An Original Recipe for Sugar-Coated Ginger Chews ( and a bit on GINGER in Japanese Culture
By AVI LANDAU
Sugar-coated ginger chews
Just down the road from where I live in the old town of Hojo, in Tsukuba City, there is an old post office- which has been renovated and turned into a restaurant/cafe appropriately named POSTEN ( which is Swedish for post office). Its a good place to visit any time any time of year, but I find that in winter it is especially inviting ( as a refuge from the bone-chilling cold outside AND in my house). Not only does this establishment offer the physical warmth created by kerosene heaters, but it provides a deep aesthetic warmth with its beautiful wood flooring and ceiling beams. Then, in addition to having a nice selection of coffees and teas to warm your insides, the menu lists a drink made with an ingrediant which has long been known ( and cherished) in East Asia and other parts of the world for its WARMING qualities- freshly made ginger ale, served up either hot or cold.
The other day I was at Posten again with 3 friends. When I pointed out the ginger ale on the bill of fare, they all all joined me in ordering some ( though I went fall cold and they for hot), coomenting that some ginger would be good for warming the body AND preventing colds and the flu.
When we got our drinks we all savored the sweet sting and burnig sensation with each sip that we took. One member of our party, however, Keiko-San, insisted that though she was enjoying her drink- she could do much better.
Knowing Keiko, I believed her. AND I was not surprised that when I met her the next week she brought a bagfull of home-made ginger chews. When I bit into one I was struck but the soft texture and the deeply earthy ginger flavor. Soon, however, the sensation went beyond merely taste and texture as my throat and chest were washed over with a warmth which reminded me of the VAPOR RUB my mom or grandma would rub on my abdomen when I was sick with a cold as a child.
At first I thought that one would be enough, but after a few minutes, when the effects strated to die down, I could not resist going for another- and then another!
By evening I had finished the whole bag ( though I had, in the desire to share the experience shared out a few with friends). Not wanting to impose on Keiko-San by asking her to make me a new batch, I instead asked her ( begged her) for the recipe.
The ginger chews on a glass table in the lobby of Tsukuba`s Okura Hotel
Here it is!
Recipe for Sugar-Coated Ginger chews
First, wash a ginger root
Then you can peel it if you like, or leave it as it is ( as I did)
Slice it- not too thinly and not too thickly ( use your intuition!)
Put these slices in a pot
Cover the ginger with an equal amount of sugar ( you can experiment with different types- I used plain old white suger)
Leave this for about thirty minutes- like magic, a syrup will have seeped out of the ginger)
Heat this mixture on a middle sized flame for thirty minutes (or until soft)- stir occassionally all the while
Separate the syrup and the ginger
Put the syrup in a jar or bottle to be used later for making hot ginger drinks or ginger ale
Leave the ginger slices for a week or two- mix every day so that sugar coating spreads equally
Enjoy the warm sensation!
Though its origins are believed to be somewhere in India, ginger has been cultivated in Japan since at least as early as the Heian Period and it has long been apreciated for its flavor and medicinal powers. If you are fond of Japanese cuisine you have surely had ginger in various forms. It is an important part of the sushi experience as the pinkish pickles ( called GARI)) which are either served on your wooden pallette or or available on your table or counter ( free refills are given if so desired). A dab of grated radish is also put on certain sushi toppings ( especially SABA). The reason that ginger and wasabi ( Japanese horseradish) became so connected with sushi dining is that it was realized ( or believed) that these accompaniments to raw fish reduced the number of food poisoning casrs before the age of refrigeration. Ginger also helps eliminate FISHY ( namakusai) smells.
Grated ginger is also an iconic topping ( along with negi and soy sauce) for hiyayako- a chilled block of tofu.
But over the centuries, pobably the most popular ( or celebrated ) use for ginger has been as an additive (grated) to hot sake- to prevent or help treat colds.
Im not sure if ginger really does CURE s\colds, but anyway- it sure does taste, and FEEL good!
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All Doors are Open, as the Old Town of Makabe ( in Sakuragawa City) gets DOLLED UP for its annual HINA DOLL FESTIVAL (真壁の雛祭り) -until March 3rd)
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In Tsukuba`s Old Neighborhoods SETSUBUN can be just as lively as O-Shogatsu ( New Year`s) – or even MORE SO!
Most of the houses in my neighborhood of Hojo, Tsukuba have put these talismans of thorny leaved holly and sardine heads on their doorposts on the occassion of SETSUBUN (Feb. 3, 2012)
Setsubun is Japan`s traditional celebration of the first day of spring as it is recognized according to the traditional Japanese calendar (which was imported from China). According to that system, the year was divided into 4 perfectly equal seasons ( of 90 days) with the equinox days and solstices used as markers for determining the seasonal change days which were all called SETSUBUN ( though now this term is only used to refer to the eve of the first day of SPRING). The four SETSUBUN, which were also believed to be spiritually unstable days in which the world ( and humanity) was more susceptible than usual to attack by evil forces, were believed to occur at the midway points between the solstices and their nearest equinox.
Thus,the first day of spring (RISHUN)- was ( and still is) considered to be at the halfway point between the winter solstice (TO-JI, 冬至) and the vernal equinox (shunbun no hi, 春分の日). This falls on either Feb. 3 or 4th in the Gregorian calendar, when it is still quite cold in Japan- and in fact in many of its regions the coldest days of the season will come after ( maybe weeks after) the FIRST DAY OF SPRING.
Still Setsubun was always considered the end of the GREATEST PERIOD OF COLD of the year ( Daikan 大寒). According to a reference book at the library SETSUBUN was refered to in various regions of Japan with alternate names indicating what it signified to the people. For example- FUYU BANARE (冬ばなれ- Winter`s Parting-) in a part of Yamagata Prefecture and SETSU GAWARI (節替)- Seasonal Change- in Hida Takayama.
Even more interestingly, in some parts of Japan SETSUBUN was referred to with a name that indicated that it was not only the begining of spring- but the beginning of the new year! I have found the names O-Toshi (大年, GREAT YEAR) in Shimane Prefecture and Toshi no Yoru (歳の夜, the NIGHT OF AGING), Tokushima Prefecture, among others.
Another of the MANY talismans the local people call HIIRAGI, which have been put up on the doorpost for SETSUBUN in Hojo, Tsukuba
In fact, for more than a thousand years, while the Japanese exclusively followed their own version of the Chinese calendar, New Year`s ( O-Shogatsu), the most important festival of the annual cycle of events, was strongly connected in peoples`minds with the COMING OF SPRING- since according that calendar the first day of the year usually falls in (the Gregorian) February, often just around Setsubun time.
( The traditional calendar is a LUNI-SOLAR calendar with setsubun being deterimined based on observation of the sun ( at the half way point between solstice and equinox- and the new year and each new month determined by the phase of the moon).
In fact, it seems that at certain periods of Japanese history, in certain places (especially in Western Japan), among certain people, SETSUBUN was the New Year or an alternative New Year as various names such as KAMI SHOGATSU (神正月, New Year`s of the Gods), TOSHI TORI NO HI (年取の日, the Advancing of the Years Day), and TO- SHOGATSU (唐正月, Tang New Year`S) suggest.
A mother in demon mask wields a hefty club and scares the daylights out of a bunch of kids who defend themselves with soy beans
Over the centuries SETSUBUN and O-Shogatsu became so intertwined in people`s minds that many of the customs for these two different events became interconnected- the most important of these being the TSUINA (追儺) ceremony, in which demons were excorcized at the Imperial Court on New Year`s Eve. This ancient Chinese custom using bow and arrow eventually evolved by the Muromachi Period into the now iconic SETSUBUN custom in Japan- the throwing of beans at someone dressed as a demon, which is done to symbolically drive evil away ( but now mostly for the pure fun of it).
Then, also in connection with the coming of a new year , each person should eat his or her own age worth of beans (traditionally, there were no individual birthdays in Japan and each person was thought to age together with everyone else at the New Year).
It also became customary for those of Unlucky Age (YAKU DOSHI, 厄年)- the most important of these being 42 for men and 33 for for women- to purify themselves on SETSUBUN, once again showing the conncetion between the first day of spring and the idea of a new year/age.
The Toshikoshi Sai at Mt Tsukuba
Well despite the strong conncetion between New Years and the halfway point between The winter solstice and the vernal equinox, the Japanese government decided to suddenly change the calendar- to the one that Europeans use- and thus moved New Years from where it had always been to about a month earlier in the year ( about 30 days closer to the winter solstice).
Maybe this was fine for the city folk and the merchants. But for the farmers it might have been much harder to accept ( though they did). Proof of this can be seen in the old village where I live ( and in many of the other old neighborhoods in Tsukuba and the rest of Japan). While I expected the January first New Years to be full of seasonal decoration on my block ( as is the case in most NEW neighborhoods in Japan or in the cities), I was disappointed to find that NOT A SINGLE HOUSE had put up a kado matsu ( pine decoration at the doorpost). In fact, the neighbors were astonished that I had put some up at my door. They seemed to have found it very AMUSING.
Besides the lack of decoration, I also found O Shogatsu in my neighborhood to be extremely quiet- I would almost say GRIM.
I attributed this to the fact that the area was well past its best days and that the locals had given up hope. A general mood of depression I thought.
But then SETSUBUN- the first day of spring came. All the homes were now decorated for the season (with thorny leaves and sardine heads), there were lively festivals , neighborhood cleanings and most importantly- plenty of good cheer! My neighbor came by early in the morning ( for the first time in a long time) bringing some festive SEKIHAN rice ( which she did not do during O Shogatsu).
It felt like........ well........ like New Years!
Probably the most surprisingly New Years-like features were the facts that 1) at least two shops were doing brisk business selling TOSHIKOSHI SOBA ( the term which the Japanese usualyl use for the buckwheat noodles eaten on New Year`s eve) on the Eve of the first day of spring- Setsubun!
and 2) on the 4th, the day of RISSHUN ( the first day of spring), there was a mochi tsuki (rice pounding) event on the main commercial street in the town- another activity more suggestive of New Year`s than just SETSUBUN.
One of my neighbors in Hojo,Tsukuba hangs some garlic at the front door to keep misfortune away
I talked about this with my friend Harumi Takaya, who grew up in one of Tsukubas`s old neighborhood. She wholly agreed with my observation and she added that when she was young she didnt even know what KADO MATSU ( New Year`s pine decorations) were. There were no outdoor decorations for the January New Year- but like Hojo, for SETSUBUN everyone put up a HIIRAGI (leaf and sardine talisman). She went even further and said that the farmers have always felt more comfortable with celebrating New Year`s in February- though they do not- as that would have been showing disapproval of the policies of the Emperor.
Instead they make SETSUBUN a joyous occassion
Something else that really made an impression on me this year on SETSUBUN was a photo that Asako Seo showed me of a specially designed Bento Lunch Box meal which her daughter had made (for herself!) for the occassion. Using different foods cut to the right shape and proportion this young woman had created a little DEMON lunch for herself.
Though I have always been quite astounded by the beautiful, nutrious, delicious and everyday different lunches that Japanese mothers prepare for their kids and husbands ( as oppossed to the sandwich, potato chips and apple that my school friends used to get back in the US- in Japan the TIME and EFFORT put into the creation of these are believed to be expressions of love and affection in themselves), the fact that a girl in her twenties would spend the time to create such a meal proved to me how important DECORATION and APPRECIATION OF THE SEASON remains in Japan.
A demon-motifed bento lunch box for SETSUBUN
Be sure to check the doorposts of your neighborhood to see if there are any sardine heads taped up. If you live in the city or in a new development there probably arent. You can always come to Hojo!
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Ibaraki`s Unique HATSU UMA (初午) Celebrations- this year on the same day as Setsubun ( February 3, 2012)
Getting ready for Hatsu Uma ( February 3rd this year), by cleaning the precincts of Inari Shrines ( this one in Inari-Mae, Tsukuba)
SUMITSUKARI- a dish served only on Hatu-Uma which is unique to certain parts of Ibaraki and Tochigi Prefectures. This uncooked type (生) was prepared by Asako Seo of Tsukuba
Sumitsukarei wrapped in straw and left as an offering at a small Inari Shrine in Hojo, Tsukuba. Identical objects are also sometimes thrown on rooftops to prevent fire
The kitchen-ware section at the Seibu Department Store put up a display explaining how to make the local Hatsu Uma speciality SUMITSU KAREI
If you look at a Japanese calendar, you will notice that every day of the month has been designated as belonging to a different animal of the Japanese zodiac. Today, February 6th on the Gregorian calendar, is the first Day of the Horse of the second month of the year, making it HATSU UMA (初午, the First Horse）, a day which has been celebrated for more than 1000 years by devotees of O-INARI-SAMA. There are tens of thousands of Inari shrines around Japan (more numerous than any other type of shrine), ranging from the grand to the tiny (these are called HOKORA, 祠), which are instantly recognizable by their red or vermilion torii gates (sometimes lined up one behind the other forming a tunnel!) and their many fox statues and figurines which lead to the mistaken notion that the foxes are the Gods of these shrines. Even those who have never been to Japan have probably seen them in books or posters as these exotic features make them a very popular subject for photographers.
Fox figurines at a small Inari Shrine in Hojo, Tsukuba. Foxes are the messengers of the deity, not the deity itself, as some assume
The first Day of the Horse of the second month of the 4th year of WADO (711 AD) was the day on which the God UKANOMITAMA NO KAMI was called down to HIS/HER new home, Mt Inari (in modern day Kyoto), upon which later the Fushimi Inari Shrine would be built, as the Titular God (ujigami) of the great Hata Family, which had come to Japan from China. Ukanomitama No Mikoto was originally a god of food and rice. The alternate name INARI is actually a variation of INE NARI, which means to become rice (INE: 稲, rice; NARU: 成, to become, to grow).
The fox, the messenger or servant of this god, has become so strongly associated with Inari shrines that these animals are often confused with the god him/herself.
Over the years, as Inari shrines sprang up throughout the country, they became associated with other things besides agriculture, all in accordance with various stages of Japanese economic development: industry, business, sales, household safety, the arts, etc. Inari is even considered the patron of mahjong parlors and tobacconists. Truly an all-purpose deity. In fact, the Fushimi Inari Shrine actually enshrined four other Gods besides Ukanomitama No Kami, which have become incorporated into the Inari of that shrine, though not necessarily all of the Inari shrines, especially the small ones, around Japan.
To celebrate the Inari’s original descent to Japan, devotees begin by cleaning the grounds around the Inari Shrines, as well as the shrine structures themselves. Today I chatted with the men who were getting ready for Hatsu Uma ceremonies at the Inari Shrine in Inarimae in Tsukuba, just across from Yu World and Cineplex. They were burning fallen leaves, cleaning the shrine building and preparing new sacred ornaments of straw, rope and paper, all in preparation for the ceremony which will be held at 10am on Tuesday ( February 8th).
At homes, many families throughout Japan will be eating SEKI HAN (celebratory rice with red beans), and offering rice wine (o-miki), mochi, and seki han to the shrines along with plenty of ABURA AGE (fried tofu) which is supposedly a favorite food of foxes. Doing this is said to bring good harvests in the coming year and prevent disasters and sickness as well. Others believe that in this entrance examination period, PASSING THROUGH THE TORII GATE TUNNELS will help students PASS exams.
Morie Nakano Sensei`s Hatsu Uma decorations on display in TsukubaAn important belief associated with HATSU UMA is that it is a dangerous day on which to make a fire. Because of this superstition a very interesting and extremely localized custom has developed in parts of Ibaraki and Tochigi Prefectures. In order to avoid cooking with fire on this day, a special COLD DISH is made, which utilizes leftover beans from the setsubun bean throwing ceremony, the salted salmon which was eaten during New Year’s and the vegetables of the season- daikon radish and carrots, which is roughly grated with a bamboo grate called ONI OROSHI.
Abura-age ( fried bean curd) is also added as an hommage to the fox messengers. This special dish is known either as SUMITSUKARI, SUMITSUKARE or SHIMOTSUKARE, depending on the area.
Sumitsukari and Celebration rice (sekihan) are also often wrapped in straw (separately) and offered to Inari Shrines and to the Household Gods ( Ujigami- Sama, 氏神様). Since this dish does not spoil easilly, what it is usually eaten by the family for a few days- anyway, until it is all finished.
Offerings to an Inari Shrine in Hojo, Tsukuba for Hatsu Uma 2012- fried tofu,sekihan,soy beans, and sumitsukrei
Also, in the belief that that it can help prevent fire, the sumitsukari and the rice, wrapped in their straw , are sometimes thrown over the roofs of houses.
SUMITSUKARI appears to be experiencing a revival of sorts. I have met several women who have prepared this dish for this weeks celebrations, and there have even been classes in how to make it at community centers in this area. If you make it to the shrine in Inarimae on the morning of the 8th you might get a chance to taste this very unique dish. If you cant and are still interested, tell a local farmer that you`d lke to try some. Im sure they`d be happy to share with you.
If you`d like to try and make it yourself here is the recipe.
Recipes for Sumitsukari (スミツカリ)- which is sometimes pronounced SUMITSUKAREI (スミツカレ), and in Tochigi Prefecture SHIMOTSUKARE (シモツカレ)
These recipes do not include salted salmon which is often used, especially in Tochigi.
Recipe for the Cooked Type of Sumitsukarei
Ingredients : Half a daikon radish, half a carrot, half a cup of setsubun soy beans, a sheet of ABURA-AGE ( fried tofu), a tablespoon of Sake dregs, dashi (Japanese soup stock) to taste, and 2 tablespoons each of sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce.
How to make:
Roughly grate the radish and the carrot. Lightly grill or toast th abura-age, and chop up into thin pieces. Peel the soy beans after roasting a bit. Add to pot with the rest of the ingredients and simmer.
Recipe forUncooked (nama) Type
Ingredients- the same as above WITHOUT the sake dregs, soy sauce or dashi
How to make::
Same as the above, except lightly drain the liquid from the grated radish and carrot before adding the vinegar and sugar.
The most famous Inari Shrines in Japan are the Fushimi Inari in Kyoto, the Kasama Inari in Ibaraki, and the Toyokawa Inari in Aichi. Even more interesting, however, are the small Inari Hokora you can find in Tsukuba’s bamboo groves and forests, or behind shops or restaurants. You can’t miss them with their red wooden gates and little fox figurines.
A special bento lunch box for todays joint SETSUBUN and HATSU UMA celebrations- a sardine for the former and sumitsukare for the latter- prepared by Asako Seo
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Iina Shrine`s Traditional Daruma Market- on the first DAY OF THE SNAKE of the year (according to the old, lunar calendar)
By Avi Landau
Large white banners reading: Money Goes- Money Comes! announce that the traditional DARUMA MARKET is on at the Iina Shrine in Usui Tsukuba
In many parts of the world, including the Japanese Isles, earlier generations looked around and found REAL SIGNIFICANCE is the SHAPES of the things around them. Thus, it seems to me only natural that because of its distinctive twin-peaked shape, the mountain that we now call Mt Tsukuba (Tsukuba-San), has since time immemorial been connected, in the minds of the people, with the MALE and FEMALE forces AND their interaction.
Some scholars believe that Mt, Tsukuba- in its entirety- was once considered so sacred ( for this reason), that it was OFF LIMITS to most people except for the occassions of the two great COUPLING EVENTS ( called KAGAI or UTAGAKI) which were held in the spring and fall in which the first step towards getting to know each other for the men and women who participated was the improvised exchange of poetry.
These same historians assert that when this revered mountain was approached for prayer, worshipers would go to the foot of the mountain, to a place in what is now part of the USUI neighborhood of Tsukuba City, where there stood ( and still stands) a large rock with a slit down its middle. This shape was seen as evidence of the presence of the FEMALE force.
Whether or not these historians are correct about Mt Tsukuba being taboo teritory, we will probably never know- but it is CERTAIN, however,that the spot on which this FEMALE rock sits, the spot upon which the old Iina Jinja Shrine now stands has been considered sacred by the local people since long before written records were kept in these parts.
Because of the slit in this large crag the ancient residents of this area believed this spot to sacred manifestation of the FEMALE FORCE
And though as time passed, in accordance with standard religious practice in Japan, a Shinto Shrine called Iina Jinja was built at this long venerated place, which is officially supposed to be dedicated to an agricultural God called UKEMOCHI NO KAMI (保食神). The local people, however, never refer to it by that name, they call it instead BENTEN SAMA- as BENTEN or BENZAITEN as she is usually called is one of the most popular of female deities in the Buddhist pantheon, a paragon of womanhood, and thus a fine way to refer to a spot which is connected so strongly in the people`s hearts and minds with the FEMALE.
And since BENTEN is associated with snakes in Japanese culture, it is appropriate that as the date for this shrine`s big festival, the first DAY OF THE SNAKE of the year ( according to the old LUNI-SOLAR calendar) would be selected.
I always make sure to check my calendar ( which of course gives me the details of the old calendar as well as the gregorian) and make a note of which day the festival falls on each year.
This year, the festival, called the DARUMA MARKET ( DARUMA ICHI) fell on February 2, 2012- today!
Last year`s DARUMA DOLLS returned to the Iina Shrine for proper disposal
I felt fortunate this year, as by a twist of fate, I had most of today off. Something very rare for me on a Thurday. Not only was I looking forward to enjoying the festival at my leisure, but I was also planning on sleeping late, for a change.
But as they say, there is NO rest for the weary! Instead of enjoying a long and well needed slumber, I was awakened at 6 AM sharp by the succession of fireworks blasts which were fired to announce that the festival was on! The subsequent frenzy of barking by the neighborhood dogs driven wild by the explosions, made it certain that I would not be falling back to sleep again.
Since I was up early, I decided that it would be a good opportunity to WALK to the shrine- something which could be done from my place in about 90 minutes.
Bundled up and masked- the crowds negotiating the narrow path leading to and from the Iina Jinja Shrine
When I stepped outside,however, I realized that trecking to the foot of Mt Tsukuba was not going to be a picnic, as frosty gales contiously pusuch a stupid punished me for making such a stupid decision!
I could , however, occassionally catch sight of some things which almost ( but quite) made me think that the walk was worth it- a kingfisher and a group of more than ten TOMBI (kites, large hawk-like birds) interacting in the now fallow rice lands between my neighborhood and the mountain.
Selling dried shrimp down by the main road
Nearing my destination I was almost in a daze from the freezing winds pounding into my ears. I snapped back to it, though when I hit a road block which had been set up to control the traffic to and from the festival, on the impossibly narrow roads which run through most of Tsukuba`s old neighborhoods. Already, early in the morning, surprisingly large crowgs had gathered, jamming the roads along which on a usual day not a soul would be seen.
There were also plenty of TEKIYA, festival vendors, who had set up for the day ( and they really had to anchor down their stalls because of the ferocious wind.
A man displays his knives and bladed tools
This pickle stand was doing brisk business selling all sorts of unique TSUKEMONO made from garlic, rakkyo, chilli peppers, etc.
Vendors selling a variety of Ibaraki`s citrus fruit
When I reached the shrine itself ( a favorite place for me to get away from it all throughout the year), I was surprised- for two reasons! One, because it as so crowded- maybe in these bad times more people are resorting to prayer and lucky charms for help, and two, they had completely repaired all the damage which had been caused by the earthquake ( and this had to be done recently because I had visited not long ago and the damage was still there!).
A basket and box dealer
The festival at Usui`s Benten Sama ( the Iina Jinja Shrine) is an event which people come to to pray for household safety, health, and especially SUCCESS IN BUSINESS. One unique feature of the shrine is that when you buy a certain type of amulet there, you get some coins- which are in fact a loan! You are supposed to bring take double the amount the next year!
Daruma dolls and Kumade ( both traditional good luck charms) can be bought, and last years items disposed of.
Talking with some of the worshippers, I was surprised to find that many had come from as far away as Tsuchiura, Ushiku, and Ryugasaki.
A talisman salesman/ reiki healer had a booth set up near the shrine
There was a real sense of excitement in the air, which kept building up until noon, when the lucky MOCHI THROWING event was held. The priests ( and respected parishioners) tossed out white and red rice cakes which when caught and eaten are said to bring good luck and keep one healthy ( though you have to be careful not to be smacked in the face by one of these hard and heavy objects as they are hurled into the excited crowd.
Just before noon a large crowd had gathered in front of the Iina Jinja Shrine waiting for the good luck MOCHI (rice cake) throwing event
After the Mochi Throwing, the crowd started to thin out- for the time being: more throwings would be held during the day.
A view from behind the shrine
I walked around the back of the shrine( as I always do) to admire the carvings on the prayer halls exterior, and to take a little stroll in the surrounding woods.
But enough walking, I thought, since that was how I was going to get back home!
For a fee, some worshippers enter the Main Hall to be blessed/purified by the priest
Keeping warm while making a wish ( by drawing in one of the DARUMA DOLL`s eyes)
Neighborhood men staff the office and sell amulets and other GOODS
And since that was going to take a long time, I decided to head back down to the main road at about 12:30, stopping at some of the YATAI (stalls) for some FUEL for the long cold journey back.
A peak at some of the intricate wood carvings on the side of the shrine`s worship hall
I hope that next year, on the first DAY OF THE SNAKE of the year ( according to the old calendar) that I have some free time again, and that the weather is better!
You can see pictures of the damage caused by the earthquake at the Iina Shrine in an article I wrote last year:
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