This time, we would like to introduce you to the Katsuragi Itsukunushi Shrine, which we have previously introduced in this blog.
It is also known as “Itsukusan,” and is an extremely powerful power spot known by those in the know that anything you wish for with a single word will come true.
It is also famous for its higanbana (cluster amaryllis) flowers.
This time, please take a look at the brilliant crimson coloring of the rice paddies from late summer to around the time of rice harvest.
A place called Gose City, Nara Prefecture
As mentioned in the previous article, this shrine is located in Gosho City, Nara Prefecture. Gose City is located in the northwestern part of Nara Prefecture, on the border between Wakayama and Nara Prefectures, and is, to put it simply, a tranquil country town.
In many parts of the city, where there are many farming villages, especially in rice-growing areas, you can see clusters of higanbana everywhere.
Recently, local people have been maintaining the cluster amaryllis as a tourist resource, hoping that visitors will be happy to see them. The area from “Kuhinji Temple,” a famous temple in the city, to “Katsuragi Itsukunokami Shrine” is especially famous for its cluster of higanbana.
This time, I visited “Katsuragi Itsukunushi Shrine,” another famous temple in the city.
First of all, let’s pay our respects at the shrine.
The main colony is located in the precincts of the shrine, and since it is supposed to be served in front of the gods, it makes sense to greet the gods first and make a wish to get rich quick.
The shrine is located in Nara, the ancient capital of Japan, and its history dates back to the 21st Emperor Yusaku. As mentioned above, the benefits are extremely powerful, and are limited to a single request. It is a shrine you will want to visit even during the off-season.
Clusters of higanbana (cluster amaryllis) spreading along the rice field paths
This is the cluster amaryllis that fills the grounds of the shrine.
You can see a spectacular cluster of higanbana in front of, behind, and to the left and right of the torii gate. There are not many places where you can see higanbana blooming in such a large area.
Focusing on a single flower is a good way to take pictures.
It is also a good idea to view the flowers together with Mt. The viewing area is larger than that of Kuhon-ji Temple, so it is possible to find various inspirations.
After all, there are trampled remains.
I also take pictures of them because they are so beautiful, and since the original blooming area is a rice field path, it is probably inevitable, but it is also a standard part of the higanbana viewing experience that you can see the marks of heavy trampling.
I don’t think I am able to appreciate them without damaging them at all. I don’t think I can appreciate higanbana without damaging them at all.
However, I will pay attention to them within the bounds of common sense, and as you can see from the photo, they have been stepped on from the root base. Since I visited after the typhoon, there may have been some damage caused by the typhoon, but I feel a little sad when I see people stepping into the middle of the flower garden without any hesitation during my visit.
Conclusion
That’s all for this article.
I am from the countryside, or rather, I still live in the countryside, but I have not been associated with higanbana, and if I had to say it over, I would say rice paddies were filled with lotus flowers and frogs. On the contrary, people from Wakayama say that higanbana is the standard when it comes to rice paddies, and that they treated them more like weeds, playthings that make a pleasant sound when they are popped.
It is somewhat strange that higanbana, which used to be treated as a weed, is now called licorice, but those who are used to the bright red, delicate, glasswork-like higanbana may have never seen it. Please take a look at them and you will realize how fascinating they are.
