Where the area's main event, the twice-yearly Itako Taisai festival is held. The grand festival is held over a period of five days beginning on July 20. In a ritual called kuchiyose (口寄せ), blind mediums known as itako claim to summon the souls of the dead and deliver messages in their voices.
River of Three Crossings, is a Japanese Buddhist tradition and religious belief similar to the River Styx. It is believed that on the way to the afterlife, the dead must cross the river, which is why a Japanese funeral includes placing six coins in the deceased's casket. It is very volcanically-active site is a charred landscape of blasted rock filled with bubbling pits of unearthly hues and noxious fumes.
In winter, waves crash to form what look like soap bubbles that collect between the reefs. As they are blown apart by strong winds, these bubbles seem to dance atop the water. (Side note: It is also a popular place to commit suicide, though Mt. Fuji seems to be the fav place to commit the act).
The building serves as a memorial to the people who were killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.
The Konjikido is one of the most beautiful and elaborately decorated buildings in the world. It is made of wood entirely covered with gold leaf decorated with imported mother-of-pearl.
Draped in lichens, mosses, and ferns, the trail leads you to the locale of a popular animation movie called Mononoke-hime. Sit amoung silent trunks and stumps, and take time to contemplate the 
sight.
This is the annual festival of Heian - jinja Shrine. This event was started in 1895 in celebration of the 1,100th year since the capital had been transferred to Heian-kyo, commemorating October 22, 794, the date that Emperor Kammu entered Heian-kyo. Featured at this festival is the parade of approximately 2,000 people dressed in traditional costumes ranging from the Heian Period to the Meiji Period. Leaving Kyoto Gyoen Park at noon, the parade travels down Karasuma-dori to Sanjo-dori, then down Jingo-do, and toward Heian - jinja Shrine.
Ise Shrine and Futami-ga-ura:
Ise Jingu, a shrine of high importance of the Shinto religion, is also located in the area. Ise-Shima thus has a plenty of Japan's most important historical sites, legends, living festivals and customs. There is always something new to discover. From times long past, Futami-ga-Ura has been a place where pilgrims on the way to Ise Jingu have come to cleanse their bodies and spirits before worshipping.
In the bay there are two rocks sitting side-by-side, one large, one smaller, known as Meoto-iwa (the Wedded Rocks). Two rocks are tied together by shimenawa, ceremonial rope that is made of entwined and twisted rice straw and is used to mark off sacred or purified areas, and you can often see it on the gates of shrines. One of these ropes is suspended between the rocks and serves as a torii, a type of gateway that demarcates the precincts of Futami Okutama Jinja.
Iga-ryu Ninja Museum and Bashou:
In the museum, kunoichi (female ninja) acts a
s guides, explaini
ng hidden doors, secret passageways, hidden compartments, etc. and letting you experience them. In addition, you can experience throwing stars, hidden doors, etc. in the Ninja Experience Space, or watch the popular ninja shows.
Nine Hells of Beppu:
Featuring about 2,800 springs that gush out ridiculous amounts of hot water every day, Beppu has been named the hot-springs capital of Japan. Because of their extreme temperatures and some very unique characteristics, nine of these springs are known as the hells of Beppu.
Described as an apocalyptic place, by writers in the Edo Period, where gruesome scenes of torture through boiling took place, the area around Beppu has become a popular attraction for tourists, ever since the city was founded, in 1924. With steam coming out through every available crack, Beppu seems like a city that’s cooking over an open flame.
Umi Jigoku (Sea Hell):
One of the most beautiful ponds in Beppu, Umi Jigoku features a pool of turquoise water that resembles the sea. Its waters are 120 meters deep and 90 degrees Celsius hot, enough to cook eggs in.
Oniishibozu Jigoku (Shaven Head Hell):
This particular jingoku features pools of boiling gray mud, making bubbles that are said to look like the shaved heads of Buddhist monks (that's right Ashely Faye, we've got monks too!).
Kamado Jigoku (Cooking Pot Hell):
A collection of boiling hot ponds featuring a bright red demon statue as the cook.
Oniyama Jigoku (Devil’s Mountain Hell):
Home to about 100 hellish crocodiles, the Devil’s Mountain Hell features steam so strong, it can pull one and a half train-cars.
Kinryu Jigoku (Golden Dragon Hell):
A dragon statue with steam coming through its mouth that seems to be flying when water spouts out at sunrise. This jigoku heats the entire nearby greenhouse.
Chinoike Jigoku (Blood Pond Hell):
The most popular of all nine ‘hells’, the Blood Pond is also the most photogenic. The large quantity of ferrous minerals on the bottom of the pond gives it a bright reddish color.
Tatsumaki Jigoku (Spout Hell):
The Spout Hell is actually a boiling geyser blowing hot water 20 meters into the air, every 30 minutes.
Chichibu Yomatsuri (The Night Festival):
It is the festival of Chichibu Shrine in Chichibu City,Saitama Prefecture, just 90 minutes from central Tokyo. It is held every year on December 2nd and 3rd, with the main action taking place on the 3rd.
The Chichibu Night Festival is considered one of Japan's top three festivals to feature floats, the others being Kyoto's Gion Matsuri and the Takayama Matsuri. Its floats are ornately decorated with lanterns, tapestries and gilded wood carvings, and are accompanied by drum and flute music.
The festival's other attraction is its fireworks show, which lasts almost two and a half hours and gives you the rare opportunity to enjoy Japanese fireworks during winter. Additionally, the streets are lined with food stalls selling numerous festival foods and amazake (sweet rice wine) to combat the cold December night.
Iya Valley Vine Bridges:
One of Japan's Three Hidden Valley's and Iya's best-known attractions are the precarious-looking vine bridges (かずら橋 kazurabashi), which used to be the only way to cross the river.
Naruto Strait (Whirlpools):
The strait is one of the connections between the Pacific Ocean and the Inland Sea, a body of water separating Honshū and Shikoku, two of the main islands of Japan. The tide moves large amounts of water into the Inland Sea twice per day, and also removes large amounts of water twice a day. With a range of up to 1.7 m, the tide creates a difference in the water level of up to 1.5 m between the Inland Sea and the Pacific. Due to the narrowness of the strait, the water rushes through the Naruto channel at a speed of about 13-15 km/h four times per day, twice flowing in and twice flowing out. During a spring tide, the speed of the water may reach 20 km/h, creating vortices up to 20 m in diameter.
The whirlpools can be observed from ships, or from the Naruto Bridge spanning the strait. The suspension bridge has a total length of 1629 m, with the center span over the strait having a length of 876 m and a height of 41 m above sea level. A good view is also possible from the shore on Awaji island.
Nachi Falls & the Three Mountain Jinja of Kumano (Hongu/Nachi/Shingu):
It is one of the best-known waterfalls in Japan. With a drop of at 133 m, it is often erroneously thought to be the country's tallest. Believed to house a kami called Hiryū Gongen worshiped at Kumano Nachi Taisha.
Yamanashi Maglev Testline:
The JR-Maglev levitation train uses an Electro-dynamic Suspension (EDS) system. Movingmagnetic fields create a reactive force in a conductor because of the magnetic field induction effect. This force holds up the train. The maglev-trains have superconducting magnetic coils, and the guide ways contain levitation coils.
Yokohama Pokemon Center:
A very big Pokemon Store that Niña wants me to visit.
WOO! This took forever!!! But now I hope you have a better idea of these places than when I just listed them in the Facebook note. What do you think?
2 comments:
I love how I'm a label!! I wish I could go with you and see Pokemon and Lady Ninjas, not to mention Buddhist monks!
Yes!!! You are the Label #1. I wish you could come too!
Post a Comment