Saturday, November 1, 10:00–15:00 ◆Ishirouzaki Lighthouse Public Opening The interior of Ishirouzaki Lighthouse will be open to visitors. This is a rare opportunity that only happens a few times a year, if at all! There will be various special features on the day. The Japan Coast Guard’s character Umimaru and Minami Izu Town’s official mascot Irozaki Baron will also make appearances! Saturday, November 1–Sunday, November 2 ◆Minami Izu Taiko Festival In October, the month known as Kannazuki, the gods gather at Izumo Taisha from across the country for a matchmaking council, leaving only the local guardian deities behind. When the gods return in November, the month is called Kamikizuki or Kamikuduki, and although many communities scaled down celebrations during the COVID-19 pandemic, grand festivals praying for a bountiful harvest are held throughout Minami Izu Town.

Nagaoka Tenmangu 2-15-13 Tenjin, Nagaokakyo-shi, Kyoto Free Precincts A shrine dedicated to Sugawara Michishinko, who is believed to be the god of learning. In the Precincts, there are Ume plums, cherry blossoms, hydrangeas, lotuses, irises, oysters, butterflies, autumn leaves, etc., and you can enjoy walking around the Four Seasons. The land of Nagaoka, the seat of Nagaoka Tenmangu Shrine, is a place with which Sugawara Michishin often played and enjoyed poetry orchestration with Zaihara Gyohei and others during his lifetime. Along the approach to the temple, which is also the middle bank of Hachijogaike in the Precincts, about 100 plants and about 2.5 meters tall "Kirishima Azalea" bloom crimson flowers.

Inao, Suzuka, Mie Prefecture ⛩️ Inatomi Shrine ⛩️ Visiting the temple, Shichi-Go-San, 13 visits It is a place that is very close to our family.

Mystery-Solving Event at Gion Shrine On Saturday, February 22, a mystery-solving event took place at Gion Shrine in the Kuraoka district 👏 The event was titled “Gion Shrine Real Mystery: ‘As the Gods Say’” 💡 Local high school students from Gokase Secondary School led the planning, collaborating with local company Gokase Entertainment and the Kuraoka Lovers Women’s Group to prepare the event 😳✨ Participants of all ages gathered, and the shrine grounds rang with lively voices 🤗🎶 The puzzles were quite difficult until a spark of insight or a discovery occurred… I tried hard to solve them but couldn’t in the end 🤣 I had to borrow the children’s wisdom, haha As we solved the puzzles, we learned the correct way to worship at Gion Shrine 😯💡 I had no idea about those customs, so the many new discoveries were great fun 🤩 After finishing the puzzles, participants faced a two-part showdown with the gods played by Gokase Secondary School students ⚔️ The first part, “Sengoku Gokase Town,” was a game in which players spent their held points to approach the god; the winner was the one who first knocked the bead off the god’s shoulder with a sword 💪 In the second part, the winning prize from part one, a rope, was formed into a circle on the ground as a ring, and contestants challenged the god in a hand-push sumo match 👐 Both games excited adults and children alike, and smiles filled the event from start to finish 😆 After completing all stages, participants received a “Mystery Completion Certificate,” but looking closely revealed the certificates came in different colors…🤔? It turned out the hand-push sumo in part two mirrored the ceremonial sumo offered to entertain the gods during the Morimaki ritual held at Gion Shrine. Since the tradition holds that “the one who loses to the god is correct,” the completion certificates of those who lost the hand-push sumo gleamed in gold🤣 You could feel the students’ attention to detail throughout the setting, and it was wonderful 🥹✨ At the end, participants and students took a commemorative photo together, and warm tea provided by Yukihoshien was served as a participation prize, bringing the lively, friendly event to a close 😌👏 Seeing Gokase Town come alive through events created by students, local businesses, and community groups working together is truly moving 🥹 We hope the whole town continues to join forces to keep Gokase Town thriving ✨

Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Sightseeing Spot: Gion Shrine Gion Shrine was founded around the 16th year of Emperor Kinmei’s reign (around 525 AD) when an epidemic swept the Chihogō area in central Kyushu. It was established in Kuraoka, at the heart of the region, as a protector deity prayed to for the removal of disease and misfortune. Locals affectionately call it “Gion-san.” On the shrine grounds stands a zelkova tree said to have been planted by Nasu Daihachiro and Munemasa when they visited in Genkyu 2 (1205). Designated a town natural monument, this giant tree is about 37 meters tall and has an estimated age of roughly 800 years. Deities enshrined: Sobo no Kami / Susanoo no Mikoto, Izanami no Mikoto, Oonamuchi no Mikoto, Kushinadahime no Mikoto, Itsuse no Mikoto, Somin Shorai, Kotan Shorai, Tenman Tenjin, Ashinazuchi no Kami, Tenazuchi no Kami, Inari Daimyojin

Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Sightseeing Spot: Furuto-no Shrine The founding date is unknown. According to shrine tradition, when the loyal retainer Shibahara Matazaburo Nyudo Shotora of the Yoshino court moved from Shibahara in Osekata Village to Kuwanochi Yokodori, he is said to have brought the three deities of Kumano that had been worshipped in Shibahara to this site. Since ancient times the shrine has been revered as the Shrine of the Fire God. When a parishioner’s house faced fire, mysterious sounds would reportedly arise within the shrine to warn of it, and the parishioners would stay at the shrine to perform rituals to avert the fire. On the grounds stand three giant cedar trees about 580 years old and over 30 meters tall, designated as town natural monuments. A kaya tree likewise designated as a town natural monument is a giant estimated at about 600 years old and 34 meters tall. Spring Festival: Early April Grand Annual Festival: September 23 Night Kagura: Early January Deities enshrined: Izanagi no Mikoto, Izanami no Mikoto, Kagutsuchi no Mikoto, with Fujiwara no Michizane also enshrined.

Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Tourist Spot: Sankasho Shrine Sankasho Shrine was established when a small shrine (hokora) from Mt. Futagami, said to be the site of the descent of the heavenly grandson, was brought down and built at the mountain’s foot. Founded around the late 900s CE, its nagare-zukuri-style structure is entirely made of cypress, and its architectural design and carvings are regarded as masterpieces of the early modern period. This main hall is designated as a tangible cultural property of Miyazaki Prefecture. The site also houses the stone-carved Gate Guardian Deity statues (two faces), which are designated as a prefectural tangible cultural property. At the autumn grand festival, Aradance, an ancient performance tradition from the Sakamoto district designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, is offered. On November 30, 2022, 41 fūryū-odori (stylish folk dances) across Japan, including Gokase’s Aradance, were inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. On the shrine grounds and in the surrounding garden, you can find Tsukushi rhododendrons and western rhododendrons, along with weeping cherry trees and camellias. They typically reach peak bloom from mid-April through mid-May, offering flower viewing during that period. The Sankasho Shrine Spring Festival is held in April. Deities enshrined: Izanagi no Mikoto, Izanami no Mikoto, Sarutahiko no Mikoto, and Fujiwara no Michizane (enshrined together).

Chiba Shrine The main shrine of the North Star god "Myomi-sama". The star of man = Evil removal that controls fate, removes bad stars and leads to good stars, and eight directions that avoid disasters related to the azimuth. Prayer is a lot of worship in search of two powers. Although it is located in the city, it is also famous as a Power Spot where you can feel a mysterious atmosphere when you step inside. According to the legend of Chiba Shrine, when Chiba Tsuneshige moved his residence from Oshii Castle to Inohana Castle, he brought the Myomi-son, which had been handed down from his ancestors, to this place and built the Myomi-sha. After that, it was revered as the guardian deity of the Chiba clan until Chiba Shigetsu was destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 18th year of Tensho 1590, and the temple was abolished by the Meiji era separation decree and became the Chiba Shrine to enshrine the main life of Tengochu. The annual summer festival "Myōken Taisai" has been held without interruption since the first festival began in the second year of Taiji 1127 and has become a tradition in Chiba. ■ Access: ・ 10 minutes walk from JR Chiba Station Central Ticket Gate East Exit ・10 minutes by car from Anagawa IC in Keiyo Province ■Address: 1-16-1 Hospital, Chuo-ku, Chiba City

During the Gokamachi Festival. The biggest festival in the Gyotoku area?! From 1-chome to 4-chome, it is said that the mikoshi goes around in the Honshio area. Autumn is a festival! in Gyotoku

Today is the first day of the grand festival, which is held once every three years! The five areas of Hongyotoku 1-chome, 2-chome, 3-chome, 4-chome, and Honshio, which were the center of Gyotoku in the Edo period, were bustling for the first time in six years! ☺️

〜The Meaning of Gyotoku Mikoshi Firs〜2 This photo is called "Sashi", Raise the mikoshi high above your head with one hand, It is ☺️ the action of rotating clockwise around the mikoshi. This means ♪ giving thanks to the God of Heaven for a bountiful harvest.

Oi Shrine is the water god of the Oi River, and there is a kami pond with clear water in its precincts, and the pure water from an old well flows into the precincts. The water temperature is almost constant all year round, so it feels cold in summer and warm in winter. The first pond was built in the precincts of the shrine in 1915, about 100 years ago, to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the relocation of Oi Shrine to the land of Shimada, and was built around the current parking lot on the side of the shrine office by the services of the veterans at that time. The current pond was moved to the center of the precincts in 1985 during the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Emperor Showa's accession to the throne, and it is more magnificent in size and scenery than the previous pond. Now it is indispensable in the precincts, and it is a beautiful water scenery of the water god.

Sueyoshi Shrine I went to "Sueyoshi Shrine" in Shuri Sueyoshi, Naha City. It is one of the same eight Ryukyu companies as the Naminoue Shrine I introduced last time. I think it is the most impactful shrine among the eight shrines. Unfortunately, everything collapsed in the Battle of Okinawa, but it was restored. The worship hall is located in a small forest and overlooks the center of Naha City. The red tiles, white plaster, and vermilion paint are vivid, and there are few people who come to worship, and it feels like a secluded area.

Sirmichu in Hamahiga Island, Uruma City, Okinawa Prefecture It is said that two gods Sirmichu and Amamichu in Ryukyu mythology lived here and were blessed with children. Many people come to worship because of the benefit of being blessed with children. If you climb the 108 steps from the torii gate below, you will find the limestone cave. There is a sacred air in the air.