Posts Written Bylifewhereimfrom

LWIF EP17: Visiting the Ise Grand Shrine (伊勢神宮 Ise Jingū)

Hello world! The Ise Grand Shrine is a Shinto shrine complex that is made up of multiple shrines (mainly in two locations). Legend has it that it was founded around 2,000 years ago, but the first known building of a shrine in the area occurred in 692, so still a long time ago! Although the grounds are ancient, the buildings are rebuilt every twenty years, “as part of the Shinto belief about the death and renewal of nature and the impermanence of all things (wabi-sabi) and as a way of passing building techniques from one generation to the next” (source:…

LWIF EP12: Visiting Tokyo’s Izu Islands

Hello World! Did you know that Tokyo has islands? Yes, the prefecture (province/state) of Tokyo has a volcanic chain of islands called the Izu Seven Islands group. We stayed at Shikinejima (Shikine-jima), which is a small island 3 km long by 2.5 km wide that is located 160 km south of the city of Tokyo. To get there, we took an overnight ferry, where we slept on a carpeted floor.