Ise Jingu

Jingu / Ise Jingu

 Jingu is often introduced in the dictionary as "Ise Jingu." However, the official name is "Jingu" without "Ise."
 Ise Jingu is the most important and popular shrine for Japanese people and several millions of Japanese people visit every year.
 Jingu is principally composed of the Naiku where Amaterasu Omikami, the ancestral kami of the Imperial Family, is worshiped, and Geku where Toyouke Omikami, the kami of agriculture and industry, is worshiped.
 Naiku is the alternative name for Kotaijingu, the sanctuary that is located in the southern part of Ise city, Mie, and was founded about 2000 years ago.
 Geku is the alternative name for Toyoukedaijingu. This sanctuary is located in the center of Ise city, Mie, and was founded about 1500 years ago.
In the area around Jingu, 125 subsidiary shinto sanctuaries are distributed. 91 of them are connected with the Naiku and 32 with the Geku.
Jingu is described in the oldest Japanese books "Kojiki" and "Nihonshoki", edited about 1300 years ago.
Many generations of our ancestors have worshiped at the Jingu, which exists now just as it was at its beginning.(source)

謹賀新年

新年明けましておめでとうございます。東日本大震災による福島第一原子力発電所の事故を契機に始めた当ブログは今年で5年になります。日本が幾多の困難を乗り越えて希望と安全の国になれるよう、今年も応援してまいります。

伊勢神宮について

三重県伊勢市にある伊勢神宮は天照大神をおまつりする皇大神宮（内宮）と天照大神のお食事を司る神の豊受大神をおまつりする豊受大神宮（外宮）を中心とする１２５の宮社の総称です。外宮から内宮の順に参拝します。

These pictures were taken on August 2015.

About Ise Jingu

http://www.isejingu.or.jp/english/

Google map

Ise Jingu (Geku)

http://goo.gl/maps/8Huhr

Google map

Ise Jingu (Naiku)

http://goo.gl/maps/w2ax2

Toyoukedaijingu / Geku

豊受大神宮/外宮

Geku is the alternative name for Toyoukedaijingu. This sanctuary is located in the center of Ise city, Mie, and was founded about 1500 years ago.

Hiyokebashi Bridge

火除橋

This wooden bridge marks the entrance to Geku

Torii　; a symbolic structure of Shinto

鳥居

Main sanctuary

正宮

 The entrance to Main sanctuary

Kotaijingu / Naiku

皇大神宮/内宮

 Naiku is the alternative name for Kotaijingu, the sanctuary that is located in the southern part of Ise city, Mie, and was founded about 2000 years ago.

Isuzugawa River

五十鈴川

Ujibashi Bridge

This woodenbridge is newly constructed every twenty years.The architectural style of the Ujibashi Bridge is purely Japanese and its length is over 100 meters.

宇治橋

Torii

Main sanctuary

正宮

A divine palace of Amaterasu-Omikami stands here.

Mishine-no-mikura

御稲御倉

One of the auxiliary jinja of Naiku to store harvested rice for offering to kami in rituals.

Kintetsu　Railway

近鉄

http://www.kintetsu.co.jp/foreign/english/index.html

Japanese foods are good and safe.

Because of stricter food safety law by Japanese government, we have no worry about foods.

Matsusaka beef

松阪牛

Sushi

寿司

mochi ; rice cake

餅

Anmitsu

あんみつ

 About 5 years have passed since Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. I have visited various places of Japan to see the health consequence of the accident.
 Fortunately I have never found any impacts by the accident among Japanese creatures. As far as I know, nobody has health problem which is caused by the accident in Japan.
 Our Prime Minister Abe assures that "The situation is under control. The influence of the contaminated water is completely blocked within Fukushima. There are no health-related problems until now and there will never be health problems." He also said that "Tokyo is 250 kilometers away from Fukushima, and the kind of danger that you imagine does not exist in Tokyo. Tokyo is a very safe city."
 As PM Abe said, Mie Prefecture is very far away from Fukushima, people in there have no concern about the nuclear power plant accident. People in there have already forgotten the accident, because they think radioactive materials cannot reach there.
 We know there is no problem for childbirth and child rearing in Mie Prefecture. So people in there have no concern about the accident.
 I continue to visit various places in Japan to see the effects of the accident, because I can meet various creatures which are more sensitive to radioactive materials from the environment. It is important to see their health for our safety.

公衆衛生ネットワーク

Public Health Network in Japan

http://plaza.umin.ac.jp/phnet/

Toshidaiji Temple

Toshidaiji Temple

World Heritage watching ; Toshidaiji Temple

唐招提寺

Toshidaiji temple was founded by Chinese Buddhist priest Jianzhen, Ganjin in Japanese, in 759 as an institute dedicated to the learning of Buddhist commandments. 

Several buildings in this temple date back to the 8th century. Among them, the main hall is the structure of the 8th century remaining, and the lecture hall is a building used at Heijo Palace.

唐招提寺は、唐の高僧鑑真和上が759年に建立したお寺です。聖武天皇に招かれ、12年もの間、幾度にも及ぶ苦難の末に来日を果たした逸話が有名です。奈良時代（8世紀）に建立された金堂と講堂は国宝です。

These pictures were taken on July 2015.

Nandai-mon ; Southern Great Gate

南大門

 Toshodaiji Temple is located in what seems today to be the outskirts of Nara, but this area was a central block of the city when it was the capital of Japan about 1250 years ago. It was in 759 that the Emperor at that time granted the former residence of Emperor Tenmu’s son, Prince Neetabay Shin-no, for the establishment of Toshodaiji Temple. The name is derived from the facts that its first abbot Ganjin was from Toh, or the Tang Dynasty in China, and that it was founded as a place for Buddhist training under his guidance.  Toshodaiji was the first temple in Japan to be devoted to one of the Chinese Buddhist denominations --- namely the Nanzan school. Even today Toshodaiji is regarded as the head temple of Japan’s Ritsu-shu denomination of Buddhist teachings.

About Toshidaiji Temple

http://www.toshodaiji.jp/english/index.html

Google map
https://goo.gl/maps/Y6yrCtNwMUP2

Kondo; Golden Hall or Main Hall 

金堂

Kondo is the greatest Tempyo Era structure (of the 8th century) remaining in Japan today. 

Kondo Naijin ; Inner sanctum

金堂内陣

source http://nara.jr-central.co.jp/walk/mc2.html

Kodo; Lecture Hall

講堂 

During the 8th Century, Buddhist temples were not only places for religious training but for learning in general; and the Kodo Lecture Hall was used as an assembly and lecture hall for all the surrounding temples. Today the Kodo alone has miraculously remained until today.

Azekura ;  wooden repositories

校倉（あぜくら）

There are two azekura, or wooden repositories. The southern one was for the storage of precious sutras, and the northern one for treasures. Both were built even before the famous Shoso-in azekura in Todaiji Temple which was constructed in 756.

Gobyou； Ganjin’s tomb

鑑真和上御廟

Lotus

蓮

Japanese foods are good and safe.

Because of stricter food safety law by Japanese government, we have no worry about foods.

Lemonade

レモネード

Breakfast

 4 years have passed since Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. I have visited various places of Japan to see the health consequence of the accident.

 Fortunately I have never found any impacts by the accident among Japanese creatures. As far as I know, nobody has health problem which is caused by the accident in Japan.

 Our Prime Minister Abe assures that "The situation is under control. The influence of the contaminated water is completely blocked within Fukushima. There are no health-related problems until now and there will never be health problems." He also said that "Tokyo is 250 kilometers away from Fukushima, and the kind of danger that you imagine does not exist in Tokyo. Tokyo is a very safe city."

 As PM Abe said, Nara Prefecture is very far away from Fukushima, people in there have no concern about the nuclear power plant accident. People in there have already forgotten the accident, because they think radioactive materials cannot reach there.

 We know there is no problem for childbirth and child rearing in Nara Prefecture. So people in there have no concern about the accident.

 I continue to visit various places in Japan to see the effects of the accident, because I can meet various creatures which are more sensitive to radioactive materials from the environment. It is important to see their health for our safety.

公衆衛生ネットワーク

Public Health Network in Japan

http://plaza.umin.ac.jp/phnet/

Yakushiji Temple

World Heritage watching ; Yakushiji Temple

Yakushiji Temple

薬師寺

 Originally founded in 680, this temple prospered under the patronage of the imperial court in the 8th century.

Since that time, the temple was to tragically lose all of its buildings to fire, with the exception of its east pagoda.

Restoration work has continued since 1967, and today, visitors can see many buildings reconstructed by using traditional methods and techniques.

奈良の薬師寺は「法相宗［ほっそうしゅう］」の大本山です。天武天皇により発願（680）、持統天皇によって本尊開眼（697）、更に文武天皇の御代に至り、飛鳥の地において堂宇の完成を見ました。その後、平城遷都（710）に伴い現在地に移されたものです。（718）

現在は平成10年よりユネスコ世界遺産に登録されています。

These pictures were taken on July 2015.

Yakushiji Temple

About Yakushiji Temple

http://www.nara-yakushiji.com/index.html

Google map

https://goo.gl/maps/hvhvVRtuegm

 Yakushiji Temple was built in the year 680 by the Emperor Tenmu, praying for a cure to the illness of Uno-no-Sararahime-Miko (Empress under Emperor Tenmu, and later the Empress Jito). The temple was originally located in Fujiwara-kyo (the capital city from 694 to 710). In 718, it was moved to its present location in the capital at Nara. Due to numerous fires, including the flames of war, the only building that remains of the temple of that period is the To-to (the eastern pagoda, of the two pagodas situated on the east and west). This pagoda is designated as a National Treasure. The Kon-do (the hall that enshrines the main deity) was restored in 1976. The Sai-to (the western pagoda) was restored in 1981, with the Chu-mon (the gate situated between Nandai-mon and the main buildings) being restored in 1984, and a portion of the corridor being restored in 1991.The To-to pagoda, which has three roofs, is a three-storied pagoda. This pagoda is especially noteworthy for the small roof-like eaves on each story, which make it look like a six-storied pagoda. The Yakushi-sanzon, which is housed in the Kon-do, is a leading Buddhist image of the 7th century. It was greatly admired by Ernest Fenollosa, an American who contributed to the restoration of traditional Japanese fine art in the 19th century.

source http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/spot/shritemp/yakushiji.html

Bell

鐘楼

Daikodo; lecture hall

大講堂

This hall is not only the largest hall in the temple, that is 41m. wide, 20m. deep, and 17m. high but also in the wooden architecture in this century in Japan. This hall enshrines Maitreya Buddha Triad, ( National important art object, Hakuho Period) who was introduced as a reincarnation of the real person of Buddha.

Maitreya Buddha Triad

弥勒三尊像　【重要文化財】　白鳳～天平時代

source http://www.nara-yakushiji.com/guide/hotoke/hotoke_daikodo.html

Kon-do; Main Hall (M)

Sai-to; West Pagoda (Rt)

To-to; East Pagoda (Lt) is under restoration work.

東塔（左）　金堂（中）　西塔（右）

There are some statues in the Main Hall.

Yakushi-sanzon; Yakushi-Triad in the Kondo

薬師三尊像（国宝・白鳳時代）

source http://www.nara-yakushiji.com/guide/hotoke/hotoke_kondo.html

Sai-to; West Pagoda

西塔

There are statues of Buddha in the Pagoda.

source http://www.nara-yakushiji.com/guide/hotoke/hotoke_seito.html

Chu-mon; Middle Gate

中門

Nitennouzou ; Two Heavenly Kings

二天王像

Nan-mon; South Gate

南門

Genjo-sanzoin-Garan

玄奘三蔵院伽藍

Japanese foods are good and safe.
Because of stricter food safety law by Japanese government, we have no worry about foods.

Warabi-mochi ; bracken-starch dumpling

わらび餅

Ekiben ; A box lunch sold at a railroad station

駅弁

Tempura ; deep-fried fish and vegetables in a light batter

天ぷら

 4 years have passed since Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. I have visited various places of Japan to see the health consequence of the accident.

 Fortunately I have never found any impacts by the accident among Japanese creatures. As far as I know, nobody has health problem which is caused by the accident in Japan.

 Our Prime Minister Abe assures that "The situation is under control. The influence of the contaminated water is completely blocked within Fukushima. There are no health-related problems until now and there will never be health problems." He also said that "Tokyo is 250 kilometers away from Fukushima, and the kind of danger that you imagine does not exist in Tokyo. Tokyo is a very safe city."

 As PM Abe said, Nara Prefecture is very far away from Fukushima, people in there have no concern about the nuclear power plant accident. People in there have already forgotten the accident, because they think radioactive materials cannot reach there.

 We know there is no problem for childbirth and child rearing in Nara Prefecture. So people in there have no concern about the accident.

 I continue to visit various places in Japan to see the effects of the accident, because I can meet various creatures which are more sensitive to radioactive materials from the environment. It is important to see their health for our safety.

公衆衛生ネットワーク

Public Health Network in Japan

http://plaza.umin.ac.jp/phnet/