[thekimonogallery]

This village is that “World Heritage” nominated one, “Gsasho-zikuri- Gokayama”. There still very attractive and interesting festival remain unchanged for many years—-.  Toyama, Japan. Text and photography by Takero Kawabata on Trekearth.com

[norisunorin]

奈良県　宇陀市　室生寺　nara uda murouji

[abejamariposa]

Pagoda

Shooting date: Early May 2026

©Abeja Mariposa

[nagaino]

[tenjin-no-shinja]

From Instagram:

"Shortly before the mid-point of the year giant rings of reed begin appearing in shrine precincts across the country.

'Chinowa' (茅の輪) are sacred portals, washing off the impurities gathered over the last six months and offering protection for the next six

The appearance of chinowa herald 'Nagoshi-no-harae"（夏越の祓）， a summer purification rite traditionally held on the last day of the 6th lunar month.

On June 30th many shrines, such as Kitano Tenmangu（北野天满宮），hold special services.

An ancient Bingo Province record （備後国風土記）tells how the chinowa (茅の輪) came to be.

On his travels the god Susano'o（須佐之男），his identity concealed as a poor wanderer, asked a wealthy farmer called Kotan Shōrai (巨旦将来) for a bed for the night but was refused.

Kotan's poor brother, Somin Shōrai (蘇民将来), overheard the conversation and offered his own bed to the stranger.

Years later Susano'o saved Somin's family from a plague ravaging the country, instructing them to wear rings of reed.

Those not wearing the rings were struck down!

After this time miscanthus reeds (茅 kaya grass) were used to repel sickness and evil, evolving into various regional charms, such as the giant 'chinowa' rings (茅の輪) and smaller brush-shaped 'chimaki' (茅巻き), hung at doorways in Kyōto from July each year."

[chitaka45]

京都　大徳寺　黄梅院　🪷蓮・紫陽花🌸

kyoto daitokuji obai-in temple

🪷 lotus flower & Hydrangea flowers 🌸

[maruhi]

鶴岡天神祭　Tsuruoka Tenjinsai festival

​人々は流罪となり接触を禁じられていた菅原道真との別れを惜しみさよならをするために派手な衣装で身を隠し酒を酌み交わすというユニークな方法でサヨナラしたのでした。

the festival is dedicated to sugawara no michizane, a 9th-century scholar and politician who was unjustly exiled from kyoto to kyushu by his political rivals. the local people, who deeply admired him, wanted to say their final goodbyes. however, because interacting with an exiled official was strictly forbidden, they devised a clever plan: they disguised themselves with large straw hats and cloths over their faces so they could secretly gather, share sake, and see him off one last time.

[tenjin-no-shinja]

Notes from "Why Do Japanese Revere Mountains?" by Spiritual Japan Journal

"...Mount Fuji, Tateyama, and Hakusan have been known as the Three Sacred Mountains of Japan...

In Japan, mountains have been understood not only as beautiful natural landscapes, but also as presences that produce water, nurture forests, irrigate fields, and support people’s lives. Mountains bring blessings. At times, they also show a severity beyond human control, through snow, storms, and landslides. People have directed both gratitude and awe toward that immense power...called sangaku shinkō（山岳信仰）, or mountain worship, in Japanese."

"The mountain holds snow, produces water, grows crops, especially rice, and sustains human life. At the root of Hakusan worship is this cycle.

At the center of the worship of Hakusan as a sacred mountain stands Shirayama Hime Shrine（白山比咩神社）in Hakusan City, Ishikawa Prefecture...

A shintaizan is a mountain revered as a sacred presence in itself. The faith does not end with the shrine buildings at the foot of the mountain. The mountain behind them is itself at the center of worship."

X

"...Shirayama Hime Ōkami refers to Kukurihime no Mikoto（菊理媛尊）. At Shirayama Hime Shrine, Kukurihime no Mikoto is enshrined together with Izanagi no Mikoto（伊弉諾尊）and Izanami no Mikoto（伊弉冉尊）...

Kukurihime no Mikoto is... said to have appeared in the scene where Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto faced each other at the boundary of Yomi... acted as a mediator between the two deities. At Shirayama Hime Shrine, this Kukurihime no Mikoto has been enshrined as Shirayama Hime Ōkami...read as Kukurihime no Mikoto, and because kukuri is connected with the word kukuru, meaning “to bind” or “to bring together,” she is also revered today as a deity of harmony and good relationships."

"Shrines also have their own shaden（社伝）, or shrine traditions. These are the histories and traditions handed down within each shrine. They describe the enshrined deities, the origins of the shrine, its relationship with the land, and how people have worshipped its gods.

For this reason, understanding Japanese deities requires reading not only the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki, but also fudoki, shrine traditions, and regional legends together."

X

"...a monk from Echizen named Taichō is said to have climbed Hakusan. According to the shrine’s tradition, the following year he enshrined the Okumiya at the summit.

This tradition shows Hakusan as a sacred mountain revered from its foothills, while also becoming a mountain that people entered on foot in order to climb and pray. Worship from afar and worship through ascent came to overlap within Hakusan faith. In the traditions of ancient shrines, verifiable history and stories preserved within faith often overlap."

[thekimonogallery]

A Hawking Party on a Veranda.  Ukiyo-e woodblock print.  About 1800, Japan.  Artist Utagawa Toyokuni I 

[brownie-pics]

'26.4.4 天理市 長岳寺にて

長谷寺からの帰り道、またここに寄りました。桜はやはりピークを少し過ぎて、カキツバタなどももちろんまだ･･いつも何かと見所の端境期に訪れてしまう場所。

でもいいんです。看板ニャンコに会えて頭ポリポリできたのでｗ

[chitaka45]

京都　水火天満宮　🌸枝垂れ桜🌸

kyoto Suika Tenmangu Shrine 🌸cherry blossoms 🌸

[tenjin-no-shinja]

Nikkō Futara-san 日光二荒山 by Tsuchiya Koitsu 風光礼讃 (1936)

[inefekt69]

Lake Ashi, Japan

[nagaino]

[chitaka45]

京都　法金剛院　🍁紅葉2025🍁

kyoto hokongoin temple 🍁autumn leaves🍁

[jinjanomatome]

Instagram / X

[emmyinjapan]

Achi Shrine (阿智神社)

Our last stop in Kurashiki was Achi Shrine (阿智神社), a beautiful Shinto shrine perched on a hill overlooking the old town. Little did I know… this visit would mark the beginning of my transformation into an all-you-can-eat buffet for mosquitoes.

Apparently, according to my Japanese friend, people with type O blood (which is me — O+) are prime targets for mosquitoes. Add in a bit of sweat from walking around all day, and it seems I became their five-star dinner. I’d already been bitten earlier that morning but didn’t realise it — I thought I was just having an allergic reaction to the air! By the time we reached the shrine, I had so many bites that I later had to stop by a drugstore for ointment. My friends, of course, were totally fine. One or two bites at most. Meanwhile, my ankle looked like it had entered a sumo match.

Despite the itching, Achi Shrine itself was lovely. It dates back over 1,700 years and enshrines the deity Achi-no-omi-no-kami, believed to protect travellers and bring good fortune. The stone steps up are lined with trees, and from the top you get a great view of the Kurashiki Bikan area below — worth every step (and, I guess, every bite).

—Emmy