Upgrading

To a classier level of shrine, that is.  Yesterday I visited one of Ashikaga's most famous shrines, Orihime (although sometimes it's spelled "Orijime").  When I was invited by another expat to visit it we didn't really know what the name of it was, or what it was for.  So today I spent some time on Google Image Search and Google Maps until I figured out what the heck it was I saw yesterday.

Orihime Shrine is a shrine to the textile/weaving industry in Ashikaga.  Exciting, no?  I grew up next to a textile town.  I move all the way across the world to.....live next to a textile town.  Go figure.   But we didn't have a textile shrine in my hometown, so that's something.  And it's specifically a folk story princess of weaving that's enshrined at Orihime.  We didn't have a princess either.

I gather Orihime also has a famous manga (aka Japanese comic book) character that shares it's name.  I believe I read that at the gift shop (yeah, the big shrines have gift shops....I don't think they're referred to as "gift shops" but that's what they are) you can sometimes buy stuff related to the manga character.  So they embrace the connection.

The shrine dates from about 1700 but burned in 1880 and was rebuilt in 1937.  So it isn't very old.

Orihime Shrine

closer

a building next to the shrine and the little wooden placards that
I think are wishes left by visitors

the top of the steps....did I mention that this shrine is also on top of a mountain?
they do love to put shrines on top of mountains



1-wisteria on the grounds
2-the admin building (with the gift shop)
3-down the steps overlooking Ashikaga
4-the grounds from the shrine steps
5-flagpole with carp flags
6-cherry/plum/whatever trees