I was walking home and saw this shrine for the first time. I visited on a rainy day, but the rain had temporarily stopped. I thought the sign said Oshiba, but when I looked on the online map it said Koshiba Hachimangu Shrine.
This is the entrance from the street.
My town has a professional soccer team, so I wonder if this has anything to do with wishing the team good luck? Look at the Daruma in the back. Only one eye is painted. When you get the Daruma doll, both eyes are blank. You make a wish or goal and color in one one eye. When the wish comes true or the goal is met, you color the second eye in.
Interesting. The Shimizu soccer team is called S-Pulse and there is some text on the Daruma that looks like that in katakana (not very clear). It seems to be an old tradition, there is a blog post from 2017 where both eyes are filled in, so S/Puls have won before: https://ameblo.jp/spin777g/entry-12283630698.html
Also there is another shrine you might want to visit, with soccer associations (junior league/kids soccer), Uomachi Inari Shrine. There is a HUGE stone soccer ball in the ground: https://sizkk-net.or.jp/magazine/247/townwatch/ The Japanese do so much to support a cause, an interest or the local community, don't you think?
Pamela, can you check to see if my email has returned to this comment and I am no longer no-reply? I think I was not signed into my blogger account and it defaulted into gmail.
Another amazing discovery! It looks beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThere does seem to be a soccer theme to the display. Good luck to the team!
Interesting. The Shimizu soccer team is called S-Pulse and there is some text on the Daruma that looks like that in katakana (not very clear).
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be an old tradition, there is a blog post from 2017 where both eyes are filled in, so S/Puls have won before: https://ameblo.jp/spin777g/entry-12283630698.html
Also there is another shrine you might want to visit, with soccer associations (junior league/kids soccer), Uomachi Inari Shrine. There is a HUGE stone soccer ball in the ground: https://sizkk-net.or.jp/magazine/247/townwatch/
The Japanese do so much to support a cause, an interest or the local community, don't you think?
So picturesque among the trees.
ReplyDeleteThe Daruma doll reminds me of the German nutcracker dolls.
If we had shrines in Germany, there would be football themed ones for sure!
ReplyDeleteI love the soccer ball prayers!
ReplyDeletePamela, can you check to see if my email has returned to this comment and I am no longer no-reply? I think I was not signed into my blogger account and it defaulted into gmail.
ReplyDeleteThanks! And thanks for alerting me!