✈️Walking with Family, A Trip to Ise ⑤ ~ Geku Enveloped in Trees

On the third day, it was finally time to visit Ise Jingu.
Since I wanted to visit at a slow and leisurely pace this time, I decided to split the visits to Geku and Naiku over two days.

When I actually visited,
I realized it would have been perfectly possible to visit both Geku and Naiku in a single day.

Even so, I think it was good to split them up, as it allowed me to slowly savor the atmosphere of each place.

I walked from the hotel to Geku.
As I walked along the Geku approach, there were only a few shops open, partly because it was still early in the morning.

Just walking along the quiet approach,
I felt my mind gradually becoming calmer.

Arriving at Geku,
I started walking while checking the route for the visit.

I remembered that I had been sending photos of my trip to my boyfriend since the journey began.

When I looked back through the photos to send him one of Geku as well, I discovered a shot where my father was captured in the distance.

“Find my father.”
I added that short message and sent it.

Whether he enjoyed it or not, this day became the start of a tradition where “Find my father,” and eventually “Find my mother,” became a regular game at Naiku and Atsuta Jingu as well.

The first thing I noticed there was that there were almost no flowers.
Instead, what left an impression were the large trees and the moss spreading across the ground.

It didn't feel like the trees were just growing naturally,
but rather that each one was being carefully protected
and nurtured.

They were all so large I had to look up at them,
and that scenery made it deeply felt
that this was a sacred place.

It was a strange sensation, as if my heart was being purified little by little just by walking there.

First, I headed to the Shogu (Main Sanctuary).
However, there was something that felt a bit disappointing.

Because there were so many visitors, the security guards were
repeatedly calling out,
“Please do not line up.”
“Please do not stop.”

I suppose it is necessary to prevent congestion.
I can understand that.

Even so, since it was a place where I wanted to calm my heart and pray, I felt somewhat rushed.

After that, I also visited the respective auxiliary shrines: Taga-no-miya, Tsuchi-no-miya, and Kaze-no-miya.

At Kaze-no-miya Shrine,
since the next day was the only one with a rain forecast,

"May it be sunny tomorrow too."
"Please watch over us on our journey."

That is how I quietly pressed my hands together in prayer.

Looking back now, perhaps it was less of a request for the trip itself, and more of a feeling that I wanted all of my family traveling with me to return home safely.

I heard there were power spots like the Mitsuishi and Kame-ishi stones, and it was fun to walk around with my family, searching and asking, "Is it that one?" or "Is it this one?"

After that, we also stopped by the Sengukan Museum.

The "Shikinen Sengu" takes place once every 20 years.
It is not just about rebuilding the structures, but also about passing down techniques, culture, and the spirit of prayer to the next generation.

Learning that it held such important meaning
allowed me to appreciate the depth of Ise Jingu once again.

For lunch, we had the
domestic beef rump steak bowl at "Tessen" on the Geku approach.

Since we had missed lunch the day before, there was also a sense of relief in knowing, "I can eat properly today."

The tender meat was delicious, and
before I knew it, I had finished it in a flash.

After the meal, we took our time looking around the shops on the Geku approach.

However, I suppose the fatigue from the previous days had started to accumulate. We decided not to push ourselves and returned to the hotel a little earlier than planned to rest.

On a trip, visiting many places is fun.

But walking slowly on this day,
and spending time enveloped in the quiet atmosphere, became my favorite memory.

And on the fourth day, we finally head to Ise Jingu's Naiku.
The continuation will be in the next post, "Ise Jingu ~Naiku Edition~."

Thank you for reading until the end✨

Iruka Island, which we visited before heading to Ise Jingu.
I am writing about the day we spent walking while battling hunger, and the memory of the meal we were finally able to enjoy at the end.

These are "Nature is wonderful" LINE emojis
packed with motifs of trees, flowers, and nature.
I chose these this time while remembering the peaceful atmosphere I felt walking through Ise Jingu.

Thank you always for adding my articles to your magazines and for your warm comments 😭🫶
Whether it's being added to a magazine,
or receiving your thoughts, I read every single one with true joy.
With gratitude, I would like to introduce a few things again this time 🌿

🫧 Magazine Introduction
*I am introducing the magazines that were added in the previous article.

💬 Comment Introduction
Thank you always for your warm comments ☺️
From the comments I received, I would like to introduce one 🌿

🌻 Shizuku-san 🌻

The one I am introducing this time is Shizuku-san's
"The Day I Burned the Chain Letter."

All of Shizuku-san's articles have interesting perspectives, and her comments and replies are always thoughtful.
I struggled quite a bit again this time deciding which article to introduce.

The one I chose from among them is an essay about the "chain letters" that were popular when we were children.

Instead of being afraid just because those around you are, you stop and think, "Why?"
I felt that this attitude is connected to the way Shizuku-san writes today.

It is an article packed with a unique perspective that has remained unchanged since childhood.