The island of Okinoshima is located in the Genkai sea between Japan and Korea,  As even landing on the island has been prohibited, the strict taboos have preserved archaeological ritual sites on the island almost intact over a millennium.In three shrines of Munakata Taisha, located in the islands of Okinshima, Oshima and Kyushu.  From Okitsu-miya Yohaisho on Oshima, we can worship Okinoshima from afar. And Shimbaru-Nuyama Mounded Tomb Group is the evidence of people who nurtured the tradition of worshipping the sacred island. Location of the sites are Munakata, Fukutsu, and Oshima.

Okinoshiam and Associated site in Munaka…の続きを読む

  Sara-udon is a local cuisine in Nagasaki and The literal meaning is udon (udon noodle) on a plate (sara).     It is a dish with stir-fried ingredients such as pork, seafood, and plenty of vegetables, placed on top of thin noodles fried in oil.

Sara-udon, 皿うどん…の続きを読む

  Todos os Santos Church, the first church in Nagasaki, was built in 1569. Federal lord Omura and the Jesuits made an agreement to make Nagasaki a port for trade with Nanban. (Portugal and Spain) in 1570. Nagasaki Port was opened and the first Portuguese ship arrived in 1571. And development of the town of cape was started as Christian town in 1571 and the small Church of San Paulo was constructed at the tip of cape.     After that following Churches were constructed. Misericordia Headquarters Church in 1583 Santa Maria Church in 1600 Santa Clara Church in 1603 Santiago Church in 1604 San Juan Petista Church in 1605 San Antonio Church in 1606 San Pedro Church in 1607 San Francisco Church in 1611 San Agustin Church in 1612 For 45 years after the first church was built, Nagasaki developed as a Christian town, and by 1614, most of the 25,000 people were Christians.   It was as if Nagasaki was a small Rome.   However, due to the Tokugawa Shogunate’s Ban on Christianity in 1614, most of the church buildings were destroyed within 15 days from November 3rd.  

Nagasaki was a small Rome…の続きを読む

  Is there any special meaning in the Torii Shinto Shrine gate? Torii is a gate-like structure placed at key point in the path leading to  the Shinto shrine. 　       It consists of two standing pillars, with two horizontal beams, one a little  above the other. It symbolically separates the holy world inside from the  secular world outside. The torii is derived from its homophone “tori” which means bird flying in the sky. It is said to have originated as a perch for sacred birds within the shrine precine

Torii Shinto Shrine gate, 鳥居…の続きを読む