It’s taken me a long time to post this entry. In early November, my local temple, Shinyo-do, held a festival in which the mikoshi (portable shrine) from the local shrine, Hiyoshi-jinja, was marched up the hill and presented to the temple. The shrine is the symbolic protector of the temple. This event is a perfect example of the generally happy marriage between Shinto and Buddhism here in Japan. The best part of the festival was when the local children performed a Chinese-style lion dance in front of the temple. I am very lucky to live within a few minutes’ walk of both the temple and the shrine. I feel like I’m well covered here.
