Preparation for the New Year

The end of the year is always busy for cleaning and preparing things for the coming new year. All small Toriis are taken away from each spot where they are dedicated for gods by prayers and new Toriis will be placed for the new year.

Autumn leaves and the view towards Osaka

After walking up the stairs for about 20min, you will reach Yotsutsuji, a view point towards the east. Going further up on the stairs on the left side, you will reach the higher view point where you can also look out the buildings of Osaka city.

In the flame

The 16th of November is a festive day for the god of Yakuriki and other gods enshrined in the same area of Inari yama. Believers of Yakuriki gather in front of the shrine and send their prayers to the god. They write their name and wish on a wooden stick and burn them as they read scripts out aloud. Sake and other food product are dedicated. They are usually crops from the field(rice, veges and fruit), and produce from the sea(fish and seaweed) and placed in front of the shrine during the rituals. All the rituals take about 1 hour and the dedications will be taken home as they are considered as sacred givings from the gods.

Back to town

The autumn has arrived in Inari yama and we can also feel the approach of winter from the crisp air and the fall of coloured leaves.

To the next door

We left our home this morning, clean and empty. We thought we had so little but at the end we had so many things to pack and give away, hoping someone would use them.

The door is closed behind us and now the next one is open. We will stay next few days to say good bye for a while to our friends and get on the flight back to where we are from.

Tutelary Cat

I met her on the date of our Japanese wedding at Fujinomori Shrine where my in laws also  got married. The shrine is even older than Fushimi Inari Taisha and enshrines tutelary god of the local community.  

She appeared from no where but followed us and sat still as I took some pictures. She did not say a word (of course not) but she had this look of solemn dignity that made me think she could be the messanger of God like the statues of white foxes sitting beside Inari shrines. 

You may see cats walking on the street anywhere in Japan, they may be homeless cats, or may have a home or two and they always seem to possess great worldly wisdom. 

Wishes on Ema

These wooden plaques are generally called Ema for worshipers to write their wishes and prayers, and left hanging up at the shrine. 

It is very unique to find fox shaped Ema. In Inari, pure white foxes are regarded as messengers of Inari god and some worshipers leave a dozen of eggs and rice crackers as offerings, assuming that those are all delicacies for the foxes. Common wishes on Ema would be business success, good health, pass exams to enter schools, finding a love/partner etc. 

I am not sure whether this can be called a religious activity today but it is rather our tradition to write our wishes, prayers and goals on Ema when visiting shrines or write wishes such as new year's resolution on a piece of paper to keep for a year. 

First step for the next 100 years

We both studied and worked overseas, met there and lived there for some time. Tree is from Kyoto and Fox is from Tokyo. Tree's family manages a Tea House on top of the Inari -yama for generations. We have over 100 years of family history in the same place, Inari yama and the path built by our ancestors has brought us where we stand now. Are we taking the baton of the relay? Where would we want to take it in the next 100 years? 

Large percentage of the oldest companies comes from Japan and the oldest is in operation for over 1,400 years (a list of oldest companies). Toyota was founded in 1934, and it is only 78 year old baby if compared with those listed companies. Most of the red Torii gates along the paths in Inari-yama were built by the CEOs and directors of a company with a long history. 

What is in our mind at the moment is to utilise our experience and implement new to what we have and where we stand.  
Our mission is

• To work for the community
• To link people and share culture
• To provide personal experience

and this is small but our first step forward.