I thought Nara Park was just a park of deer, but it was a big park of museums, waters, and shrines.😊
Even though it was hot, I decided to explore at least one shrine. The closest shrine was the Himuro Shrine.
On the entrance were toriis and trees. I cannot read Kanji so I had to pull out my phone to translate them using Google, and it was about the history of the shrine itself.
Before entering the main shrine, we found a well and a purification fountain. I only see them in anime and movies. Hehe. 😄 But now I can really tell that I was Japan! 🍃
This is located just outside of the entrance so visitors can clean themselves before entering. It removes the impurities before entering a sacred place, more of a spiritual aspect. 😊
As a foreigner, I have just a little idea of how to use this properly, based on anime or Japanese movies. I do not want to be disrespectful so I just googled it (Yes, the internet is very helpful when traveling). 👏🏻
The first was to pick up the wooden ladle to scoop the water. Rinse hands and water. After that, clean the ladle itself by running the water vertically, and return to how it was resting. Done! ☺️
As I approached the shrine, I centered myself and took a deep breath to release all the bad energy that I had (more of being tired and hot from walking) and then I bowed and clapped twice.
Though I have a different religion, I want to pay respect.
I prayed for the good things to come and to be more resilient for whatever life will throw at me. And then, one more bow after praying.
The shrine was manned by a grandpa. In this shop, they offer charm keychains (I am not exactly sure what to call them)😅. Every keychain has its meaning and charm. You can buy them for 600 Yen.
I got this keychain because aside from the color (Pink is my favorite color), this good luck charm is believed to bring more money and good business. Not gonna lie, I need money to live. 🤣
It is small and soft, so put this in my wallet for good luck! ☺️
The grandpa was the only person doing the goshuin (shrine stamp). So when you have the chance to visit Himuro Shrine, bring a paper or mini notebook. It is a calligraphy handwritten specially for you! ✨👏🏻
What really intrigued me was the "ice fortune". Huh, it was interesting… I had never seen something like this before so I wanted to try. 🤨
I put the coin inside of a wooden box for the payment. And then, I shook the box with the long sticks inside. There was a little hole for one stick with a number that I had to pull to reveal the number.
I remember it was number 8. So whatever, the number was, there was a paper assigned to it. So number 8 is paper number 8 that I will be put in the block of ice like this.
I placed the paper on top of the ice block and rubbed it until it revealed the characters. It showed what could be the future in different aspects of life like career, health, business, love life, etc. I blurred out some because I’m shy, haha. 🤣
I can say that visiting a shrine is one of my highlights visiting Japan. I felt peace and calm, away from the noisy and touristy streets.
Cleansing myself using the purification fountain alone made my mind clearer. It was like a shift in my energy from being tired and hot walking all day to being fresher and calm.
The gentle hush of the wind and the chime of the bell wrapped the sacredness of the place. t was a moment that I reflected on life- of what was going on and what was supposed to leave behind.
It reminded me that sometimes I should slow down in life. It was a humbling experience and I would visit another shrine again when I go back to Japan. 💗⛩
Thanks for reading! ✨
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That is it for this blog. I will see you at the next one!
📸 All photos are owned and taken by me, otherwise credited. ©️jijisaurart
Disclaimer: I might be putting some wrong info or terms here, so feel free to correct me. 😊