poptoonstudio: Today's Foto "2nd and 3rd Pray"

Do you know Japanese people have to go 3 shrine for the first pray? We went other 2 Shinto shrine it's our favorite shrine. This photo taken at Tsunashiki Tenman-gu in Shiida. Very nice weed pattern of this Japanese Lantern made by iron. You can see the plum symbol is this shrine's symbol mark. Tenman-gu is a shrine which makes an ancient king and God Sugawara no Michizane. Since it had already been past 12:00, people are hardly, but there are several persons. Temperature was 5 degrees. Clouds were scattered all over the clear sky and the near star looked clear.

The stall of several affairs was located in a line.
Probably, there were many people daytime. Since the sea is near, many pines are planted.
If you go some Japanese Shinto shrine, then you must do bow through under the Torii.

This is main house of this shrine. You can pray here after pay charge and Temizu.

This is Chozuya. You must wash your hand and mouth.

In this shrine, the sculpture of the dragon is putting out water. A dragon is deified as a sacred living thing by Shintoism. A ladle is called "HISHAKU" in Japan.

An Easy Pray at Shinto Shrine
You must wash your hand and mouth at this Chozuya.
1. It has a ladle with the right hand first, and scoop up water, and purify, pouring the water on a left hand.
2. It has a ladle in a left hand again, and wash and purify a right hand.
3. It has a ladle in a right hand again, accumulate it in a left hand in response to the scooped-up water, and rinse a mouth with this water.
When rinsing a mouth, a mouth is prevented from touching a ladle soon.
4. After these finish, wash and purify the used ladle, but stand the ladle into which water was put at this time, and as water is poured on a handle, wash it on it.
There are also implications called the consideration for the next person in washing a ladle.
5. Turn down and put the ladle which it finished washing on the original position, and, finally it wipes a mouth and a hand in tissue paper, a handkerchief, etc.
6. As for the manners of these, it is desirable to carry out in a series of operations.
If you want learn manner about Shinto shrine. You can see detail at Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto

Very nice architecture and decoration entrance of this main house. The main house is called "HONDEN" in Japanese. Usually, shrine have one rope only but this shrine have 5 ropes.
You must through some coins to the charge box first. You can choice any money. We through 100yen.

Why the mirror deified in the shrine?
You can see round mirror inside center of the Honden main house. But the mirror put deified into deep main shrine. Therefore, you can rarely see a mirror. It is lucky if you can see a mirror.
The sun is worshipped in Shintoism. And the mirror which reflects the sun was also made into God. In addition, a mirror is a reason for projecting truth. That is, it is thought that itself in a mirror is seen and the inside of your mind is projected. In Shintoism, it is believed that 8 million Gods other than the sun exists everywhere. Of course, it exists also in its mind. This idea is common also in Buddhism. I was interpreting it as the meaning that a mirror projects God which is in.

You must shake this big bell using big rope made from hemp before pray after through the coin.

This is result of our Omikuji. Omikuji is like a Secret Lot. Charge is 100 yen. You can not take two more. My result is right side. Omikuji gave me god's phrase. "Gentle phrase gives a warm light and power to your partner. Phrase has soul and power. You have to together with god every time. You make warm heart. You comfort people by good and softness phrase. You trouble-rate-do people. Let's make a bright world. Thorny phrase wounds people"

My wife's Omikuji say "It will become happy if you laughs. Always smile! If you have face of like bit bitter bug and sharp voice, then become dark your heart, the family and the peoples. Let's laugh and smile every time. Become high your heart and other peoples. Amano Iwato opened by people's laughin' If you laugh will become happy"

Omikuji has some rank.

Great blessing (dai-kichi, 大吉)
Middle blessing (chū-kichi, 中吉)
Small blessing (shō-kichi, 小吉)
Blessing (kichi, 吉)
Half-blessing (han-kichi, 半吉)
Future blessing (sue-kichi, 末吉)
Future small blessing (sue-shō-kichi, 末小吉)
Curse (kyō, 凶)
Small curse (shō-kyō, 小凶)
Half-curse (han-kyō, 半凶)
Future curse (sue-kyō, 末凶)
Great curse (dai-kyō, 大凶)

I got the Future blessing and my wife got the Small blessing. I have been get Great blessing very few times. Always Small blessing or Blessing or Future blessing.

Tsunashiki Tenmangu Shrine
Zip: 829-0331　794-2 Takatsuka, Chikujo-machi, Chikujo-gun, Fukuoka.
Very close to Tsuiki JSDF airforce area. This shrine built in 955 AD.
It is said that while Sugawara no Michizane was sailing to Dazaifu in 901 AD, he ran into a violent storm but somehow reached the beach in Shiida (northeast Fukuoka). The villagers then made a cutout cushion for him using their fishing nets, where he rested for a while. This site eventually became the home of Tsunashiki Tenmangu Shrine. The approach facing the Suo Sea is beautifully bordered with 300 to 400-year-old pine trees, and the 1,000 Japanese apricot trees within the shrine grounds put visitors in a relaxed mood.

View Larger Map
You can see other detail of this shrine at Fukuoka guide site.
http://www.crossroadfukuoka.jp/en/event/?mode=detail&isSpot=1&id=4000000001237

We went next shrine near our house. We visited the Susa Jingu in Yukuhashi City. We are most pleased with this shrine. It is because the paper lantern was located in a line and it was beautiful. This space is very spiritual. The psychedelic staff is likely to be suited very well. You have to crimb the long hard stairway.