Near the mountains in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, lie two sites of quite different flower power. The Tsubaki Shrine (椿大神社), whose name means camellia shrine, is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan, while the Suzuka Forest Park (鈴鹿森園) is a explosion of glorious pink blossoms every March as 200 weeping plum trees herald spring’s […]
Tag Archives: Shinto shrine
November
09
The spirit of dance
posted by Claire Usmar
I spied these unusual dancers and musicians on a recent visit to Ise Grand Shrine in Ise, Mie Prefecture. They are performing gagaku, a style of ceremonial court music and dance. This art is inherently religious and is only performed at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo and at very select Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples […]
October
23
Eat. Pray. Race?
posted by Claire Usmar
Amidst all the hubbub that springs forth when the F1 teams and fans roll into Suzuka every year for the Japanese Grand Prix, there’s a small and very fortuitously named Shinto shrine nearby that reckons it’s got the inside running on influencing the race result. ‘Ema’ (絵馬) are small wooden prayer plaques sold at […]
July
26
Lanterns for lost souls
posted by Claire Usmar
Mitama Festival at a Shinto shrine in Tsu, Mie Prefecture.
