emager in Japaradise: Lots and lots and lots!

AIEE I'm SORRY I'm so infrequently updating this! I think I'll split the posts to make all the new stuff more bearable to read. Carry on!

I mentioned last week that my host parents took me to Ise Jingu, a shrine at the base of a mountain full of beautiful trees and a creek! It was in Ise City in Miya Prefecture. We went to two different shrines, the second whose name I just can't remember. Ise Jingu had four special shrines, one big one that was important and only the special priests could go in, and three smaller ones, one for wind spirits, one for earth spirits, and another for... something spirits. My family couldn't tell me. I've found that there are several of things Japanese people in general don't understand about old Japanese culture. I can't seem to think of an equivalent in the US, but they often can't explain things that I would think Japanese people would know by default. Ah well. It was really pretty, and after that we went on to the other big shrine. Along the way was a big street with all sorts of shops and little entertainment things on the side streets connected to it. We went to the shrine ahead first. This shrine was a little similar to the first one; it was in a wooded area and had lots of people. There was a lake in/next to it, too. We walked up to the big shrine whose importance I do not comprehend, waited with a bunch of people to get to the top, and then left when we got there. My parents don't seem to be into giving the shrines money or anything. If I wanted to, they'd have stopped, but it was really crowded with people, so I didn't bother. I really wanted to make a wish/prayer at the wind shrine at Ise Jingu, but I didn't ask to stop. It was rather cold that day.

Why didn't my host dad tell us he was taking the picture, dammit? We're in front of the major shrine in Ise Jingu. The middle is my host mom, and to her right is her friend Tomoko.

The wind shrine and its name plate.

All Ise Jingu pictures

One of the first flags I've seen flying here; I just noticed it that day.

We are way too flag-happy in the US.

The second shrine. The trees were beautiful.

There was a horse at the entrance of Ise Jingu, too. I'm not exactly aware of the meaning, but just in case Stacey reads this, I thought I should include it.

After the second shrine, we got lunch at an udon shop. It was really good, although they gave me miso. We shopped around a bit, and my mom bought be a Hello Kitty-year of the snake thing, which is adorable. There were tiger figures everywhere, since it's currently the year of the tiger. We moved onto some of the side streets, where we got to watch a taiko performance (I love me some taiko, which my parents told me is weird for foreigners), and my mom found a store dedicated to maneki neko stuff, so I bought a little towel. I wanted EVERYTHING, but it was all way too expensive. So CUTE. Later adventures included eating an Ise specialty and getting a fish bone stuck in my throat. The specialty, Akafuku mochi, is pretty much just reversed daifuku. The mochi is on the inside, and the outside is covered with red bean paste. It was fresh and DELICIOUS. I found that I could get it at the convenience store as well, but it wasn't nearly as good. Sigh.

The bustling street!

ISN'T IT CUUUTE? It's a Maneki Neko SUGARBOWL.

My lunch! That IS maguro in my rice, Shelley.

Taiko performance. Both girls, which made me extra happy.

They faked us out about three times, making us think the piece was finished and then continuing when people started clapping.

...there were monkeys on the roof.

A GIANT Maneki Neko! Of course I had to get a picture with it.

Making the delicious...

AKAFUKU MOCHI

The famous place where you can buy said mochi. Of course, I can't read the kanji.

Lay eyes upon my photographical prowess.

Tsubaki! They're everywhere! The red ones are even prettier.

In English I think they're camillias.

And after this, another carsick ride back home. It was a nice day.

The zodiac snake Kitty-chan my host mom bought me.

The next weekend Rachel and I went to Shinsaibashi, a shopping area in Osaka. We went to a place called Amerika Muura, whatever that means. It was supposed to be America-themed, I think, completely with a Lady Liberty and gangsta mannequins. All we did there was shop around, and as it had a lot of cool shops, this was fine by me. I finally bought a pair of cute boots, although they're not knee-high like I want, and the ones I really wanted were not available in my size or anything I could pretend was near my size. So ended another day...