The weather during our stay in Japan was often pretty extreme and unpredictable, and caused us to change our plans regularly; which was almost the case with our overnight visit to Ise, but at the last minute we decided to go for it. Despite a lot of rain, we were very glad we did, especially because we had a special appointment to keep.
Our dear friend and all-round saint Mayumi had, as a wedding present to us, booked us a night in a traditional Japanese Inn, followed by a marriage blessing ceremony at Japan's oldest and most sacred shrine; a beautiful gift and a very special experience for us. We arrived via train and eventually found our way to the Inn, and had a suitably peaceful evening there, punctuated by perhaps the best home-cooked food we've ever had.
The following morning, and after breakfast and goodbyes with our hosts, we walked the half hour to the shrines under dark skies (and much-needed umbrellas). After a good while wandering around and lapping up the beautiful, intricate traditional styles of the shrines and their grounds (all set against a backdrop of lush countryside), we were escorted into the inner sanctum in preparation for our ceremony.
We were led into the main hall, where for the following hour we treated to a bespoke ceremony of traditional dance, music, readings and blessings which was simultaneously very beautiful, humbling and special... Amaterasu (the sun goddess whose blessings were sought) must've heard us, as for the first time, the rains eased soon after the ceremony in time for us to visit the various other shrines in the grounds.
A really wonderful experience and an unforgettable day - all thanks to Mayumi (we love you!).
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