Thursday at Meiji Shrine

The weather was perfect today (rare these days as the rainy season approaches), so I wagged my afternoon classes and we hopped the Yamanote line down to Harajuku to see Meiji Shrine. It's dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, who held sway back in the late 1800s. Though flattened in WWII, it's been rebuilt exactly the way it was and it's my favorite place (so far) in Tokyo. We visited the Empress's fishing pond and an iris garden (alas, the irises don't bloom until June), and prayed for a good year in Japan. Here are some pictures and a link to some other images.

These are tablets you can use (i.e. buy for 500 yen) to offer a personal prayer. They're hung around a very majestic tree.

Sake containers on the way to the main shrine. Sake bottles?

Q. Why do some Shinto shrines (e.g., Meiji Shrine and one of the temples on top of Mt. Takao) have stacks of empty sake containers on their grounds or just outside the main hall?

A. They are offerings to the two different aspects of Shinto gods: Nigimitama and Aramitama. According to Shinto doctrine, Aramitama is a wild energy which causes human suffering and is somewhat similar to the Chinese concept of yang. Nigimitama is a peaceful energy similar to the Chinese concept of yin. Sacred sake, known as omiki, is offered in order to appease Aramitama and thank Nigimitama in one of many rituals which are designed to balance the two forces.

One of many enormous torii gates on the way into the main shrines.

Lori in the main temple courtyard. (Guess who's the better photographer?)

Stay tuned for more Moshi-Moshi Monkey. Later!