Thursday, 3rd April, 2014.
The present form of this Shinto shrine dates from 1168. It consists of a number of pavilions of varying sizes built over the water, and linked by wooden walkways.
On one side of the shrine is a no (stylised dance-drama) stage, built in 1680, and still used for no performances every year from 16 – 18 April, so we just missed out by a couple of weeks.
I didn’t actually identify where the no stage was.
People purified themselves with water before entering.
There was a wedding taking place in one of the pavilions, with hundreds of people looking on. The bride is the one in the big white hat, and the people on the trestles seem to be family or guests.
On one side were some young male attendants or junior priests …..
….. while on the other side were the ladies.
The walkways over the water would probably not pass Australian Workplace Health and Safety standards.
Here is Carol trying not to fall in.
This walkway was a bit more secure.
The water was extremely clear and you could see fish happily swimming about.
When the tide goes out, you are left with mud, but being Japanese, it is extremely clean mud.
From the shrine, you could see “commoners” (i.e. tourists) entering the gate.
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