Crazy Canals

The canals here are always full of something to gawk at. First off, they always have koi in them. And ducks. Plus you can usually find crabs, puffer fish, turtles, heron, and the occasional sting ray. I was exploring the mouth of a canal recently that spilled into the bay. The amount of ocean wild life was mind blowing. I saw 2 sting rays, several fish that I have yet to identify, and tens of thousands of puffer fish!! The closer you got to the bay, the thicker the puffer fish got. The water was nearly solid with them! The pictures I got just do not do it justice. I had never seen anything like that in my life!

Exploring Ruins on the Coast

We went exploring yesterday and hiked up and down the coast and through the woods. It was a nice cloudy day, so it wasn't too hot and there was a great breeze. We climbed to the top of a light house and enjoyed the view, but my favorite part was exploring some old ruins in the woods. We happened upon a large area that looked like we were just dropped in an episode of Legends of the Hidden Temple. There was a plaque there that we used Google Translate on, and we learned that the stone structures before us were old Japanese military ruins that were over 200 years old! It said there was still ammunition stored underground at the site. There were underground tunnels that were sealed off with slabs of concrete. I found a crack in the concrete that was just big enough to stick my hand in. I shoved my camera in there (you couldn't see anything just by peaking into the hole - it was pitch black) and took some pics just to see what was in there. It was amazing!! Since the tunnels are pretty untouched by the elements, the red brick that lines their walls looks brand new. You can see way in the back that the tunnel splits and goes off 3 or 4 different directions. It was so cool!

200 year old Japanese military ruins.

The views around the coast were amazing as well. Tons of people were out on the beaches, playing and enjoying the water. While we were walking along a path up a coastal hill, we found a cat! I am constantly finding cats wherever we go - Japan must have the biggest stray cat population, I swear! While we were in the woods, we also found a really old, tiny cemetery. I had never seen one this small. Seeing as how there were no large, modern monuments, and the erosion on the tomb stones was significant, I would love to know how old it is.

Inside of an underground tunnel.

A different underground tunnel. 

Tiny, old cemetery. 

Cemeteries

The cemeteries here in Japan are so amazing. Each monument is actually a tomb that holds the cremated remains of entire families. Since space is so limited in this island nation, each individual person cannot have their own plot, so everyone is cremated and several family members through generations are kept together in the same tomb. Each interment plot usually costs about $20,000, and are fitted with large, ornate marble or granite monuments. The upper portion of the monument can have the family name, as well as the name of each family member there, engraved on it, along with a family crest or a family tree engraved on it. The large base of the monument is where the cremated remains are held. These monuments also include a place to keep water, and spaces for burning incense, placing flowers, burning the light of a lantern, and can even have a receptacle for leaving your name card or a note for the family. Like with any other cemetery I've ever come across, I could easily spend hours there, just looking around and admiring all the beauty and history and getting lost in the day dreams of how each person lived their life.

Flowers

The flowers just keep getting better!

Our Shrine

We are lucky enough to have both a Buddhist temple and a Shinto shrine in our neighborhood! Both shrines and temples are incredibly common in Japan and can be found just about anywhere you look. Shintoism is the indigenous religion of Japan and is as old as the country itself. It means "way of the gods" and is very nature based. Shinto recognizes that everything in the universe, including rocks, trees, etc, have a spirit. Even actions and different cycles of nature have spirits representing each moment. It is said that Shinto has over 8 million spirits or gods to assist with every aspect of life. This, of course, is a very simplified, quick explanation of Shintoism, as it is a very ancient, complex belief system that has evolved slowly throughout history. One of the biggest impacts on Shintoism occurred when the Koreans introduced Buddhism to Japan 1500 years ago. Buddhism has had a huge influence on Japan, with about 33% of Japanese identifying as Buddhist.

Currently, there is a movement to revive Shinto in its original form. Many people dislike how modernized Shinto has become, since now it is heavily mixed with Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. This type is known as Koshinto, which means "old shinto", and is dedicated to practicing Shintoism in its purest, ancient form before outside religious influence came to be.

Shinto shrines and sacred places are always marked with a torri gate. It is through this large structure that you enter the space. Before you can enter, you must cleanse yourself with water that is usually provided by a well near the gate. You use a ladle to pour water over your left hand first, then over your right hand, then you fill your cupped hand with water, sip it from your hand, swish it around your mouth and spit it out. The left over water is carefully poured on the ground and the ladle is placed back on the well.

When I visited our shrine, there were many beautiful things to see. I even found a cat there! He was napping in the bushes. I love our neighborhood - there is always something to explore!

Temple Visitor

There is a Buddhist temple in our neighborhood. I was walking home one day and looked up and a black kite was perched on the hand railing at the very top of the hill. The temple sits at the top of a very big hill, which has steps (a LOT of steps) going straight to the top. I stood there and watched the kite for several minutes, then he swooped down the length of the stairs and straight over my head. It was amazing!