Diary: New Year’s Day Reiwa 2, Shrine Visit – Dave Olson's Creative Life Archive

Diary: New Year’s Day Reiwa 2, Shrine Visit

Off to the shrine on New Year’s morning, in this case to a smallish local shrine called 天津神社北側参道 / Achi jinja, up a hill/mountain nearby. 

To amuse (some of the hundreds of) kami at the shrine who (according to some pun-ny alliteration) enjoy 5 yen coins with holes, plus 500 is the going rate for the amulets, some 50s in there too..

There is an arts and crafts component to this activity as well. Come along… 

Here’s the routine…  Walk walk walk up the path through the forest…

then wash your hand (left first, then right, then mouth, then ladle), then coin into box, bow twice, clap clap, pray silent, one more bow…

Enter the shrine to greet the attendants, sip a dish of sake, receive two oranges, and purchase a hamaya (a special wooden decorative amulet board for writing intentions etc.),

Then, a little bit of look around the various Shinto items/building/structures/shrines on top of the little mountain,

…then down down down all the stairs through the stone torii gate. watch your step!

Pause for a few observations around our neighbourhood.
 

Bonus: A few things just noted on the stroll include the usual new years decoration…

a deserted vending machine (used to be a shop here, right by our house, now empty – makes me dream of a coffee shop!)

part of the abandoned store front (there’s a faded old real estate sign…)

the record of who resided here over the years…

a heavy duty possible grainary next door. such a contrast in styles!

1 thought on “Diary: New Year’s Day Reiwa 2, Shrine Visit”

  1. Pingback: Diary: New Year’s Morning + Day / Reiwa 2, Let’s Enjoy! — Story Making with Dave Olson

Leave a Comment

Scroll to Top