Thursday, March 22, 2007

Okuni jinja


One of the more popular local shrines is known as Okuni which is located in Morimachi. The shrine has stood for about 1400 years (I am sure that some renovations have taken place) and is widely regarded as one of the more interesting Enshu region shrines. Pictures posted near the shrine speak of some famous visits including the emperor's son and some famous Japanese celebrities. Many regard the shrine as a good place to go to pray for safe driving and there is even a side road to take your car to have it blessed. After my accident we had decided that we would hedge our bets and go to the shrine to pray for safety on the roads. While neither of us are Buddhist, we both have always agreed it's a good idea to play it safe!

After crossing through the awesome, large torii shown above, to the left on the path is an interesting little brown pond with a red bridge crossing to a small hut.
A bit more of a short walk you will find yourself at the temple itself. In the courtyard there was this lovely looking tree.
And finally we were able to throw our 5 yen into the box and pray for safety on the always scary Japanese roads.

It was quite a serene setting nestled in between some rolling hills and a nice quiet walk to a nearly empty temple. I could see why it is popular and enjoyed by many, and I will definitely go by again sometime!

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