February 28, 2009

• Miyajidake Shrine - Feb. 28, 2009

  These pictures are from a trip to Miyajidake Shrine in the coastal city of Fukuma.

  

  The "go somewhere" was to a city called Fukuma, the home of Miyajidake Shrine.  This manhole graces the streets, and there really were many daffodils adorning the roadside.

  

  Here is an above-door straw decoration that we had not see before.  It must be a local thing.

  

  I saw these tiny plum blossoms along the way.

  

  We have reached the shrine entrance.  There are stairs to climb!

  

  First set of stairs...

  

  second set of stairs...

  

  and turn around at the top.  You can see all the way to the ocean!

  

  Proceed to the left and there are more gates leading to the shrine.

  

  This was a disposal area along the route.  Are these discarded door decorations?

  

  This shrine claims to have Japan's largest drum.  Where do you find a skin big enough for the drum head?  I may have seen bigger drums in the Kurayami Matsuri in Fuchu, Tokyo.

  

  The shrine also claims to have the largest jingle bell.  Wonder what that sounds like?

  

  Let's go through another gate to the main area.

  

  Another angle - I wanted to include the folded paper dolls hanging from the plum branches.

  

  The shrine also says it has Japan's biggest straw rope.  I wonder how it compares to the one at Izumo Shrine in Shimane Prefecture.

  

  Bunny carving on a lamp stand

  

  Lamp stand, Shrine and Early Blooming Cherry Tree

  

  The tree was quite expansive, and was filled with twittering.

  

   Small birds called mejiro (white eyes) had gathered to sip the nectar.

  

  Shrine Building

  

  Our main destination today is really behind the shrine, so let's continue onward.  What a cute "pair look!"

  

  Oops, here is the end of a line!  What is if for?  Will we join those waiting?  Hubby went ahead to see how long the line was, and it was, um, pretty long and he didn't get to the end of it.  He pointed out that the end of this line was not the actual purpose for which we had come here, and convinced me to give up on it and just follow the path up to the final destination. 

  Keep your eye on that gate.

  

  We have gone through the first gate and turned around.  Now face front again.

  

  Hubby checks out the line at the second gate.  Go through and turn around again for the view below.

  

  

  Here is the final destination of the line.  Every year this shrine serves all who come sweet bean soup!  They prepare for 20,000 guests.  The lady on the right has her bowl of soup.

  

  Serving Soup

  

  Partaking of Soup - Hope it was worth the wait!

  

  Further in the background...  Soup is ladled into buckets to be taken to the serving area.

  

  This was HUBBY'S destination just past the soup table.  It is an ancient tomb that was converted into a shrine during the Edo period a few hundred years ago.  Some artifacts were found in the tomb, and they are preserved in a museum in Dazaifu.  The daughter of the one buried in the shrine is said to be the wife of an ancient emperor.  This shrine is open only three days a year, and hubby wanted to see it while we are in Kyushu, as we may not get another chance.

  

  Incense sticks - a bit thicker than the usual ones.

   

  Candles at the Entrance

  

  There is a long tunnel into the tomb.

  

  Nearing the End of the Tunnel

  

  The shrine - just documenting, not endorsing.

  

  Back outside - a very aromatic spring flower called Jinchoge is blooming on a bush.

  

  Another world's biggest... never mind.

  

  Scenery on the way out - more shrine gates.

  

  The line is still there, and a priest comes down announce a delay in serving due to difficulty in steaming the rice cakes for the soup.  Everyone asks how long it is going to take!  Um, see that red can in the vending machine?  You can get your bean soup right there without waiting!!!

  

  Manekineko cats to beckon in money and fortune.

  

  At a nearby beach where we found the heart urchins.  The beach has a really shallow slope and the waves are gentle.  No, hubby is not going to perform surgery on the beach, he has cedar pollen allergies.

  

  Ever see one of these before?  I hadn't before we picked a bunch up on this beach.  They were the shells of some creature, earthly or alien I did not know.  I tried handing one to a boy playing on the beach and asked him what it was, but he just squished it, as they are very brittle and squishable.  Then he picked up three more and squished them, too.  I could see I wasn't going to get any useful information out of this kid.  We went to the library and found out it is the mortal remains of a heart urchin, a hirata bunbuku or a lovenia elongata, whatever language you like.

  Here is a live one from You Tube.  Really interesting!

  For more pictures, see  http://www.echinoids.nl/Echinoids/Lovenia-elongata/Lovenia-elongata.htm

  • 08:37
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