This weeks theme in The Photo Hunt is Important or Taisetsu (たいせつ) in Japanese.

I thought long and hard about this weeks theme and recent events led me to choose religion as being a good way to describe “Important” while keeping a Japanese flavour to my photos.

Coming from a country where religion is mainly observed by other ethnic groups, being an Australian of English decent it’s something that’s never featured prominantly in my life.

Although i spent New Years Eve in Australia this year, last year i spent it in Japan and was amazed at how many young folk visit Temples and Shrines on or shortly after New Years Eve, New Years Day and other significant holidays in Japan.

This weeks photo was taken in Kyoto, about 2 hrs south of Japan on the Shinkansen.

I also took a few photos from one of the most well known Shrines in Tokyo, Meiji Jingu which i visited on New Years day 2007. The first few days of the year are exceptionally busy at Meiji Jingu and at many Shrines in Japan.

Meiji Shrine (明治神宮, Meiji Jingū^?), located near Harajuku Station in Tokyo, Japan, is the Shinto shrine dedicated to the souls of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken. Emperor Meiji died in 1912 and Empress Shoken in 1914. After the demise of the Emperor and Empress, this shrine was constructed to venerate them.

Their souls were enshrined on November 1, 1920. The original building was destroyed during World War II. The present shrine was completed in October, 1958.

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Tagged as: harajuku, Japan, japanese, kyoto, meiji jingu, shinkansen, shrine, temple, tokyo