Hello friends! I haven’t posted to my blog in a couple of months. I am no longer living in Japan and have been readjusting to my life in the US. And while I am loving spending time with family and enjoying all of the American conveniences, revisiting this post that I started right before I… Continue reading Thrifting in Yanai, Japan
Meoto-Iwa, or Wedding Rocks, are two rock formations in the sea adjacent to Futami Okitama Shrine (Frog Shrine) in Ise, Mie prefecture, Japan. The two rocks are joined by a large shimenaw which is a rope usually made of rice-straw and used for sacred places or for purification. According to a Shinto belief, the rocks… Continue reading Meoto-Iwa (Wedding Rocks) and Futami Okitama Shrine (Frog Shrine)
After a long week of being confined in back to school meetings, mandatory trainings, a never-ending to-do list, and putting in 4-5 hours on Saturday, I decided to declare today as Self Care Sunday. I hopped in the car and headed to my favorite beach-combing beach. About two miles in, it started to rain. I… Continue reading Self Care Sunday
Visiting Kumano Nachi Taisha was an incredible experience and such quintessential Japan. I visited this shrine during rainy season which was perfect. The mist over the mountains and falls created such a mystical backdrop for this beautiful pagoda, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start from the beginning… Arriving at the Shrine So, the… Continue reading Kumano Nachi Taisha and Nachi-no-Otaki
I happened upon Hashigui-Iwa Rocks purely by luck. I was driving along the coast minding my own business on my way to my next destination when I began to see these tall rock formations jutting out of the water. The closer I got, the bigger they became. I knew I had to stop. In the… Continue reading Hashigui-Iwa in Kushimoto, Wakayama
Warning: this is the longest post I’ve written thus far… and one of my favorite adventures! One of my first adventures during my trip to Wakayama was meeting up with a group who study and protect sea turtles. Well, this group and this particular beach were one of the top reasons I chose to visit… Continue reading Sea Turtle Search in Wakayama
Yamazaki Hachimangu Shrine was having a little festival over the last week. It was a lovely experience to see all of the flowers around the shrine. Hydrangeas floating in the pond, flowers in jars and vases, and flowers on the goshuin stamp. Goshuin Stamps Goshuin stamps are seal stamps that you can get at a… Continue reading Yamazaki Hachimangu Shrine
Well, I have officially started the Shikoku Pilgrimage. You do not have to be Buddhist to do the pilgrimage and I think everyone who decides to do a pilgrimage does it for their own individual reasons. (P.S. – I’m only squinting from the sun and am not in pain. Haha) What is the Shikoku Pilgrimage?… Continue reading Starting the Shikoku Pilgrimage
I have to start out by saying that Mitaki-dera Temple is truly a hidden gem. I’ve lived close to Hiroshima (where it is located) for three years and had not heard of this temple until recently. If you google it, you will get an image similar to my first one, but it is so much… Continue reading Mitaki-dera, Hiroshima
During rainy season, I try to take advantage of clear days when they appear and so on Wednesday, I drove over to Amidaji Temple in Hofu to see the hydrangeas. I had visited Amidaji Temple on an earlier trip to Hofu and had read a sign that told of the their hydrangea festival, so I… Continue reading Hydrangeas at Amidaji Temple in Hofu, Yamaguchi