

Flowers at Lower Entrance

The Matsue Area -- Home of Lafcadio Hearn

Izumo Taisha Shrine

October 12, 2012

Izumo Taisha Shrine (出雲大社), named after Izumo, the town it’s situated in, is 33km west of Matsue. This is the most important Shinto shrine in Japan. Although most of the current buildings date from the nineteenth century, the original shrine was built – if you believe the legend – by Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, and is still visited each November by all eight million Shinto deities for their annual get-together. In this region the tenth month of the lunar calendar is traditionally known as the “month with gods”, while in all other parts of Japan it’s known as the “month without gods”. Since the shrine is dedicated to Okuninushi-no-mikoto, the God of Happy Marriage, many couples visit in the hope that they will live happily ever after; visitors to the shrine clap their hands four times to summon the deity rather than the usual two.

The Main Entrance to Izumo-Taisha

A Statue Worshiping the Sun

The Entry to the Main Shrine

The Oracle Hall of Izumo-Taisha

The shrine's central compound, the Oracle Hall, has a giant shimenawa, a traditional twist of straw rope, hanging at the front entrance. It is supposed to be good luck to toss a coin that stays on the rope.