Image search results - "ichinomiya"
ma100-20110101_9067.jpg
Ichinomiya Station has both the JR Tokaido Line and Meitetsu Line. Ichinomiya literally means "Shrine No. 1."
ma101-20110101_9066.jpg
Inside Ichinomiya Station. It's pretty big. There are a few restaurants/shops.
ma102-20110101_9069.jpg
Rotary
ma103-20110101_9070.jpg
Way to Honmachi shopping street.
ma104-20110101_9073.jpg
Honmachi shopping arcade in Ichinomiya.
ma105-20110101_9075.jpg
Honmachi shopping arcade leads to Masumida Shrine. The banner says Happy New Year.
ma106-20110101_9076.jpg
Along the way in Honmachi arcade is a branch office of Ichinomiya City Hall with a musical clock.
ma107-20110101_9077.jpg
Musical clock
ma108-20110101_9078.jpg
Poster for Masumida Shrine hatsumode New Year's worshipping.
ma109-20110101_9079.jpg
After you exit Honmachi arcade, you see Masumida Shrine across the street.
ma110-20110101_9081.jpg
ma111-20110101_9083.jpg
Masumida Shrine torii.
ma112-20110101_9085.jpg
I went to Masumida Shrine on Jan. 1, 2011 in the morning when it was still not that crowded.
ma113-20110101_9086.jpg
Masumida Shrine torii flanked with kadomatsu bamboo/pine decorations.
ma114-20110101_9197.jpg
Kadomatsu bamboo/pine decoration on New Year's Day.
ma115-20110101_9087.jpg
ma116-20110101_9089.jpg
Romon Gate built in 1961. 楼門
ma117-20110101_9194.jpg
ma118-20110101_9193.jpg
Barrels of sake rice wine near Romon Gate.
ma119-20110101_9090.jpg
Next to Romon Gate is this giant ema tablet with a rabbit design. 2011 is the year of the rabbit.
ma120-20110101_9190.jpg
After passing through Romon Gate, you see this. Straight ahead is the Honden shrine hall where you pray. On the left and right were food booths.
ma121-20110101_9188.jpg
Masumida Shrine Honden hall 御本殿
ma122-20110101_9099.jpg
Wash basin to purify yourself.
ma123-20110101_9100.jpg
Stall selling charms.
ma124-20110101_9153.jpg
Honden hall. Masumida Shrine worships a deity called Amenoho no Akari no mikoto. 天火明命
ma125-20110101_9130.jpg
Honden hall
ma126-20110101_9125.jpg
People pray in front of the Honden where there is a large offertory box.
ma127-20110101_9129.jpg
Offertory box with money.
ma128-20110101_9135.jpg
Inside the Honden, special prayers are held for people. Includes a dance.
ma129-20110101_9143.jpg
More stalls selling charms, etc.
ma130-20110101_9147.jpg
ma131-20110101_9175.jpg
Food stalls
ma132-20110101_9115.jpg
One unique feature at Masumida Shrine during New Year's is this ring of fire (Hinowa kuguri). 火の輪くぐり
ma133-20110101_9114.jpg
During Jan. 1-5, for 300 yen, you can enter the ring of fire.
ma134-20110101_9117.jpg
First you pass through a small torii.
ma135-20110101_9110.jpg
The ring of fire leads to the Sacred Water Basin.
ma136-20110101_9116.jpg
Then you walk through the ring of fire which is actually a gas pipe with just a few flames at the top.
ma137-20110101_9118.jpg
Use the sacred water here to purify yourself.
ma138-20110101_9119.jpg
ma139-20110101_9120.jpg
Look into this well until you see your reflection.
ma140-20110101_9121.jpg
Monument for family harmony.
ma141-20110101_9105.jpg
At the end, you receive a blessing from a shrine maiden.
ma142-20110101_9111.jpg
All the sins and impurities stuck onto you will then be shed. Good deal for 300 yen.
ma143-20110101_9167.jpg
ma144-20110101_9159.jpg
Omikuji stall selling fortune paper for 200 yen.
ma145-20110101_9156.jpg
The omikuji is yellow, and tied onto a fence.
ma146-20110101_9161.jpg
Another stall selling auspicious charms.
ma147-20110101_9173.jpg
New Year's is when shrines make the most money selling hopes, dreams, and prayers. Great thing for them is that there is no money-back guarantee that your prayers/dreams will come true.
ma148-20110101_9179.jpg
Shrine for weaving god. 服織神社
ma149-20110101_9178.jpg
Praying to the weaving/textile god. After food, clothing is essential for man.
ma150-20110101_9183.jpg
The monument on the left has a poem written by the 9th daughter of Emperor Meiji.
ma151-20110101_9187.jpg
Sacred horse
ma152-20110101_9176.jpg
Place to return your old New Year's decorations and charms.
ma153-20110101_9181.jpg
Burning the old New Year's and shrine decorations and charms.
ma154-20110101_9180.jpg
Hot fire fueled by old decorations and charms.
ma155-masumidaVideo.youtube
My video of Masumida Shrine on New Year's Day 2011, Ichinomiya, Aichi.
tm300-20090913_7415.jpg
Being next to the Pacific Ocean, Chiba has quite a few festivals held on the beach. The Kazusa Junisha Matsuri is one of the larger ones. Sept. 13, 2009 (Sun.) was the main festival day when they went in the water at the beach.
tm301-20090913_7425.jpg
The day starts with a Shinto ceremony at 10 am at Tamasaki Shrine, near Kazusa-Ichinomiya Station on the JR Sotobo Line. 玉前神社
tm302-20090913_7426.jpg
Tamasaki Shrine is crowded with people as a ceremony still goes on. The Kazusa Junisha Matsuri started in 807. It is designated as Chiba Prefecture's Intangible Cultural Property.
tm303-20090913_7450.jpg
Two portable shrines in front of the Kaguraden stage. Kazusa is the name of the former province in central Chiba Prefecture. Junisha means twelve shrines.
tm304-20090913_7447.jpg
Sacred dance at the Kaguraden by Sarutahiko.
tm305-20090913_7455.jpg
Tamasaki Shrine torii
tm306-20090913_7453.jpg
The girls had their hair airbrushed with colorful designs. I've noticed that women and girls participating in matsuri have become quite fashionable, chic, or hip.
tm307-20090913_7474.jpg
Girls were originally not allowed to participate in the festival, but now they do even though it is a hadaka (nude) festival. Of course, no one is really naked.
tm308-20090913_7422.jpg
Sacred horse
tm309-20090913_7463.jpg
One of the child horse riders.
tm310-20090913_7460.jpg
Child horse rider sits on a bunch of soft cushions on the horse.
tm311-20090913_7468.jpg
tm312-20090913_7417.jpg
A procession departs Tamasaki Shrine at 1 pm, led by Sarutahiko.
tm313-20090913_7484.jpg
The beginning of the procession consists of a few portable shrines pulled by children.
tm314-20090913_7534.jpg
tm315-20090913_7517.jpg
tm316-20090913_7491.jpg
The sacred horse and child riders soon join the procession as they leave Tamasaki Shrine.
tm317-20090913_7495.jpg
Child rider leaving Tamasaki Shrine.
tm318-20090913_7471.jpg
Leaving Tamasaki Shrine. It was impossible to judge where I should be to take good shots. I missed quite a few opportunities. I have to see the festival again to take the shots I wanted to take this time.
tm319-20090913_7488.jpg
Back at Tamasaki Shrine are two other portable shrines which had arrived from Sannomiya Shrine, one of the junisha (12 shrines) in the Kazusa area.
tm320-20090913_7501.jpg
The portable shrines begin to leave Tamasaki Shrine.
tm321-20090913_7503.jpg
A portable shrine leaves Tamasaki Shrine.
tm322-20090913_7506.jpg
They then ran with the portable shrine. They will run while carrying the shrine to the beach several kilometers away.
tm323-20090913_7535.jpg
The beach is too far to walk, so they provided free shuttle buses to the beach from Kazusa-Ichinomiya Station from 2 pm. It was a 10-15 min. ride to the beach.
tm324-20090913_7539.jpg
On Kujukuri Beach, there a stretch of beach called Tsurigasaki Kaigan Beach marked by a torii. This will be the Tokyo 2020 Olympic venue for surfing.
tm325-20090913_7541.jpg
Tsurigasaki Kaigan beach is where they believe the gods arrive. 釣ケ先海岸
tm326-20090913_7545.jpg
Tsurigasaki Kaigan is where the horses and portable shrines will start to arrive at 2:30 pm to 3 pm. This is where the crowd is. But the beach is big enough for all of us.
tm327-20090913_7546.jpg
On the beach. Good spot for surfing as well.
tm328-20090913_7549.jpg
One child horse rider arrives.
tm329-20090913_7565.jpg
One great thing about this hadaka matsuri is that there are women as well. Most hadaka matsuri have only men.
tm330-20090913_7552.jpg
The mikoshi arrive on the beach.
tm331-20090913_7556.jpg
tm332-20090913_7561.jpg
They give a few cheers before they started running on the beach.
tm333-20090913_7575.jpg
Here they come.
tm334-20090913_7567.jpg
Women too, while they are careful to prevent any nip slips.
tm335-20090913_7570.jpg
They run on the beach while carrying the mikoshi.
tm336-20090913_7579.jpg
A stampede.
tm337-20090913_7582.jpg
Also see my video at YouTube.
tm338-20090913_7587.jpg
tm339-20090913_7588.jpg
They head for Tsurigasaki Beach, where the torii is.
tm340-20090913_7597.jpg
They prop up the mikoshi before carrying it toward the ceremony place.
tm341-20090913_7600.jpg
tm342-20090913_7608.jpg
tm343-20090913_7620.jpg
The mikoshi start to gather for a ceremony.
tm344-20090913_7622.jpg
The mikoshi start to gather for a ceremony as they all run at full speed.
tm345-20090913_7625.jpg
tm346-20090913_7626.jpg
tm347-20090913_7640.jpg
More mikoshi arrive.
tm348-20090913_7645.jpg
Shrine priest arrive on horseback. He looked very weary. It was a hot day too.
tm349-20090913_7646.jpg
tm350-20090913_7656.jpg
tm351-20090913_7677.jpg
After the ceremony, they head for the water.
tm352-20090913_7682.jpg
Very jovial and noisy.
tm353-20090913_7711.jpg
To the beach and water.
tm354-20090913_7743.jpg
In the water, maybe ankle deep. But the waves made it knee-deep.
tm355-20090913_7751.jpg
tm356-20090913_7757.jpg
Everyone is yelling and cheering.
tm357-20090913_7762.jpg
tm358-20090913_7781.jpg
tm359-20090913_7783.jpg
tm360-20090913_7792.jpg
tm361-20090913_7796.jpg
Also see my video at YouTube.
tm362-20090913_7798.jpg
They tossed the mikoshi into the air a few times.
tm363-20090913_7804.jpg
tm364-20090913_7808.jpg
tm365-20090913_7818.jpg
tm366-20090913_7820.jpg
Back on land.
tm367-20090913_7823.jpg
tm368-20090913_7830.jpg
tm369-20090913_7839.jpg
tm370-20090913_7844.jpg
Festival girls posing for me. They love the attention.
tm371-20090913_7848.jpg
Kazusa Junisha Matsuri Festival, Ichinomiya, Chiba on Sept. 13, 2009.
tm372-20090913_7860.jpg
Women standing by to pull the mikoshi.
tm373-20090913_7867.jpg
tm374-20090913_7882.jpg
Tossing the mikoshi into the air.
tm375-20090913_7889.jpg
I kept shooting their backs. Next time, I'll try to shoot more faces.
tm376-20090913_7898.jpg
You could go in front of them to shoot their faces, but the water would be deeper.
tm377-20090913_7902.jpg
They kept waving their fans and cheering in the water.
tm378-20090913_7905.jpg
tm379-20090913_7908.jpg
Great spectacle, especially with women included. Great idea to allow women in the festival.
tm380-20090913_7917.jpg
tm381-20090913_7935.jpg
Returning to land.
tm382-20090913_7941.jpg
The men covered their bellies, while the women covered their bellies and chests.
tm383-20090913_7943.jpg
This festival separates the amateur photographers from the pros. Amateurs wear long pants and shoes and enter the ocean to take pictures. I was of course wearing shorts and rubber slippers (but barefoot in the water).
tm384-20090913_7970.jpg
The next spectacle was them running through the torii on the beach.
tm385-20090913_7955.jpg
All the mikoshi headed for the torii.
tm386-20090913_7971.jpg
tm387-20090913_7973.jpg
First were the horses galloping through. Each horse was guided by two men running alongside.
tm388-20090913_7974.jpg
The boy looked thrilled to be riding at full speed. Very bumpy though.
tm389-20090913_7975.jpg
tm390-20090913_7987.jpg
Then the mikoshi sped by one after another.
tm391-20090913_7989.jpg
tm392-20090913_7997.jpg
Love these women running and pulling the mikoshi.
tm393-20090913_7999.jpg
It's amazing that no one tripped and fell.
tm394-20090913_8007.jpg
More women in fashionable clothing to pull a mikoshi.
tm395-20090913_8012.jpg
tm396-20090913_8020.jpg
They are cheering and shouting throughout.
tm397-20090913_8021.jpg
tm398-20090913_8029.jpg
tm399-20090913_8038.jpg
Also see my video at YouTube.
tm400-20090913_8045.jpg
tm401-20090913_8055.jpg
tm402-20090913_8057.jpg
tm403-20090913_8072.jpg
tm404-20090913_8082.jpg
tm405-20090913_8098.jpg
tm406-20090913_8116.jpg
tm407-20090913_8125.jpg
tm408-20090913_8129.jpg
It would take them about an hour to get back to town.
tm409-20090913_8134.jpg
The sacred horse arrive in town.
tm410-20090913_8136.jpg
More horses arrive.
tm411-20090913_8138.jpg
tm412-20090913_8141.jpg
Making way for the horses.
tm413-20090913_8142.jpg
Shrine priest arrives.
tm414-20090913_8143.jpg
From 6 pm, they paraded the mikoshi on the main road near Tamasaki Shrine.
tm415-20090913_8148.jpg
Like on the beach, they wave fans and cheer.
tm416-20090913_8151.jpg
tm417-20090913_8164.jpg
Sometimes they tossed the mikoshi up.
tm418-20090913_8170.jpg
Women waved fans.
tm419-20090913_8198.jpg
tm420-20090913_8182.jpg
tm421-20090913_8200.jpg
Also see my video at YouTube.
tm422-20090913_8204.jpg
tm423-20090913_8241.jpg
From 7 pm, the mikoshi started returning to Tamasaki Shrine. At 8 pm, the god's spirit in the mikoshi was returned to the shrine.
tm424-20090913_8132.jpg
PR poster for Kazusa Junisha Matsuri.
tm425-20090913_7413.jpg
Kazusa-Ichinomiya Station on the JR Sotobo Line.
   
182 files on 1 page(s)