Otorii gate in the sea before the shrine. A large wooden ball is placed on a platform and hung from the scaffold by ropes. As the festival begins young men, mostly from the island, enter the water wearing only loincloths. At a signal, the platform bearing the ball begins to swing, rise and dip crazi...
Itsukushima, or Miyajima, is a small island near the city of Hiroshima, and home to one of Japanfs most important shrines. Itsukushima Shrine almost certainly dates to the 6th century, though the island itself may have been regarded as sacred much earlier. The records of the shrine itself say that t...
Itsukushima Shrine’s Chinkasai Festival is held every December 31st, providing a show visitors are unlikely to forget. The festival is intended to protect both the Shrine and the town from disastrous fires, a real concern where, traditionally, close-set buildings were constructed largely of wood and...
Itsukushima, or Miyajima, is a small island near the city of Hiroshima, and home to one of Japanfs most important shrines. Itsukushima Shrine almost certainly dates to the 6th century, though the island itself may have been regarded as sacred much earlier. The records of the shrine itself say that t...
One of the most widely recognized structures in Japan, the brilliant red Otorii gate of Itsukushima Shrine stands in the sea about 200 meters out from the shrine itself. At high tide, the Otorii straddles the waves. When the water recedes, visitors stroll out across the tidal flats to press coins in...
One of the best times of year in Japan is the New Year holiday season, called O-shogatsu. This is the main holiday of the year for the vast majority of Japanese, and far and away the most enthusiastically celebrated.
On New Year’s Eve, having spent the day with family, perhaps watching the famous...
If you set out on foot from the Ropeway terminal at the top of Mt. Misen, youfll find the Reika-do Hall.
According to legend, this is the spot where the great monk Kobo Daishi performed ascetic practices in the year 806 AD. The founder of Shingon Buddhism, he is also called Kukai in Japan. Kukai i...
Just a five-minute walk from Itsukushima Shrine, visitors will cross a wonderful little vermilion bridge over the Momijidani-gawa and enter Momijidani (Maple Valley) Park. This is a jewel of a park, filled with Japanese maples. In late autumn, the trees blaze with colors that put the shrines below t...
Worried about fire walking? Understandable, but actually fire walking is practiced around the world, and has been for centuries. The present Guinness world record fire walker marched more than 91 meters over glowing coals in 2006, so your little hop over the embers at Daishoin shouldn't prove too di...
Daishoin is one of the most important Shingon Buddhist temples in western Japan. The temple’s origins date to 806 AD when Kobo Daishi, Shingon’s legendary founder, undertook ascetic practices on Mt. Misen. In 2006, the temple played host to the Dalai Lama, whose teachings and rituals drew Buddhists ...
Miyajima has more than its fair share of wonderful buildings, but surely Senjokaku is one of the most atmospheric. The name, which means "Thousand Mat Hall" refers to the large, open floor space. Construction began in 1587 on the orders of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but was left uncompleted following his...
Bugaku is the ancient repertoire of dances of the Japanese Imperial court. Derived originally from dance forms imported from China, India and Korea, they quickly became thoroughly Japanese in mood and effect. The dances are divided into “dances of the left” and “dances of the right.” Each set of dan...
New Year’s Day is far and away the most important holiday in Japan. Activities undertaken on January 1st are thought to have repercussions throughout the coming year. Most Japanese will visit a shrine or temple shortly after New Year’s, many at the stroke of midnight, to pray for renewed prosperit...
The Kangensai Festival is Itsukushima Shrine’s most important event of the year, with roots going back to Taira no Kiyomori’s reconstruction of the Shrine in the 12th century.
Kangen is instrumental music, as opposed to accompaniment for dances, performed on the wind, string and percussion instr...
The largest city in the Chugoku region, Hiroshima might nevertheless be largely unknown outside Japan were it not for the events of August 6th, 1945. What is most remarkable about Hiroshima today, however, is the powerful testimony it offers to the strength and resilience of its people.
Most of H...
