住吉大社

I'm still in retrograde mode, but alas one more entry and I can continue with the present.

In the beggining of August I decided to goto the 2nd oldest and important Shrine in Japan. (The First being The Grand Shrines at Ise 伊勢神宮 and the third Izumo Grand Shrine 出雲大社) This shrine is not as large as the Ise complex or the Inari Complex, but is still maintained in the old style which only the 3 named here maintain. This shrine is dedicated to the Kami of Travel and of the Sea, and is described in the Tale of Genji 源氏物語 when Genji returns from Akashi he visits the shrine. When i visited it was near O-Bon time and was being decorated for a rather large Matsuri 祭. Here are the pictures from the shrine.