Seafood Sushi Bar "Garden House" in Yoichi Town !

by Kazu

The fresh sushi-grade seafood rice bowl created by the sushi bar "Garden House" in Yoichi Town where the world quality whiskey distillery "Nikka" founded by Mr. Masataka Taketsuru.  

It was the second time for us to have lunch in the sushi bar. We had to wait for an hour to have the seafood gem rice bowl there on that day. The sushi bar is run by a family and only one chef created the gem bowl for many guests in cooperation with his wife and a few staff. It seemed to be so tough to complete his mandate every day.   

 

Ryuuguu Shrine in Otaru City 3 !

by Kazu

I was surprised at the sweet served with Japanese green tea Matcha in Ruuguu Shrine. It was Matcha- flavored roll cake with whip cream. The sweetness and bitterness of Matcha fit the cake to a T. 

I chose this cup with thick body of black color. It was much lighter than I expected and fit to my palm comfortably. The pale green color made so fascinating contrast wit the black cup. The shrine maiden seemed to have high degree of skills in the world. 

 

Ryuuguu Shrine in Otaru City 2 !

by Kazu

So many votive wooden tablet called "Ema" that carried the wishes of the people to God hung in the main sacred house of Ruuguu Shrine near Otaru Station. A wooden sculpture of Japanese dragon was beside the tablets and benches in front of the main alter of the shrine.  

Some charms, talismans, evil-breaking arrows were on sale beside the alter. The visitors to enjoy the Japanese traditional green tea and sweets should select a cup to have the green tea at the entrance of the sacred house.

"Ryuuguu" means the palace of dragon in Japanese. So many art works shaped like and expressed dragon itself were displayed in the sacred house. They must have been contributed by the citizens and visitors.I found a portrait of Mr. Takeaki Enomoto at the corner of the sacred house. He was one of the main founders of Hokkaido Prefecture. 
 

Ryuuguu Shrine in Otaru City !

by Kazu

Sumiyoshi Shrine in Otaru City has been watching the citizens and their lives for over 150 years. A monument of 150th Anniversary Events stood beside the approach stairs to the main sacred house of the shrine. 

The colors of the shrine and the exteriors seemed to fit the green colors of the trees to a T. Soon the colors of the foliage will turn to red, yellow, purple and brown. They will give an unbelievable beauty to the landscape.

After visiting Sumiyoshi Shrine, we visited Ryuuguu Shrine in the same city Otaru. It started Japanese traditional green tea service with sweets for some bucks. My wife found the new service somewhere and we visited the hidden shrine near the train station of Otaru.  

 

Sumiyoshi Shrine in Otaru City 3 !

by Kazu

The hand-washing area of Sumiyoshi Shrine in Otaru City was also decorated with flowers and branches of the plants gracefully. Japanese silver pampas grass was also set at the corner of the water pool.  

As it was the midst of September, Japanese silver pampas grass and the flowers of chrysanthemum were floating on the surface of the pool. The efforts of the priests and staff must be imagined by the visitors and ample donation should be made by the visitors.

Religions should be separated form the politics in Japan based on the Constitution but Shinto is based on the myth of establishing the nation of Japan. It should be maintained in the education in Japan. 

 

Sumiyoshi Shrine in Otaru City 2 !

by Kazu

When the people pray for something that they want to be and that comes to a reality,  they contribute a red gate or stone lantern to the shrine. There were so many red traditional Shinto gates beside the stairs from the ocean to the main sacred house of the shrine.   

It seemed that so many wishes came to a reality, considering the number of the red gates and the names written on them.The beautiful scarlet color seemed to make vivid contrast with the black color on the top.

Appreciating the Godsend, the prayers walk through the gates. The basic donation may be made by the entrepreneurs in the city. The sacred place must play the role of kind of shelter in case of natural and artificial disasters. The Japanese Shinto shrines had been playing the role of the center of the community. That should be kept forever, I think.  

 

Sumiyoshi Shrine in Otaru City !

by Kazu

We visited Sumiyoshi Shrine in Otaru City before having lunch in Yoichi Town. It was not so fine on that day but the Sea of Japan was so calm and bright blue..                                                                                                                                                                                                         

We Japanese people customarily purify their kids at their age of 3, 5,7 and celebrate their survival because the survival rate had been much lower than now until decades ago. We did not see any kids and parents on that day but a stone pillar to measure the growth of the kids.  

In front of the main sacred house of the shrine, the guardian dogs sculpture and the measure stone stood and welcome the prayers. Everything was in silence on the premises of the shrine.