Sitting in a park in the heart of a city, surrounded by sakura trees and the sound of running water is one of the most peaceful things I have felt. We stretched out by the lake, watching the sunlight fall upon the feathers of the crane in the pond, and ate ice-cream in the shade of an old magnolia’s branches.
After spending several hours in the park, we walked through the paths around it, and stumbled upon the most famous part of this Prefecture, the shrine. Having found it quite by accident, I was amazed by the remarkable quietness of the place. Tucked away in the middle of the city was a microcosm of Japanese culture and heritage, with many people dressed in kimonos to come to this place of worship.
For our first experience of a Japanese shrine, it really was rather outstanding, and gave me a great taste of the wonderful things that lie ahead.
