元旦 / New Year

お寺で鐘を打ったあと、2013年を迎えます。深夜の天気がとても寒いのに、八坂神社に参拝に行きます。それは僕の初詣です。初詣は、歳が明けてから初めて寺社に参拝し、一年の無病息災を折ります。
After participating in the event of striking the Night-watch bell for 108 times, it's time to welcome the year 2013. Despite of the crazy cold weather, I still decided to proceed to pay my respect at 'Yasaka Shrine'. In Japan, the first visit to a shrine each and every year is also known as 'Hatsumoode'. The locals will pray for their well-being for the upcoming year on this visit.

その深夜、天気が寒いものの、八坂神社に参拝に行った人が多いですね。 （もしかすると何十万以上の参拝者があるかもしれません。） Despite of the cold weather, the shrine still managed to attract the attention of a lot of visitors. (In fact, on that very night, there might be more than 100,000 visitors paying their respect at the 'Yasaka Shrine'.)

お寺に参拝してから、大部分の人がお守りを買ったり、 おみくじをひいたりしています。（僕もおみくじとひいていました。(≧∇≦)b ） After paying their respect at the shrine, most people will either buy a lucky amulet, known as 'Omamori', or paper fortune lots, known as 'Omikuji'. (I, myself have went ahead with the 'Omikuji'. O.OV)

それで、様々な料理とお菓子を食べてみました。 （お寺の周りにインド人が辛いインド料理を販売して、とてもびっくりしました！！！ でもね、寒い天気で一番幸せな行動は、辛い料理を食べます。 それはほんまに援けました。） After that, I decided to give some of the food stalls located within the shrine compound a try. (What amazed me the most, was the fact that there was this Indian selling spicy Indian food within the shrine compound. And trust me, by eating spicy food during a cold weather can really help you a lot.)

お腹がいっぱいした後、ホテルにさ早速に戻ります。それで、朝四時ごろホテルに戻りました。寝て起きてから、ビッグサプライズがありますよ。。。（つづく）
After filling up my stomach with lots of food, it's time for me to return to my hotel. By the time I reached the hotel, it's like 4am in the morning and there's a big surprise waiting for me when I woke up... to be continued.

* こちは「八坂神社」の資料です。
* Click here to find out more about 'Yasaka Shrine'.

古都京都・宇治市の世界文化遺産・宇治上神社 / Ujigami Jinja - Kyoto World Cultural Heritage located in City of Uji

この神社を参るとき、金閣寺みたい建物と素敵なビューが見られませんでした。しかし、「宇治上神社」は日本で現存最古の神社建築です。注意：日本で最古の神社は奈良県の「大神神社」です。
When I was visiting this temple in the city of Uji,Kyoto, I was pretty disappointed that the temple compound neither have interesting architectures like Golden Pavilion nor beautiful scenery. However, the buildings inside 'Ujigami Jinja' was currently the oldest constructed temple in Japan. Despite of the fact that 'Ujigami Jinja' was the oldest constructed temple in Japan, it wasn't the oldest temple in Japan. The oldest temple in Japan would be 'Oomiwa Jinja' that was located in the prefecture of 'Nara'.

「宇治上神社」の石碑と鳥居 Stone Monument and Torii gate of 'Ujigami Jinja'

「宇治上神社」の入り口
Entrance of 'Ujigami Jinja'

	「宇治上神社」の境内 Inside 'Ujigami Jinja'

残念だ。インタネットによると「宇治上神社」の建築は鎌倉時代前期に建ていました。しかし、僕は建物の知識がありませんでした。だから、いろいろな神社の違いところは全然知らなかった。XD
According to the Internet, 'Ujigami Jinja' was built during the 'Kamakura' period of Japan. However, as I have limited knowledge of architectural design, therefore I'm pretty sorry to say that I can't tell the differences between the various kind of temples that was built during different periods of Japan.

* こちは「宇治上神社」の資料です。
^ こちは「大神神社」の資料です。
~ こちは僕が「宇治上神社」に撮るの写真です。
* Click here to find out more about 'Ujigami Jinja'. (In Japanese Only.)
^ Click here to find out more about 'Oomiqa Jinja'. (In Japanese Only.)
~ Click here for the photos of 'Ujigami Jinja' that was taken by me.

京都・伏見稲荷大社（千本鳥居）/Kyoto - Fushimi Inari Taisha (The shrine with more than a thousand Torii Gates)

実は、京都の世界文化遺産を紹介したいです。しかし、写真を整理する時、やっぱり「伏見稲荷大社」に素晴らしい印象を持っています。如何してですか？実は、「伏見稲荷大社」にたくさん鳥居があるので、その場所の名前は「千本鳥居」です。稲荷山に登るとき、素敵なビューが見られます。

Actually, I wanted to want to write about the World Heritage of Kyoto. But when I was arranging my photos, the place that had left the biggest impression in my mind was in fact 'Fushimi Inari Jinja'. Why did I choose 'Fushimi Inari Shrine' on top of any other places? In fact, 'Fushimi Inari Shrine' had the most amount of 'Torii' gates in Japan. Therefore, it was also known as the Shrine with 'Thousand Torii' in Japan. One will be able to see a fantastic view when climbing up the 'Inari' mountain.

以下は京都の「伏見稲荷大社」の写真：
The photos below were photos of 'Fushimi Inari Shrine':

伏見稲荷駅
Train Station of 'Fushimi Inari'

伏見稲荷大社の境内です。 Inside 'Fushimi Inari Shrine'

迷宮みたいです。終点が見られませんでした。 It's like a maze. While walking through the 'Torii' gates, there are points where you cannot see the end of this path.

これは稲荷山の山頂の証明です。これは稲荷山の山頂で買える暖簾です。
This is a proof to show that you have been to the top of 'Inari Mountain'. This is a 'Noren' (Japanese curtain) that you can only buy it at the top of the mountain.

この神社の名前は全然覚えられませんでした、しかし、様々な蛙石像がありました。 I couldn't recall the name of this Shrine, but it sure have a lot of different kinds of statue of a shape of a frog.

「伏見稲荷大社」の辺に、狐の形がある様々な商品 があります。 例えば：狐人形（上左）、いなり煎餅（上中）、 いなり煎餅販売店「宝玉堂」（上右）、 伏見稲荷大社・お守り像（中左）、 縁結び・口入人形（中中、中右、左） In the surrounding areas of 'Fushimi Inari Taisha', you can buy various types of product wth the shape of a Fox. For example: Fox-shaped Dolls (Top Left), Inari Rice Crackers (Top Middle), 'Hogyoku-do' this store sells 'Inari Rice Cracker' (Top Right), Statue sold at 'Fushimi Inari Taisha' (Middle Left), Fox-shaped Dolls to pray for Marriage (Middle Middle, Middle RIght, Left)

附：
実は、「伏見稲荷大社」の鳥居は人の寄付金の結果です。
毎年、大勢の人は自分の願いのために、「伏見稲荷大社」で、祈祷を執行していました。
そこでたくさん寄付金があげたあと、自分の大きい鳥居を建たせてられます。
あの鳥居の上で、自分のインフォーメーシオンが書けますよ。
だから、たくさん会社商売繁昌のために、毎年も「伏見稲荷大社」で、新しい鳥居を建たせています。

Note:
The fantastic view of the 'Torii' Gates at 'Fushimi Inari' is an outcome of the donations given by the people.
Every year, a lot of people will go to 'Fushimi Inari' to pray for their wishes.
And if you had donated a large sum of money at once, they will build a large 'Torii' gate in the Shrine for you.
And you can write your own personal information on top of the 'Torii' gate.
Therefore, a lot of big companies have been making large donations to the Shrine every year to pray for prosperity in their business and let them make a new 'Torii' gate to be added to the Shrine.

* これ「伏見稲荷大社」の資料です。

* Click here to find out more about 'Fushimi Inari'.