September 24, 2007

• Hakozaki Shrine

  Ah, so much to do in the next two weeks.  Maybe I will put making a "to do" list on today's "to do" list.  Meanwhile, here are some more pictures from Fukuoka.  Still have not found where Hub carefully squirreled away Grandma's bank books.  Having them reissued is a simple matter, but try explaining that to her.

  

  

  We are continuing our walk toward the shrine.  This booth sells anything you need for playing house.  It was so pink I just had to take a picture.

  

  Try scooping the balls out of the water with a tissue paper net!

  

  Just as we approach the final Torii gate the sky opens up.  Is the booming that we hear thunder or is it the big drums in the shrine?  It is a mixture of both, perhaps.

  

  It is really pouring now, so we have gone around to the back of the shrine's main building to look at a roofed display area.  Here are some portable shrines that are carried around during festivals.

  

  There were also several of these lions' heads on display.  This one looked the most fearsome.

  

  Turn around to see that the rain has not stopped.  This is the back of the shrine building.

  

  Still soggy.  Let's make our way back to the front of the building.

  

  Here is the front of the building.

  

  The priest is waving bells and chanting over this couple to drive away inauspicious spirits.  The camera focused on the rain.

  

  The rite is over, thank you.

  

  This is a local product called "ohajiki."  These are game pieces, perhaps something like jacks.  These were $25.00 a set, so I imagine that they are more for decoration than actual play.  Maybe not.  I will have an opportunity to find out later.

  

  Still raining.  It is still early in the day, so our next destination will be Kushida Shrine, which is VERY interesting.

  • 00:39
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