Amanohashidate

 Amanohashidate is one of three scenic spots in Japan. First, Please see this video, short introduction

Amanohashidate means the bridge to heaven. It appears in Japanese mythology.

A Shinto diety, ( kami ), Izanagi, put a ladder between heaven and earth. However, while he was taking a nap, the ladder fell down and became Amanohashidate.

It is 3.5 kilometer sand bar with 20 meter to 170 meter width. It has about 5000 to 8000 pine trees. 

In the middle of this sand-bar, there is a small shrine, Amanohashidate shrine.

It's a power-spot of love matching♪

Next to the shrine, you will find a small well. It is a well. Though it is located between the sea, the water here is not sea water. 

After arriving at JR station of Amanohashidate, at the beginning, there is a temple which enshrines Monju bosatsu or Buddhism statue of wisdom.

When you worship here, you will be given wisdom.

In the temple, you will see cute small fans hanging from the pine tree branches.

This is fortune telling card called OMIKUJI. Usually omikuji is a thin paper card. After knowing our fortune, and if it is not a good one, we fold it into small piece and tie to the tree. But here, it is a fan, and looks very cute.

At the sea-side, you will see a stone ring, it's a wisdom ring. Please walk around it three times, and you will gain wisdom. Also you will see a turning bridge which turns around when a boat goes out to the sea. 

To go across to the other side of Amanohashidate, you can use a rental bike or a boat. You need one hour to walk through. Any way is fine as you like.  When you reach the other side, let's visit Moto Ise Kono shrine. The shrine has long history. It is said that, before the ancestor of The Emperor, Amaterasu, came to be enshrined in Ise-Jingu shrine, she was enshrined a couple of places as the daughter of then Emperor traveled looking for a appropriate place. Amaterasu was enshrined here for a certain period. Of course it is still enshrined here along with the other three kamis.

So it has similar air here as Ise Jingu shrine.

Behind the shrine, there is a cable car station. Let's go up to the hill park

Here , you can command a very nice view of Amanohashidate.  But there is a cetain way to view. Please stand against the sea with your legs open, and bend over your body forward.  Then please view Amanohashidate between your legs. This way is called Matanozoki, literary --between your leg- viewing 

You will see this !!

 

It is like a bridge to heaven. That's why..

By the way, this is the newspaper article when the way to view was awarded Ig-Nobel prize in 2016, showing how to view

Please enjoy the nice view !!