Kashima-jingu


This is a shrine near my old town of Hasaki. It is 1200 years old and the most famous shrine in our prefecture (ken). For centuries, samurai would come to this shrine to pray before a long journey...Kashima means journey. I liked to go there on particularly misty days...it would make it look all the more mysterious. The shrine is actually a small national park, so all the separate buildings are situated in this forest of immense ancient trees, some of which have to be held up with wires 'cause of their size. My favorite shrine within the park began with a long "tunnel" of trees. From one end you look way down this "tunnel" and see a small pillar at the other end. When you walk through and arrive at the pillar, there is a shrine next to it, a wee small shrine. Just a glorified fence with a 'torii' (shrine gate), surrounding a young tree. I thought it was the strangest thing...a shrine for a tiny tree. Anyway...

The Main House of Worship (and attending priest)




The Green Shrine




My Favorite One



Random Portable Shrine
This is not related to Kashima in any way, except that we saw it in the next town once while driving to a friends house last Easter. We drove past a hill, upon which was a seriously steep stairway leading up to a shrine. Coming down, VERY slowly and carefully were about 40 people, half of which were carrying this omiyoshi, or portable shrine. When they got to the street, they stopped traffic (we had already passed by and parked), and then started the shaking and spinning of the shrine. Now, this thing ways about 1000 pounds and costs about $20K, but they spin around like mad. Fortunately, they had on pants this time. It was so random...yet religious:









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