The small community of Tsuwano (pop.. 7,500) is a castle town that has lost its castle, a ‘little Kyoto’ with the emphasis on little. Squeezed in-between steep mountains, it is compact yet intriguing. I was lucky enough to be shown … Read the rest
Category: Izumo (Page 1 of 6)
My favourite places are those enriched by myth and unspoilt by the ravages of modern life. The west of England, for instance, with its Arthurian tales and Glastonbury mystique. Here in Japan the time-honoured pathways of Kumano have similar appeal, … Read the rest
My next visit was to Hakuto Shrine, notable for enshrining a white rabbit. Not Alice’s white rabbit, of course. In fact, not a rabbit at all but a hare, as the … Read the rest
For those of us interested in roots and continental connections, Susanoo is an intriguing character who initiates a whole cycle of myths in Kojiki (712). In the twentieth century propagandists seized on his estranged relationship with Amaterasu to present him … Read the rest
The following is taken from an article in Gaijinpot.
The giant straw ropes called shimenawa that resemble anacondas coiled … Read the rest
Every 60 years the stunning Izumo shrine buildings are reconstructed. Lafcadio Hearn called it the premier shrine in Japan, and it is thought to be even older than Ise. This is where all the kami of Japan gather every year, … Read the rest
“Depending on who speaks for or about it, Shinto may appear as an ancient folk tradition of personal prayers and communal festivals, as a nonreligious tradition of civic rites and moral orientations centered on the imperial house, or as a … Read the rest