Hachinohe City Tour: Shinto Shrine 101

Then we went to a Shinto shrine. Shinto does not have a founder nor does it have sacred scriptures like the bible. Shinto is deeply rooted in the Japanese people and traditions. "Shinto gods" are called kami. They are sacred spirits which take the form of things and concepts important to life, such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers and fertility. Humans become kami after they die and are revered by their families as ancestral kami. A person that was thought of as extraordinary can have a shrine built to honor his kami once he is dead. The shrine we visited was built to honor the kami of a Japanese nobleman. Shinto is an optimistic faith, as humans are thought to be fundamentally good, and evil is believed to be caused by evil spirits. The purpose of most Shinto rituals is to keep away evil spirits by purification, prayers and offerings to the kami. There is no absolute right and wrong, and nobody is perfect.

Now that you have had your religion lesson for the day I want to tell you about some of the parts of the shrine. It is easy to tell a Shinto shrine from a Buddhist temple because the Shinto shrine has a Torii Gate. That is the red post and lentil system in the photo. One or more torii gates mark the approach and entrance to a shrine. They come in various colors and are made of various materials. Hanging from the gate you will see a straw rope with white zigzag paper strips (gohei). It is called a shimenawa. It marks the boundary to something sacred. A rope similar to the shimenawa is also worn by yokozuna, the highest ranked sumo wrestlers.

I also included a photo of the Purification Trough. This is found near the entrance, the water of these fountains is used for purification. You are supposed to clean your hands and mouth before approaching the main hall. Our Japanese guide walked me through the steps of purification. The symbolism of washing away sin and cleansing my mouth of unrighteousness was as powerful as that water was COLD!

The Ema is the structure that has all the wooden signs hanging from it. 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 to high schoolor college, love or wealth. In Japan it is harder for students to get into high school than it is for us to get into college. It takes many years of extra preparation. Students go to school all day, attend driver training in the afternoon (if they want to be able to drive legally) and then go to preparation school in the afternoon and into the night. We see them walking home at 8 or 9 pm some days. Those who do not make it into high school go on to trade school.

Omikuji are fortune telling paper slips that one would buy at the shrine. They contain predictions ranging from daikichi ("great good luck") to daikyo("great bad luck"). By tying the piece of paper around a tree's branch, good fortune will come true or bad fortune can be averted. Wow, that was a bunch of information. The art historian and lover of architecture in me was fascinated by all the parts of the shrine. I got abunch of my information from http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2059.html

Hachinohe City Tour: The Fish Market

The next day we took a tour of Hachinohe City. It is a neighboring city of Misawa and much larger than our sleepy little farming and fishing community. Our first stop was to the fish market where we met up with our interpreters. They accompanied us through the fish market which was very helpful. We could not believe how many varieties of sea life they had which we were not familiar with. They had everything from giant spitting clams to the lethal blow fish. We could not resist picking up a few items for dinner that night. Our favorite items that we sampled where little cakes that looked chocolate but were actually dyed black with squid ink. They were wonderful.

Misawa City Tour

On our second week in Japan we took a tour of Misawa City. Along the way we were given little tidbits about the best places to grocery shop, buy cars, etc. The first stop on our trip was to a Buddhist Temple. There are two major religions in Japan Shinto and Buddhism. Shinto was present in Japan first and Buddhism was imported from China and Korea. Most Japanese consider themselves Buddhist, Shintoist or both. Religion does not play a big role in the everyday life of most Japanese people today. They do not have a daily relationship with the gods they worship nor do they have any type of weekly congregational worship. The average person typically follows the religious rituals at ceremonies like birth, weddings and funerals. They may visit a shrine or temple on a holiday to honor their ancestors or the god of the holiday. Many festivals, most of which have a religious background, are held at the temples or shrines.

The building was very ornate and you had a sense that you were walking into history. We just don't have buildings that old in America. The inside of the temple was just a cold as it was outside and I remember thinking how fitting. I know that my God is always present but it just felt that he was very far away from me in that place. The first photo is an idol that people go to when they have a cold and want to be cured. Can you see the tissue stuck all over it? That gave me quite a chuckle. The second photo is of the alter. The third photo is a room full of separate compartments. Families buy a cube where they place a little table that has a tea set on it. They perform a tea ceremony on the anniversary of their relatives death with the tea set. The higher or lower your cube is on the wall the more the spot costs.

Our next stop was to a home of a samurai family, the Tonami clan. Powerful feudal lords had ravaged Japan in a series of civil wars lasting for roughly 100 years. The Samurai were like his private guards or army. Their identity was a highly guarded secret. This little house was very interesting. It was exactly what you think of when you imagine the cliche Japanese home. It had tatami mats on the floor, rice paper screens for walls and doors, and fire pits in the middle of the rooms for heat. We were shown the escape hatches hidden throughout the house for a quick get away. One of them was a through a trap door in the floor where the samurai would dive into the water well under the house and swim through underground pipes to the neighboring fields. It was all very covert.

The final stop was to the Misawa cultural center where we were briefed on cultural differences. Did you know Japanese ladies flush three times. Once before going, once during, and then again after. Don't you feel more cultured for now knowing that.

Around They Go

For our family, one of the biggest benefits of living in Japan is the food. We were not in town long when we sought out the local sushi-go-round. We don't know the real name, but since the outside of the building is pink all ofthe Americans call it "Pink Sushi." This is a restaurant where you sit at acounter and the food goes around on a conveyor belt in front of you. You pick up the items you want as they go by. Each plate is color coded according to price. It is important to keep track of what you are choosing because the price can add up quickly. As you can see we are drinking from Coke cups. I was very pleased that Coke tastes the same as it does at home. Some things are universal! They also have a green soda that we all like. We don't know what it is called so we just ask for Green Fanta. For all you Disney enthusiasts you can taste that one at the Coke pavilion in Epcot. Morganne loves to drink her miso soup from the bowl.

And Boy O Boy Did It Snow!

One of the big selling points of Japan for the kids was that they would be able to see snow. We had been talking about snow for months. So when we arrived in Tokyo and did not see snow I was a bit disappointed to say the least. With the stress of moving I had not taken the time to study up on all the regions of Japan. I had just assumed that Tokyo would also be cold.

The next day we flew to Misawa. As we descended I was so thrilled to see all of the snow covered mountains. I was even more excited to see the snow in the valleys, on the buildings and covering the branches of all of the trees.

It was thrilling to see all of the snow as we drove to base. The kids couldn't stand not to jump in. I think it was our second day before we had a chance to play. But play we did. Marshall and Maddison made a snow Mickey Mouse. We had about three weeks of snow falls after we got here. I was so excited that we came when we did because soon after the snow was gone and will not return until the end of this year.

I am looking forward to the next snowfall though, probably as much as the kids.

Beat That!

The kids' first airplane ride was to the other side of the world. Beat That! They did very well on the plane to Atlanta mostly because we had packed plenty of snacks. Then we were all excited and a bit relieved when we missed our connection and were able to stay over in Atlanta with my sisters.

By travel day two the thrill had worn off a bit. The kids were tired of dragging around backpacks that weighed more than they do. But we pushed on.


I knew we were in trouble when all of the Japanese people were on the plane sleeping and my children were not. They stayed awake the entire flight. And of course Maddison and Morganne both passed out cold as we descended into Tokyo. Looking back it is funny thinking of us dragging the kids through customs, Morganne sleeping in her car seat and Maddison screaming because we had to wake her. Funny, but I am not ready to make that flight again for quite some time. It took us a good week to be able to sleep through the night.

Then and Now

Three years seem like such a short time. But when you look at it through a child's eyes it is an enormous amount of time. We were in Charleston for three years and we'll be in Japan for three years. So I thought it would be fun to look back at how much our kids have grown in three short years. I can't imagine what they will look like in three more.

Ryan Says Farewell

Amazing that I finally made it into the Blog and all you can see of me is the back of my big, bald head. Thanks Summer!!

Seriously though, my time in Charleston was one of the best experiences of my career. I loved making the move from my enlisted career to the officer side and having my first assignment at Charleston. Getting to work with all of the great people at the Aerial Port, the Mission Support Group and the Logistics Readiness Squadron taught me a lot about officership. Finishing out the three years we spent there at Vehicle Operations was very rewarding and allowed me the opportunity to work my way into a very tight knit community of combat professionals. The men and women of the Vehicle Operations community deserve a ton of respect and admiration and I am a better man for having had the opportunity to work with and for them. I wish them well and will keep them in my thoughts and prayers for years to come.

Our Tiger Cub

Marshall can't help it that his parents are just a bit competitive. It sure has rubbed off. Before we left Charleston he was awarded the rank of Tiger Cub. He worked very hard to earn his badge before leaving and we are very proud. The second picture is him pinning me with my Mother's pin. I can't believe what a little man he is. I look forward to many more "Mother Pins" in the future.

We Love You Chewie

Our final week in Charleston was spent saying goodbye to those we love. The two and four legged kind. It was hard to say farewell to our furry friends but we know that Kota and Chewie are being loved. At the time I felt guilty not taking them with us but looking back I am so glad we did not even try. We have a friend that brought her dog and after the thousands of dollars spent and the six months in quarantine she jokes that her mutt is now more valuable than a Westminster Kennel Club Champ. Plus it was all we could do to get our kids onto the three plains in one piece. I am afraid the dogs would have been left on the tarmac.

Saying Goodbye to Charleston

We have unpacked most of our boxes and even managed to find the cable to download our pictures from the camera. So I know you are all ready to see pictures of Japan (because someone asks daily) but you will have to wait a bit longer. I am going to post in the order events happened. Sorry, you will just have to be patient with me:)

I will start with leaving Charleston. Our family really enjoyed our three years in the Palmeto State. It was great fun to visit locations from my childhood (Summer is from Charleston if you did not know). And God blessed us with an awesome church and many new friends. You all played a fantastic role in shaping our family. I just wanted to say thanks and we will miss you. I wanted to especially thank all of you who donate your time to a ministry and Northwood Baptist. So very many of you loved our children and for that we are truly appreciative. Thank you for serving in the nursery, teaching children's choir or Sunday school, spending a week at VBS, coaching Upward Basketball, and a huge thank you for all the Awana leaders. I know you do it because you love God and children. Please remember when it gets to be a burden that those little people come home talking about how great you are. So many of you played a vital role in the lives of our children and you will be remembered for the rest of their lives. Thank you all so very much.