I have been calling Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun, the center of my life for several years now, and of course during this time I have made quite a few trips through this fascinating country. Although I have already discovered and explored many interesting places and regions, large parts of the country are still unknown to me and are on my long travel list, which I will probably never be able to complete in my short life. Nevertheless, I can claim with some pride that I have perhaps seen more of Japan than many Japanese, who unfortunately have far too little time to explore their own country. In addition, many people probably also lack interest in their own surroundings, and there is a tendency all over the world to prefer digital and online entertainment rather than getting to know life and our world first-hand and in person.
Every era follows different fashions and I am probably a little out of time. Even though I appreciate the benefits of digitalization, smartphones, computers and the internet, I ultimately prefer to be outside and see the world through my own eyes. There is no substitute for our own senses, and nothing beats our own experiences. What does the world smell and feel like? You have to use your own eyes and your own hands to properly understand and experience our planet. Then, together with all the other information that you can now access anytime and anywhere thanks to the internet, you can get a fairly complete picture, and only then do you slowly begin to understand why and for what reason things are happening and have happened so far.
And of course this also involves being curious and letting your instincts and feelings guide you. Why always take the straight and shortest path when there are other ways to reach your destination? Perhaps you could encounter something new and unexpected along the way, which could completely distract you from your actual destination, at least for a short time. After all, the journey is the real motive for our trip and I, at least, am usually in no hurry to get anywhere. On the contrary, I sometimes look for interesting detours that show me a few new aspects of my own surroundings.
And just a few days ago, one of these detours led me to a small shrine that I would never have discovered if I had stayed on the main road. Actually, I just wanted to get home, but as so often before, I let myself drift around a bit, and even the stormy weather couldn't stop me. I was about to cross the Agano River when my little detour took me past the Matsuhama Inari Shrine, which is located at the top of a hill. The residential area belonging to the shrine stretches right up to the top of that hill and the roads up here are very steep and also quite narrow, but that didn't prevent me from coming up this way. At least I had a great view up here.
Matsuhama, as the name suggests (Hama 浜 means beach) is located directly at the mouth of the Agano River into the Sea of Japan, and was probably something of a fishing village in the past. Today, the settlement belongs to the northern district of the city of Niigata, which is the capital of the Japanese prefecture of the same name and is known in particular for rice cultivation and sake production.
At first I wasn't sure whether I should drive on, but then my curiosity kicked in and I decided to park my car and go for a short walk around the shrine. After all, I was already here, so why not take advantage of this opportunity...
The origins of Matsuhama Inari-Jinja 松浜稲荷神社 go back a long time and originally the Inari Shrine is said to have been located on the Kajigawa River, from where it was moved to its present location during the Tempo Era (1830-44). The Kajigawa used to be a raging river with a very fast current that was constantly flooded and it is said that Ichikawa Shrine was built to calm the river's floods.
Up here directly in front of the shrine entrance, which is formed by two Toori gates, there was not much sign of the raging floods of any rivers, but there was a constant wind blowing around my ears, which was quite powerful that day and probably was the reason why I was on my own the whole time during my visit.
The name Matsuhama 松浜 means pine beach, and our shrine was also flanked by several pine trees, some of which had been trimmed in height so as not to break off and cause damage during the fierce autumn and winter storms that prevail here on the Sea of Japan. Nevertheless, they still provided an imposing sight, which fitted in very well with the dignified atmosphere emanating from this shrine.
Even though it was actually just a local shrine, there were quite a few details to discover. As usual, it was also protected by two Komainu 狛犬, those stone-made lion dogs that most shrines have as guardians.
Here we have a toro, a stone lantern, whose interesting shape did not fit in at all with the image I had previously had of toros. This one seemed more Chinese than Japanese, which might have something to do with its original origin, which go back to the old Chines Empire.
As you would expect from an Inari shrine, there were of course also fox statues. In the Japanese Shintō religion, Inari 稲荷 is the god of fertility, rice and, above all, foxes, and it is one of the most popular deities in Japan. Although Inari can come in both male and female forms, I first associate her with a female god, for whom you can find more than 30,000 shrines all over Japan, including the one in the garden of the German Embassy in Tokyo. I like foxes, which is why I like visiting Inara-Jinja all the more.
I had arrived at the heart of the complex and was now standing under another toori, to which I climbed a few steps. Even though I'm not religious, I can still sense the special aura that emanates from places like this, which always has a very mystical and mysterious effect on me.
A first look back shows the way I came and the three Toori gates through which I have already walked.
Now I was standing right in front of the main building, taking a look at the tiered roof, with the wind blowing the clouds across the sky. It's a little hard to make out in this photo, but there are two white foxes on the top tile right in the middle, symbolizing the Kami Inari.
It was even possible to take a look inside, into the room where the Shinto ceremonies are held. This is the place where they bless newborn babies, and among other things, where the priests might also bless your car to keep you safe and unharmed wherever you drive. Shintoism seems to be suitable for everyday life and is firmly rooted in Japanese traditions and customs.
Afterwards, I walked around the grounds to really take in the whole site. As I mentioned at the beginning, it was this special, deep and sublime atmosphere that captivated and fascinated me and which I feel in so many shrines and temples in Japan. It is precisely this atmosphere that magically attracts me and makes me stop, and which I am only too happy to absorb in order to gain new strength, energy and inspiration.
There was a very small playground behind the main building, which on that stormy day was completely deserted. But I didn't miss the chance to at least try out the swings. To be honest, it's hard for me to walk past an empty swing without swinging towards the sky at least a few times. And this time, too, I was only too happy to give in to this feeling and take off a little.
I was finally heading back again, but as I walked the way I had come, I felt much lighter and freer. My mood was extremely good and even the whistling wind couldn't change that. On the contrary, I enjoyed its presence and was happy to let the rather cold air blow into my face.
And even now I kept glancing back several times, as if I wanted to try and store the memory of this place forever in my mind. I know it won't work, but I still have my photos to help me refresh my thoughts over and over again. And that's exactly why I write my blog posts, because they not only allow me to introduce the Land of the Rising Sun to all of you, but also to reflect on and sort through my experiences myself, thereby anchoring them deeper in my heart.
When I finally stood in front of the last toori again, my heart felt really good as I enjoyed the great view towards the Agano River. The sky looked extremely friendly for a winter's day, but up here the wind was able to really let off steam and had become a constant and almost cherished companion during my short round through Matsuhamainari Shrine. My good-mood depot was filled again and I felt quite at ease as I was standing here, letting my thoughts wander into the distance for a moment.
I really want to come back to this place again and I am pretty sure there will be another opportunity to visit. I definitely want to bring my little team with me, because what you share feels twice as good and is all the more fun.
On this very day, I was once again able to confirm to myself how important it is to leave the beaten track at every given opportunity and check out what's behind that corner you've always wanted to look behind. That's why I'll continue to do just that in the future as well, and hopefully I'll have the chance to discover and explore places like this one many more times. And yes, I will happily tell you all about it. So if you would like to see more impressions and pictures from the Land of the Rising Sun, please come back here again soon. There is still so much to show you!
[//]:# (!pinmapple 37.95088 lat 139.14289 long A windy round through the Matsuhamainari-Jinja 👹🍣🎎 Wonderful Japan d3scr)