#ise

Ta-da! Guess where I went today? That’s right—Ise! I spent the entire day there, and it was amazing… though definitely busy, considering it’s only the 6th. Apparently New Year energy is still going strong. One place I’ve wanted to visit for ages was Meoto Iwa (夫婦岩), the Wedded Rocks, and I finally made it happen.

Meoto Iwa represents a married couple and is linked to Izanagi and Izanami, the Shinto creator deities. The rocks are bound together by a sacred shimenawa rope, symbolising marriage, harmony, and good relationships. What I didn’t expect was the number of frogs everywhere—since kaeru means both “frog” and “to return,” they’re symbols of safe journeys and good fortune. I came for the sacred scenery and left with a new appreciation for spiritually significant amphibians.

じゃじゃん！今日どこに行ったでしょう？ 正解は伊勢！一日たっぷり伊勢を満喫してきた。6日とは思えないほど人が多くて、新年ムードはまだまだ続いてる感じ。ずっと行きたかった場所のひとつが夫婦岩で、やっと念願叶って訪れることができた。

夫婦岩は、伊弉諾尊と伊弉冉尊という日本の創造神を象徴する岩で、しめ縄で結ばれ、夫婦円満や良縁の象徴とされている。想像してなかったのがカエルの多さ。「帰る」に通じることから、無事な旅や良いご縁の意味があるらしい。神聖な景色を見に行ったはずが、気づいたらカエルの存在が一番印象に残ってた。

We noted the presence of "married camphor trees" at Meiji-jingû last time, so I guess we can talk about other sacred things linked by rope.

One of the most famous of these is the couple of "married rocks" on the coast of Mie, on the premises of Okitama-jinja at Futami, near Ise. The Meoto Iwa represent the founding couple of Japan according to Shinto, Izanagi and Izanami.