by
lonesojourns
Categories: UncategorizedTags: History, Japan, Nature, Sightseeing, Spiritual, Temples, Tottori, Travel
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Tag: Spiritual
In The Mood For Haiku
I hope you have enjoyed the trio of haiku (俳句) from my previous posts. It’s actually my maiden attempt at writing haiku . In fact, I’ve had to read up on the rules and conventions / stylistics of writing haiku before giving it a crack myself.
Native Japanese speakers or non-native speakers proficient in the Japanese language may even find the grammar or my choice of words used in the haiku somewhat strange, and I can only apologise for my own language shortcomings.
What I do try to convey through each of these haiku is a state of mind or an emotion that works symbiotically with an accompanying photograph to capture or express those thoughts / feelings / emotions at that point in time (i.e. when the picture was taken).
Instead of three parallel lines, I chose to present the haiku in a single line in the classic Japanese way, like the script on an omikuji (おみくじ) strip.
However, I have deliberately left out any explanation of the haiku in all my previous posts, so that you can draw your own meaning or interpretations.
I hope to come up with more of such posts in future, as and when inspiration strikes.
お願い致します。 LS
Spiritual Sojourns (Part 3) – ‘Power’ Up in Ise
It’s impossible to talk about spiritual spots in Japan without including a discussion of Ise Jingu (伊勢神宮) or Ise Grand Shrine. After all, this shrine is widely acknowledged by many Japanese as one of the most scared Shinto shrines in Japan.
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Spiritual Sojourns (Part 2) – Bewitched in Chikubushima, Lake Biwa
“Chi ku bu shi ma” (竹生島).
Now, say this again more quickly: “Chi-ku-bu-shi-ma”.
Repeat this five times.
竹生島! * 竹生島! * 竹生島!! * 竹生島!! * 竹生島!!!
This tongue twister of a name is NOT a joke. Not only is it a real island, but also one that happens to be one of the top three spiritual spots located in the mysterious yet enchantingly beautiful Lake Biwa, in Shiga Prefecture.
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Spiritual Sojourns (Part 1) – Lake Biwa, Shiga
Fall is almost over in Hokkaido, although you wouldn’t know that here in sunny Singapore. To be honest, me neither. It’s almost two months since I moved back for good from Japan.
Fall is the best season to visit Hokkaido or anywhere in Japan in my opinion, because the islands (save for Okinawa) will be slowly clad in a mesmerizing patchwork of crimson, mandarin and golden hues from north to south, beginning with Hokkaido. With Halloween around the corner, fall is also the best season for ghost stories (although some believe summer to be the best).
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Spirited Away (Part 3)
The sprawling grounds of Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera, coupled with its abundant spiritual energy, makes it a top draw among ‘power spot’ hunters. But what if you could visit a whole city and feel the same positive energy throughout the city?
Look no further than Nara (奈良), Japan’s ancient capital before Kyoto, and home to some of the oldest and most magnificent Buddhist temples in Japan. Less than an hour from either Kyoto or Osaka, Nara can easily be covered as a day trip or if you have some time to spare, spend a night or two in this peaceful spiritual enclave.
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Any images published in this article, unless otherwise stated, are owned by the author. Any unauthorised reproduction or use of these images in any form is strictly prohibited. Please kindly write to me for permission to use any of the images. Thank you very much. 
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Spirited Away (Part 2)
Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto
From those previous two experiences at the Fuji Sengen Shrine and the Fushimi-inari Shrine, I realised that perhaps, I am more sensitive to the ‘spiritual’ aura of a place. At the risk of sounding bonkers or hallucinatory, especially to those skeptical of the existence of ghosts or the paranormal, I shall let you, the reader decide if you believe or not.
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(to be continued in Part 3)
Any images published in this article, unless otherwise stated, are owned by the author. Any unauthorised reproduction or use of these images in any form is strictly prohibited. Please kindly write to me for permission to use any of the images. Thank you very much.
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