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Hie Shrine ⛩️ It was designated as a First Class Government Shrine before the Second World War, and was highly respected place of worship for the people in Tokyo. The deity enshrined is Oyamakui-no-kami, the God of Mt. Hie in Shiga prefecture... more on www.hiejinja.net

Kimono, in English, means “wearing thing.” But the garment everyone associates with Japan was not always called by that name. Its long history is one of the best examples of how clothing confers a sense of identity. The first ancestor of the kimono was born in the Heian period (794-1192)By the Edo period (1603-1868) it had evolved into a unisex outer garment called kosode, literally meaning “small sleeves”. It was only from the Meiji period (1868-1912) onwards that the garment was called kimono.In the early 1600s, First Shogun Tokugawa unified Japan into a feudal shogunate. Edo, renamed Tokyo in 1868. The Edo Period (1603 to 1868)are known as the last era of traditional Japan. Japanese culture developed with almost no foreign influence during this time. And the kosode was one of the key elements of what it meant to be Japanese.Every Japanese person wore it, regardless of age, gender, or socio-economic position. On those rare occasions when a Japanese person came in contact with foreigners, one visible distinction was that foreigners did not wear kosode. Style, motif, fabric, technique, and color explained who you were Fabric quality, choice of pattern, thread, paint, wood-block print, and color were essential criteria for presenting the rank, age, gender, and refinement of the person wrapped in it. And refinement was of particular importance. There were so many intricacies involved in early modern kosode that design books were essential. Everyone consulted these Hinagata bon (design/pattern books)—from the commissioning client to the textile shop owners to the designers.That the most respected artists of the age, ukiyo-e (floating world) artists, wrote Hinagata bon emphasizes how kosode were actual works of art. The Meiji period simply renamed it the “wearing thing” Kimono.And they encouraged women in particular to wear it. To put that into context, at the same time, Meiji law encouraged men to wear Western clothing.The kimono became a visible yet silent link between woman, mother, and cultural protector. Even today, the kimono is a reminder of Japan’s core culture as it was just before its fundamental change.

Shinkyo bridge

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The legend of Koi An ancient tale tells of a huge school of golden koi swimming upstream the River .Gaining strength by fighting against the current, the school glimmered as they swam together through the river. ✨When they reached a waterfall at the end of the river, many of the koi turned back, letting the flow of the river carry them away. The remaining koi refused to give up. Leaping from the depths of the river, they attempted to reach the top of the waterfall to no avail. Their efforts caught the attention of local demons, who mocked their efforts and heightened the waterfall out of malice. After a hundred years of jumping, one koi finally reached the top of the waterfall. The gods recognized the koi for its perseverance and determination and turned it into a golden dragon, the image of power and strength.

I want to talk about Omikuji(御神籤) today. Do you know what it is? When you visit a temple or shrine in Japan you’ll see hundreds if not Thousands of those Paper Strips tied to walls of metal wires. You possibly could explain omikuji in a very short phrase: fortune-telling paper strip.And yes, that’s pretty much what it is, but there’s so much more you should know! Omikuji has the kanji for lottery (籤、くじ – kuji) in it. Literally it means “sacred lot”. The way you obtain your omikuji really feels like a lottery Traditionally you had to shake a small box until a small bamboo stick fell out. The stick had a number on it and according to the number you were given an omikuji by the priest or miko.This is still possible nowadays, but more common are boxes that are located somewhere on the temple / shrine ground. For a small fee (usually one coin) you can draw one of the paper strips . O-mikuji will inform you about your chances in finding a new job, love, about your future health, business success and more in greater detail! Usually the Japanese in the omikuji is very difficult to understand, so either don’t bother at all or ask a Japanese friend to translate it for you. Omikuji are traditionally written in poem form. Many are based on the “100 Chinese Poems” written by the Buddhist monk Tendai.A long time ago the omikuji were used as decision guidance. People wanted to know from the god of a shrine if their plan is going to be successful or not. Thus, the omikuji were born. During the Muromachi Period even the Shogun was chosen using omikuji! Traditionally if it’s not a good fortune, they’re tied around the branches of a pine tree. This goes back to a pun with the word for “pine” (松, matsu) and the word for “wait” (待つ, matsu). The idea behind this is that the bad luck will wait by the tree instead of sticking with the person who drew the sacred lot!But nowadays, Japanese people noticed that to tie Omikuji to a tree can hurt a tree. So, you will see the place where you are supposed to tie to in a shrine or temple. I recommend you to tie it to the place where it is supposed to be. I hope this post was useful or at least interesting. Thanks you ✨

Giardino Giapponese in un giorno di pioggia.