Image search results - "omiya" - JAPAN PHOTOS by Philbert Ono

Image search results - "omiya"

A group of men carry a red and white pole in front of Inazawa Station, on their way to Konomiya Shrine.

Raising a pole in front of Inazawa Station

They zig-zag along the street, and they are filled with sake.

Every once in a while, they raise their pole.

On the straight road from Inazawa Station to Konomiya Shrine.

Konomiya Shrine torii and the long path to the shrine is lined with a large crowd.

Numerous groups of near-naked men (no women) proceed to the shrine all afternoon.

Zig-zag to the shrine

Another torii

Romon Gate 楼門

After passing through this gate, the men enter the shrine grounds. Romon Gate 楼門

Haiden Hall where the men offer their long poles. 拝殿

Haiden Hall 拝殿

Now empty, this path will soon be filled with thousands of men in loincloths.

Some of the men tear off strips from their handband and give them to bystanders.

Gaijin talking to gaijin. Sounded Australian. English teacher at junior high.

Gaijin girls had an easy time attracting men who happily tried to converse in English and bestow cloth strips.

The inner path to the shrine gets more crowded.

It was a pretty cold day, and these men were drinking all afternoon.

Banzai cheers when an extra-large pole was brought to the shrine.

Stacking up the poles.

Men start to pour into the shrine.

They are waiting for the Sacred Man.

Now they start to splash cold water on the men, and some of the spectators.

Water supply

Splashing water

Men with buckets come for a refill.

They get pretty crazy, getting more water.

Konomiya Hadaka Festival, Inazawa, Aichi Pref.

All the men look in the direction of the Sacred Man.

All the men look in the direction of the Sacred Man, but few can actually see him or touch him for good luck.

The Sacred Man struggles to reach the small window.

The men are shouting "Kami-o Kami-o" (another way of pronouncing the kanji for Kami-otoko). 神男

This is the small window the Sacred Man has to enter. It has a sprinkler system.

All the men want to touch the Sacred Man, believing that it will dispel bad luck.

The men in the window give directions to the Sacred Man.

Sometimes a man from the window jumps into the crowd to grab and take in the Sacred Man.

Maybe this is the Sacred Man being pulled into the window.

When the Sacred Man enters the window, everyone cheers.

The festival is over.

The window where the Sacred Man entered.

Inside the shrine hall.

TV reporter with this year's Sacred Man (Kami-otoko), Kato Norihiko, from Ichinomiya 神男：加藤典彦

TV reporter with this year's Sacred Man (Kami-otoko), Kato Norihiko 神男：加藤典彦

Giant kagami mochi, rice cake in the Haiden Hall. Over 2 meters tall and over 2 meters diameter. Weighs 4 tons. They are to be cut into small pieces (with a chain saw) and given away the next morning.

More giant mochi offered to the shrine. Notice the forklift. 大鏡餅奉納

Giant mochi inside the Haiden hall. 大鏡餅奉納

Closeup of giant mochi. Solid as a rock.

Tree surrounded with cloth strips called Naoi-gire

Cloth strips (100 yen each) to ward off bad luck 厄除けの ”なおいぎれ”　初穂料　１本　１００円

Fuji-san Hongu Sengen Taisha is the Shinto shrine that basically owns Mt. Fuji, especially the summit area of the mountain. JR Fujinomiya Station is the closest train station to the shrine, but from Tokyo, it's most convenient to take a bus from Tokyo Station to Fujinomiya Station, taking about 2.5 hours for a little over ¥2,000.

Mt. Fuji peeking through buildings in front of JR Fujinomiya Station. The shrine is a short walk from JR Fujinomiya Station.

The shrine's first torii has a nice view of Mt. Fuji. Visited the shrine on New Year's Day 2017. Mt. Fuji (Japan's highest and most revered mountain) has a Shinto shrine on the summit, and it belongs to Fuji-san Hongu Sengen Taisha in Fujinomiya.

They were constructing a new international facility next to the first torii.

Poem about Mt. Fuji

The main road near the shrine was jammed with cars and people on New Year's Day.

"Fujinomiya" means "Shrine of Mt. Fuji," so the city was named after this shrine.

Second torii also has a fine view of Mt. Fuji.

Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine's second torii has a fine view of Mt. Fuji.

Mt. Fuji and torii pillar.

Path to the shrine crowded with people on New Year's Day 2017.

Map of shrine grounds.

View from the main Romon Gate.

鉾立石

Romon Gate 楼門

Year of the Rooster, 2017

Long line to purify yourself at the water fountain.

How to purify yourself at the shrine's water fountain. Pour the water into your hand, and sip it from your hand.

People are pure enough now to visit the shrine.

Worshippers lined up in front of the main shrine. Didn't take long to get here.

People pray for Good health, good job, prosperity, good school, good marriage partner (even though fewer people are getting married in Japan), etc.

The shrine is dedicated to a goddess being a guardian deity for fire prevention, safe childbirth, ocean voyages, fishing, farming, and weaving.

Offertory box in front of the main shrine. That's money on the floor.

Fujisan Hongu Sengen Shrine

The high structure is the main shrine (Honden) standing 13 meters high. Built in 1604 by Tokugawa Ieyasu. In the distinctive sengen-zukuri style.

Clump of volcanic rock from an eruption by Mt. Fuji.

Rock from the South Pole brought back by Japan's exploratory ship named "Fuji."

Eastern torii of Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine has a great view of Mt. Fuji.

Eastern torii of Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine.

You can also enter the shrine through this eastern torii.

eastern torii.

Next to the eastern torii is Wakutama-ike Pond created by a natural spring (湧玉池).

About Wakutama-ike Pond (湧玉池).

Wakutama-ike Pond (湧玉池)

Bridges over Wakutama-ike Pond (湧玉池)

Bridge over Wakutama-ike Pond

Wakutama-ike Pond

Crystal clear water of Wakutama-ike Pond

Itsukushima Shrine on Wakutama-ike Pond.

Shrine amulets on sale.

Shrine maidens selling amulets.

Ema tablet with Mt. Fuji and a rooster. ¥1000

Ema tablet with Mt. Fuji ¥500

Barrels of sake

Omikuji fortunes

Omikuji

If you want to hold a private prayer service inside the shrine, apply here.

Place to discard last year's New Year's decorations.

Shrine has this lawn where you can sit, relax, and gaze at Mt. Fuji.

The shrine has a varied and scenic landscape with a river, lawn, and natural spring pond.

At Sengen Taisha Shrine in Fujinomiya.

Koban police box near the entrance of the shrine.

Traffic cones with a Mt. Fuji design.

Mt. Fuji turning red at sunset.

Shiraito Falls is one of Japan 100 Famous Waterfalls. It's a short bus ride from JR Fujinomiya Station with bus stops and a view of Mt. Fuji.

Buses from JR Fujinomiya Station for Shiraito Falls leave once or twice an hour.

Nice views of Mt. Fuji along the way.

Mt. Fuji from the bus on the way to Shiraito Falls.

Shiraito Falls is a short walk from the Shiraito Falls bus stop.

Mt. Fuji at the entrance of Shiraito Falls.

Some tourist shops at Shiraito Falls.

Map of Shiraito Falls area.

First you see Otodome Falls, big and impressive.

Otodome Falls in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka

Shiraito Falls

Shiraito Falls has some steps to go down, then a bridge over the river.

Shiraito Falls

Shiraito Falls in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka

Shiraito Falls in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka.

Shiraito Falls in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka. "Shiraito" means "white threads" in Japanese. It refers to the numerous slivers of water falling. This is one of Japan's most famous waterfalls also part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park

The water flows from Mt. Fuji's runoff between layers of rock. So the water is flowing through the rock layers. Interesting phenomenon.

Inside the tourist info center at Shiraito Falls.

Bus schedule back to Fujinomiya Station from Shiraito Falls.

Mt. Fuji license plate.

Red Mt. Fuji at sunset in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka.

Mt. Fuji in the early evening.

JR Fujinomiya Station with Mt. Fuji in the early evening.

Hiroshima is also famous for okonomiyaki.

Since Jan. 2010 is the 15th anniversary of the Kobe earthquake that struck on Jan. 17, 1995, I decided to upload these photos for the first time. I visited Kobe 10 days after the killer quake struck. Had to take a hydrofoil from Osaka to reach Kobe.

Kobe Port. Most of the people entering Kobe during this time were relatives and friends of Kobe residents, bringing relief goods.

Distribution place for relief goods. Ten days after the earthquake, the initial fires, confusion, and pandemonium had subsided. It was pretty calm by then, but the damage was still visible.

Kobe City Hall buckled at the middle floor.

Near Kobe City Hall along Flower Road was this office building which had also collapsed at a middle floor.

Santica building near Sannomiya Station had a middle floor crushed. As I walked around the devastation, I could see common ways in which the buildings collapsed. High rise buildings commonly collapsed on a middle floor.

Kobe Shimbun newspaper offices near Sannomiya Station was in shambles.

Expressway pylon broken.

In front of Sannomiya Station is Sogo Dept. Store.

Sogo Dept. Store cracked vertically in the middle. This building was later torn down and replaced with a new dept. store building.

Cracked Sogo Dept. Store in Sannomiya.

Employees are removing merchandise from Sogo Dept. Store.

Shop shutters along Ikuta Road are tilted due to the crushing weight.

Tilted buildings near Sannomiya Station. It took only 15 sec. to wreak all this damage.

The building next to Washington Hotel scraped against the hotel as it fell.

Damage to Sannomiya Station building.

Sannomiya Station

Hankyu Railways' Sannomiya Station being torn down.

Nihon Seimei Bldg. collapsed at the middle.

Nihon Seimei Bldg. collapsed at the middle, near Sannomiya Station. It's hard to imagine what would've happened if the quake struck during working hours with people working in this building.