First Day of Work....

Eep! Today is my first day of work, lets all freak out!

I'll post again tonight with some more pictures, and first-day-of-work stories.

Also, I apologize, that shrine was Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Jinja of Omiya, Saitama, Japan.

I hope I wrote that correctly. I got a pamphlet from a nice Japanese person at the shrine and it supplies the following information:

"The shrine is said to have been built more than 2,400 years ago during the reign of Emperor Kosho (5th in line). When the 45th Emperor Shomu (724-749 A.D.) decreed that there should be one "Ichi-no-Miya (shrines of the First Rank)" in each province, this shrine was designated as Ichi-no-Miya of Musashi, thus becoming the tutelary shrine for the whole province.

In 1868, the 122nd Emperor Meiji paid a visit to worship at the shrine, which has since been visited by a personal emissary of the Emperor once a year. Such shrnes known as Chokusai-no-Yashiro now number 16, scattered across the country.

On the Day of Grand Rites every year, majestic and solemn rites are held, with the Emperor's emissary dedicating an "Azuma Asobi" ancient dance performance.

The shrine has been rebuilt a number of times. The present edifice dating back to 1940 features the "Nagare Zukuri" architectural style characterized by it's curving roofs.

Currently, there are more than 290 Hakawa Jinja in Japan, which are concentrated in the prefectures of Saitama (many of the shrines in Omiya City), Tokyo and Kanagawa. The fact that the shrine is in the center of all the Hakawa Jinja which have later been erected in other places illustrates the historical importance of Omiya as the birthplace of the nation's rapid ethnological and political development."

I hope you have enjoyed your history lesson. Now, I'll go eat some breakfast of eggs. Not Pocky. Nor Tim Tam, a magical chocolate biscuit from Australia.