#shimane

Yes, Izumo!

I found the love charm from the anime. It says えんむすび (enmusubi), which means marriage or love knot. It's not the exact same charm as in the anime, but it has the same meaning and design.

They also visited Matsue, the neighboring city that's a bit bigger than Izumo.

There they went to Matsue Vogel Park (a bird and flower park), where I'm sure anime-Eiji went as a kid!

Eiji immediately got a bird plushie of a Java Sparrow, just like Nori-Nori (I think?).

But sadly they had to leave Shimane prefecture.

Cute facts:

Cú Chulainn Alter, Queen Medb (Saber), Fergus mac Róich, Fionn mac Cumhaill, and Diarmuid Ua Duibhne at Tsūtenkyō Arch in Nishinoshima, Shimane from the Heroic Spirit Travel Journal Craft Essence series.

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Izumo Taisha is the most ancient shrine in Japan, central in the myth of Japan's creation, and considered one of the most important shinto shrines in the country.

Praying at this shrine is thought to bring good luck with marriage and relationships. So I'm wondering whether they thought it would bring good luck for band harmony if they went together...

Rabbit statues all over at Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine! We visited around this time a few years ago without knowing the story of Okuninushi (who is enshrined there) and the rabbit. According to one version, Okununushi and his siblings were traveling to meet a beautiful princess called Yagami-hime. All of Okununushi's brothers were dicks to him, making him carry their bags like a servant, and they were also dicks to an injured rabbit they met along the way. Only Okuninushi was kind to the rabbit and helped him heal his injuries (grow back his skin! Wow.).

The rabbit then said to Okuninushi, “Your brothers will never earn the love of Yagami-hime. Even though you look like a poor servant, she will fall in love with and marry you.” And guess what! She did. And then all his dickhead brothers flew into a rage and tried to kill him. But that's another story. (x) (x)