Day 6 (17/12) - Narita Temple (Narita-san) (Part 2)
Kaizan-do Hall (1938)
Sanja Shrine
Holy (?) Water
Pagoda
Pagoda sign
Interior of one temple
Next, I went to the garden through the back door.
Hut
The Japanese garden in San Francisco was prettier, possibly because it was more compact, but I shan't bother discussing notions of authenticity here, and anyway I really liked this one as well.
Closed shops
Garden entrance
Novel donation box
Spy shots from what was presumably the main temple hall (certainly it was the only I saw with a 'No Photography' sign)
Jap lucky charms. These are priceless.
"Safe driving charm: This charm protects your car from traffic accidents. You keep this charm in your car.
Migawari-Mamori: This charm protects you from accidents. You keep this in your pocket or bag. If you have some accident, this wooden charm splits instead of you.
Yakuyoke-mamori: In Japan YAKUDOSHI is ages which are unlucky and bad things happen. If you are this age, you had better keep this charm.
Nissan-mamori: This charm is of the painted FUDOU MYOUOU's figure. If you can't come to NARITASAN daily to pray DUDOU MYOUOU, you had better enshrine this charm in your room and pray every day."
"Fujyou-mamori: This charm avoids uncleanness. You enshrine this uncleanness place such as the lavatory.
Mushifuuju-mamori: This charm calms your child's hysterics. You enshrine it in your child's room."
"Pass the exam votive tablet: This votive tablet is for success of an examination. Please write your name and your wish or the purpose on back side of the tablet, and pray to FUDOU MYOUOU for your wish from the bottom of your heart.
Lucky charm: This lucky charm is a necklace with 24K gold foil. [Ed: 24K gold seems to be the only attraction of this charm.]"
I advise against laughing at these, though, since that might count as inciting religious hatred against the Shinto religion and/or wounding Shinto religious feelings.
The black belt you see is a conveyor belt and it was moving. Uhh.
Close-up of the altar. Maybe the conveyor belt brings offerings to the statues of the gods.
I saw a bunch of Latinos in Narita-san.
[Addendum: Some pictures reuploaded due to a down Imageshack server.]