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Shirakawa-go is a traditional village located near the Shogawa river in Gifu Prefecture.Ogimachi is the largest village and main attraction of Shirakawa-go. Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, the village is home to several dozen well preserved gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old

Shirakawa is a leading area of heavy snowfall in the world, and due to this climate, gasshō-zukuri homes were created. With the shape of the Hakusan National Park mountain ranges as a background, these sites are major tourist attractions. One of the snowiest places in Japan, 95.7% of Shirakawa is covered by forests

The Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine 

the Doburoku Matsuri Exhibition Hall (open April-November)

The Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine 

Torii of Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine 

Shimenawa at Torii Gate leading to Hachiman Shrine. A shimenawa is a straw rope that marks the boundary to something sacred and can be found on torii gates, around sacred trees and stones, etc

Shimenawa at Torii Gate leading to Hachiman Shrine

Found near the entrance, the water of this fountain is used for purification. Wooden dippers are available to worshipers

A chōzuya or temizuya is a Shinto purification fountain for a ceremonial purification rite known as temizu

Water-filled basins are used by worshipers for washing their left hands, right hands, mouth and finally the handle of the water ladle to purify themselves before approaching the main shrine

Ropes called shimenawa decorated with paper streamers called shide often surround yorishiro to make their sacredness manifest

Shimenawa ("enclosing rope") are lengths of laid rice straw rope used for ritual purification in the Shinto religion. They can vary in diameter from a few centimetres to several metres, and are often seen festooned with shide. A space bound by shimenawa often indicates a sacred or pure space, such as that of a Shinto shrine

Shimenawa are believed to act as a ward against evil spirits and are often set up at a ground-breaking ceremony before construction begins on a new building. They are often found at Shinto shrines, torii gates, and sacred landmarks.

Shimenawa are also used around yorishiro (objects capable of attracting spirits, hence inhabited by spirits)

These notably include certain trees, in which case the inhabiting spirits are called kodama, and cutting down these trees is thought to bring misfortune

In cases of stones, the stones are known as iwakura

A variation of the shimenawa is used in sumo wrestling by

yokozuna (grand champions) during

their entrance ceremonies to

denote their rank. This is because the yokozuna is seen as

a living yorishiro (formally shintai),

and as such is inhabited by a spirit

Omikuji (fortune tags), random fortunes written on strips of paper at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan

The omikuji is scrolled up or folded, and unrolling the piece of paper reveals the fortune written on it. It includes a general blessing which can be Great blessing, Middle blessing, Small blessing, Blessing, Near-blessing and Curse.People usually tie it up to a tree or ropes prepared by a shrine after reading it like the photo

Shisa are traditionally used to ward off evil spirits are traditionally used to ward off evil spirits

Komainu (a guardian lion-dog figure) strongly resemble Chinese guardian lions and in fact originate from Tang dynasty China

The Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine 

Ema at Hachiman Shinto Shrine

Ema are small wooden plaques on which Shinto worshippers write their prayers or wishes

Shrine visitors write their wishes on these wooden plates and then leave them at the shrine in the hope that their wishes come true. Most people wish for good health, success in business, passing entrance exams, love or wealth.

The ema are then left hanging up at the shrine, where the kami (spirits or gods) receive them  

The Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine 

The Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine 

The Doburoku Matsuri Exhibition Hall (open April-November), which is dedicated to the annual doburoku festival held October 14-15, where sake in its earliest, milky stage is drunk accompanied by dancing

Persimmon (Diospyros Kaki)

Persimmon (Diospyros Kaki)

Persimmon (Diospyros Kaki)

Minkaen – open air museum - exhibits farmhouses and other structures relocated to Ogimachi in order to save them from destruction

Minkaen Museum entrance Minkaen Museum entrance Jin Homura Art Museum

Jin Homura (born 1948), prominent painter in Japan

Jin Homura (born 1948) Museum

Pictures: Sanda Foişoreanu Nicoleta Leu InternetCopyright: All the images belong to their authors

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanuwww.slideshare.net/michaelasanda

Sound: Oliver Shanti - Secret of the golden blossom 2016