JET's sometimes have lots of spare time. Lengthy vid, but funny.
"The Little Gaijin is stuck on the island and longs to go back to the real world. Does that exist over the bridge?"
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Golden Week pt 9 - Eda Shrine.
Our last shrine of the trip, the fifth in two, count 'em, TWO, days.
Eda Shrine, considered the home/birthplace/arrival of the gods Izanami and Izanagi in Japan. Think Adam and Eve, but with superpowers.
Via Tokyo Weekender:
Eda Shrine was selected as one of the official shrines of Japan in 837 AD. It is located in Awakigahara, a place believed to be the birthplace of the gods.
This was actually the shrine BEHIND the shrine. Well, kinda down the path past some trees and behind the shrine.
This actually marks the spot the two gods came to earth.
Which makes sense, cause it's the high ground, on top of a hill.
And where else would the aliens land their interplanetary spacecraft, I ask you?
And, we're done.
Golden Week pt 8 - Heiwadai Koen [Park].
Via ANA:
This is a park located on a hill in the northern part of Miyazaki-shi and contains the 37-meter high Tower of Peace.
Struck me as funny that the "Tower of Peace" should have giant Lord of the Rings looking knuckleheads on it with big damn hammers... but hey, that's me.
On to the last shrine!
Golden Week pt 7 - Miyazaki Jingu Shrine.
That's right, we're on shrine number four in two days, and there's another to come.
As for Miyazaki Jingu here, via Asia-Planet:
"The prefecture boasts many shrines involved with the birth-myth of Japan, such as the Miyazaki-jingu Grand Shrine sacred to the Emperor Jinmu, supposedly the first Emperor of Japan."
Yep, that's all I got. Lucky you're getting that.
Golden Week pt 6 - Udo Shrine.
Via the city homepage:
"Udo Shrine is where the spirit of the father of Emperor Jinmu, the first emperor of Japan, is enshrined. Legends say it was built in the era of the 10th emperor. The sanctuary is a bright vermilion-lacquered building standing in a cave overlooking the sea. It provides spiritual support to those people who wish for a good marriage, a safe baby delivery and for the health for their children."
You can't quite make it out, but the folks on the the left are trying to throw beads into a small pool of water on the rock to the right where you can kinda see the circle rope around it. I messed it up, using the wrong hand to throw. But I went two for five. Which probably means when I get reincarnated as a women, I'll have two women folk kids. Or something.
Great view though.
Golden Week pt 5.75 - not exactly moai.
The woman, she's a bit touched in the head, yes?
Sandy experiences her greatest sadness - leaving the moai.
Golden Week pt 5.5 - Moai! Moai! Moai!
Sandy loves moai very, very much.
Yes, a surprise to me as well, but hey, you can apparently still learn things after 9 years of marriage.
Mostly, the pictures shall speak for themselves.
She made me, I swear to you.
Golden Week pt 6 - Sun Messe Nichiran.
In which we learn Sandy loves moai [moais? What's the plural of moai?] thiiiiiiis much.
LET'S GO!
Only driving I've done in Japan btw.
So they've built replicas of Easter Island's moai statues down in Miyazaki, with the help and approval of the folks on Rapa Nui. So they've built a little theme park-ish area around them, which Sandy enjoyed very much.
Golden Week pt 5 - Horikiri Pass.
Picturesquess-ness. Probably not a word. But a pretty view.
Sandy VOGUES.
This is all I could manage to vogue.
Golden Week pt 4.5 - the environs of Aoshima.
Pretty flowers make simple minds happy.
Speaking of simple minds. Yeah, I'm weird, but since I'm channeling the life force essences of the dome, when our extraterrestrial overlords return, I'll be ready.
The much anticipated and highly enjoyed mango ice cream.
Golden Week pt 4 - Aoshima Shrine
To get out to Aoshima ["blue island"] Shrine, you walk through this area of quaint, yet kitschy shops, that sell amongst other things and much to Sandy's delight, mango ice cream.
That's it, walk the path, grasshopper.
Via:
"Aoshima Shinto Shrine is dedicated to Hikohohodemi no Mikoto (or * Yamasachi Hiko), to Toyotamahime no Mikoto, and to Shiotsutsu no Ookami. * (Yamasachi means mountain products" Hiko means "man") The origin of Aoshima Shrine is unknown but there is a record that peple revered the shrine as early as the Heian Era in the ninth-century A.D.
Aoshima shrine is supposed to give a divine blessing,especially to those who want to be married."
Alternatively called the devil's, demon's or giant's washboard, this odd configuration of rock is pretty cool. Despite having read [the translation] of how they came about, I still don't quite get how they formed. Rock, erosions, sunspots, something... It's all ball bearings.
Chillin'.
*WARNING*
NOT A NINJA.
DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.