New Years day in Japan is an extremely important day...there is much prayer and supplication to the Kami and Buddha...we spent the day at Norikos spiritual Dojo up in the mountains out side of Wakayama and quite distant from the city center...the ride up was provided by some good friends and members of the O'Yama Dojo.
O'Yama Dojo is a spiritual center that combines Shinto and Buddhism...the property has numerous shrines and statuary dedicated to the various diety of both spiritual practices.I have always been welcome there and being New Years Day i was invited to stand w/the other men and pass the sacred food along to the shrines so that the diety might feed on the essence of those amazing dishes...the event lasted almost an hour w/very beautifully designed large platters transported one to another over a distance of 300 yards.
The arrangement of these was very ornate and very heavy...many of them included large containers of O'Sake on smallish platters which were precarious to say the least...one misstep and all would be lost...i had to really focus on walking on uneven rocky ground w/the dieties food and not making a mistake...finally after what seemed to be a life time the alters were finished and we went on to participate in the New Years prayer...many sitting in seiza including Noriko and i on a cold wet log ventured into a two hour supplication of the Buddhas and Kami for a bountiful and healthy New Year.
With this done we disassembled the alters and brought them in side where we feasted upon the food of the gods...this food included four very large and delicious Red Snapper that cost at least $200.00 each...
Red Snapper (Tai...たい) is a very special fish reserved for all important ceremonies in Japan...we dined on sashimi (さし み) made from those amazing fish and a huge amount of food and excellent O'Sake.
When day was done 6 hours latter we went back to Kimiidera and slept a deep and wonderful sleep.
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