2014!

First off, Happy New Year! I know I'm a little late, but you know how the holidays are. With the holidays come family obligations. Well, it is no different in Japan. For Christmas it was just the fiance and I, but New Years is when things got crazy!

We adopted 2 stray kittens that had taken to sleeping on our balcony. With the weather becoming colder and since we were feeding them anyway, we thought we would take them in. The above photo is of Sammy. He is the toy destroying, cry at odd hours of the night kitten, whereas his brother, Wiley, is quiet and fairly calm. Our older cat, Monta, likes Wiley, but Sammy and Monta have a love/hate relationship. Wish us luck that things get better between those two.

To ring in the New Year, we went to a shrine that is famous for having about 1,000 fox statues. We went to the Toyokawa Inari shrine/temple. An interesting point about this place is that there is a temple next to a shrine. I'm pretty sure this is highly unusual for a temple and shrine to be on neighboring properties. Anyway, we arrived around 11pm and there were so many people planning to do the same thing as us. Pray at the temple and shrine to start off the New Year on the right foot. I did take some photos. You can find them on my Instagram account (victoriamarie2104) along with many other photos I have been taking recently.

For New Years, relatives that you only see once a year get together. Since my fiance's family and relatives live in the Nagoya area we got together with them. Jan. 1 was with his father's side of the family. There was about 13-14 people and about 6 of them are in one family! Oh man, it is taking me some time to remember their names. It really doesn't help that we meet only once a year.

Jan. 2 is when we meet my fiance's mother's side of the family. There aren't as many people, but since it was the first time for me to participate in the dinner it was a lot of names to, again, remember. Since there are so many people we have to meet at restaurants. Unfortunately, both times it was at Chinese restaurants. The only good news is that they were two different restaurants. The bad news is I saw 4 1kg boxes of MSG at the second restaurant, that can't be good for me. lol Oh well, it tasted fine and I had no adverse reactions to the food.

The down side to all this action was that I caught a cold just 3 days into the New Year. Apparently, it is a cold that everybody (at least in Nagoya) seem to be catching. Luckily, I was able to recover in a week!

So, with all this that happened I didn't have time to make New Year's Resolutions. Honestly, I usually don't, because I feel that if I do then I will never follow through with them. Instead I make goals throughout the year. The beginning of the year is not the only time to start new goals.

To be honest, I think this year will be a great one at least for the fiance and I, mainly because we are getting married this year! We will get married in October in Hawaii. This is the main reason why I haven't been blogging recently. I will be planning our wedding without a wedding coordinator, making some things for the wedding and it will all be out of the country. That is probably my biggest "goal" of the year is to put together our wedding. Luckily, my fiance is willing to help, I have my matron of honor and my mother who will be lending a hand as well. I have the major items on the list checked off and it is the smaller details that I will be working on. I may actually start posting some of the things that I make for the wedding and then show the completed effect at our wedding. For the DIY stuff I am using things I found in Japan, for example washi paper and washi tape! So far, pinterest has been very useful at teaching me some DIY projects for weddings.

Long story short, I will try to keep posting, but my instagram account has been getting more love recently, since it is so much easier to access on the go. Please check out my Instagram account (victoriamarie2104)  and follow me as 2014 progresses! Here's to a great year!

XOXO

Victoria

Make A Wish

Write your wish or prayer on the back of this plaque and hang it for the gods to answer (hopefully)

Mini #1

This was one of the smallest shrines I have seen so far. (I know there are smaller ones around, but for me this has been the smallest I've come across).

Shrine Lanterns

Ise Shrine, Japan: Where the Trees End

 The trees are so tall that it is a little difficult to see where they end. I have no idea how long it took for them to grow, but I'm sure it is, at least, in the hundreds of years range.

This is the last of the inside of Ise Shrine, but don't worry we still have Okageyokocho to cover! It is the area where you can eat a variety of foods and find some fun souvenirs.

Ise, Japan: Amaterasu Oomikami

Ise Shrine Naiku there are enormous trees. I was surprised to see so many of them in one area!

When I saw these I felt like I had landed in a Ghibli movie.

If you peek around the fence after passing through this Torii gate you can see Amaterasu Oomikami's home. We can't get very close, but it is beautiful to see.

Ise, Japan: Ise Shrine Naiku

I have to say Naiku is very beautiful. With the trees, mountains and river running through it; it's hard to resist.

The air here is so fresh. I always think it's strange when people say that, but now I see what people are saying. The air just has a different quality to it compared to the city.

Crossing over the bridge you will find these breathtaking views. It doesn't take your breath away just because of how beautiful it is, but also with the wind chill. Don't worry if you visit in summer you will probably wish for the wind to greet you.

During the Spring this area would be amazing to see. I'm sure there are plenty of Cherry Trees around here. 

 The garden is huge and well taken cared of.

On the day I visited it was the morning of New Year's Eve so everyone was making their pilgrimages to the Miya's around the Shrine.

A few more fun shots with my GoPro. I'm always (okay, I've only used it twice, but so far 100% of the time!) happily surprised by the photos I take with it. 

I have so much more to share with you, so make sure to check out the next post!

Ise, Japan: Good-bye Geku, Hello Naiku!

 

 These are the lost of my photos for the Geku side.

Even with all the people visiting for the New Year's holiday, there were some very peaceful areas.

I hope to visit here again, but until then I will have these posts to remind me of the beauty at Ise Shrine in the Geku area.

The Naiku area is about a 30 minute bus ride, but it is easy to get to. The bus stop is right in front of the Geku entrance and the bus drops you off near a alley that leads to this entrance.

Ise, Japan: Geku side with a GoPro

 I just got the GoPro Hero3 for Christmas and so I decided to test it out. Here are a few of the shots that I got playing with it.
 

 I think it really brought a different perspective for the photograph. The quality of the photos are amazing as well!
 

Ise, Japan: The Home of Touyoke No Oomikami

 Just outside the dwelling place of Touyoke No Oomikami.

We are allowed to step up to the inner gate and offer our respects or a prayer. Before stepping through the torii gate we are supposed to bow and then bow again when we are leaving. The family of three is a perfect example of what we should do, but recently not as many people do.

The atmosphere in Ise Shrine is a happy and calm one.

 
With the tall trees and large areas of land it feels like you walking around a forest.

 The sunlight is beautiful at Ise Shrine.

 This is supposed to be a power stone. This shrine is known as one of the power spots in Japan.

Ise, Japan: Ise Shrine on the Geku side