Today we traveled to Nichinan-shi, Miyazakiken (Prefecture), Japan by first taking a plane out of Haneda to the Miyazaki Airport and then took a tour de francs along the coast to meet Uemura-sensei at Udo-jinguu (Udo Shrine). He was so mind to come all the way to greet us and welcome us to Nichinan as soon as we arrived. He also gave us a packet of maps, schedules, and sent us on our way after taking all our baggage.
Here, we also meet with Michael Stein (a 2008 graduate of CGS) who took us on a private tour of the temple. Since he has been placed in Nichinan-shi's City Hall to work on in its development depart to make Nichinan-shi a destionation for gaijin (foreigners), he was able to tell us a lot about the local culture, legends, and food (the mango ice is a must!).
Normally, Shinto shrines will end with -jinja, but this one ends with -jinguu because it is related to the imperial family. In the beginning of Japanese history, Emperor Jimu was born at this temple which is located in a cave. Legend has it that his mom came to the cave via turtle to give birth to him here in seclusion, since she become unsightly and reverted to her "true form" during childbirth. Emperor Jimu's father ended up entering the cave, and Jimu's mom took off her breasts and stuck them to the wall so he could be nursed and fled.
Today, people can still come and see her breasts left on the wall which they make candy from the water that drips down. It is also said that women who touch her breasts will have good fertility. The "turtle" is also there, and people buy red clay stones to throw onto the concave part of shell for good luck. Boys are supposed to use their left hand, and girls are supposed to use their right. Megan was able to get 2/5 on the turtle's back.
But, before even entering the shrine, we cleaned our hands: left hand, right hand, left hand, mouth, and pour the water down the handle. We walked along the path to give our offerings which was lined with ema (wish boards) and statues of the messenger animal of the shrine: rabbits. We gave our offering of ¥5 then bowed twice, clapped twice, and bowed again.
After on the way heading back up the steep stairs, we stopped at a local shop, and I tried mango ice cream; the mangos in Japan are padded while growing, so the extra care really makes them taste better. Michael also wanted everyone to try chiizu-manjuu (steamed bun with cheese inside).
Further up after Megan and I had bought the candy made from the breast water, the shop keeper gave us tamatama (kumquat), as its called in Miyazaki-ben. She put it in my hand, but she shoved it in my friend's mouth. It was interesting.
She also had her Akita-inu near by who she let us pet and say hi to. He was super nice and more than happy to bask in the sunlight while his owner worked.
After going to the shrine, we went to Michael's work where all of his co-workers greeted us and even stood up as soon as we came in and stood standing until we left. We then visited the tourism department and we were given gifts of Nichinan-shi as a memento for visiting. The hospital in the countryside is absolutely surreal, and Nichinan-shi was such an amazing place to go - I could live there.
Lastly, we went to a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) where we all slept on futon (sleeping mats on the floor) and were able to take a bath in our own private onsen (hot spring). Here was the first time I noted how important changing shoes all time was, and I sort of got the hang of it. It was located above our room, made of wood, with no ceiling, and it was the best. It's a must if you ever go to Japan.
No comments:
Post a Comment