Thursday, January 05, 2012

Sumiyoshi Shrine on the first day of 2012...

As custom would have it, we went for our 'hatsu mode' (literally, the first prayer of the year) on 1st January...

Sumiyoshi Jinja is a charming little shrine, located in a nearby hamlet...

A pool of water to cleanse the hands before praying...

I have always marveled at this piece of 'decoration'... 
Someone must have put this together as I have never seen such a combination (of 'daidai' orange, charcoal, dried persimmon, fern leaf) being sold at the stores...

The 'guardian lion' of the shrine, in full regalia...

And, up at the highest point of our walk, is this scene...
On 1st January 2012, the Japan Inland Sea was so very calm and peaceful...
Hopefully, this would be a good sign for things to come in the new year...

12 comments:

  1. What a nice New Year day celebration for you.

    That's a nice "decoration" Any special meaning for the combo of orange, charcoal, dried persimmon, fern leaf, etc?

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  2. May you have a blessed 2012 and the view for the top is so serene.

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  3. Hi Happy New Year Lrong. (how do you pronounce your name?) So what religion is that shrine for in Japan. Your photos as usual are always beautiful.

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  4. lina... heard that the orange 'daidai' which is similar to sour Seville orange, signifies prosperity passed down the generations; the persimmon signifies longevity, and the charcoal representing cleanliness... am not sure about the fern though...

    Bananazஇ... yeap, have always enjoyed the view at the top...

    Lisa... thank you...

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  5. Andrea... happy new year to you too...
    I'm quite fond of explaining to acquaintances on how to pronounce my name...
    the opposite of 'right', that is..
    and it is not 'left'... :)

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  6. What a great tradition to carry out on the 1st of January!

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  7. Thanks for sharing. Happy New Year to you.

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  8. What a lovely way to start the new year! Beautiful decorations and views. :)

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  9. That is a very interesting decoration that someone made. It would be interesting to know the significance of the ingredients used to make it. The entrance to the shrine is charming, and the view from the Sea of Japan is beautiful. I hope 2012 is a wonderful year for you.

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  10. Anonymous1/08/2012

    Beautiful combination I hope so. The guardian dog must protect us.

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  11. its very beautiful

    from dew

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