Wishes in Miyajima Island

being embarrassing in Miyajima.

 We all write resolutions for the new year.

We all have goals that we make, but most likely don’t end up fulfilling by the end of year.

You hope that the start of the new year would indicate change, perhaps.

Change to finally become the person you’ve always wanted to become.

Aspirations to do something with yourself other than breathe, sleep, and eat.

The latter being done way too much; I might add.

japanese people lining up to pray at the temple

Japanese people do something a bit different.

As opposed to making resolutions, they pray.

They write wishes on little wood blocks, neatly cut into shape and hang them on a ‘ema’.

The ema which you hang your wishes and hopes for the new year are also filled with other people’s wishes and hopes.

It’s fun to read what other people wish for.

“I hope I’ll get married”

“I want a boyfriend”

“Please help me get into university”

Or as Cameron so wisely put it, “I want a billion dollars; all at once, and  tax free.”

my host dad, host mom...

host sister and I all on the boat to the island

My host family decided to go to Miyajima to do ‘omairi’, which is what this tradition is called here in Japan.

This is my second time to Miyajima, and I can also say it hasn’t changed.

Except for the fact that the deer are getting friendlier.

I’ve definitely experienced more at Miyajima than I did before.

Back in 2008, all I did was chase the deer, feed them maps and tissue, and eat candy floss.

This year I got in line to pray with the Japanese people, spent almost 1000yen on some random fortune-telling materials, because apparently, if I buy it with my money, the wish will DEFINITELY come true.

Oh, if only it was that simple.

If that was how it worked out to be in life, wouldn’t everyone be a millionaire with highly attractive significant others, a huge house and car to match?

XD It amused me to no end when my host mother asked me to buy the little charms though.

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Before you get into the temple, there are food stalls, and game stalls.

The funny thing is; it's like that at every single temple and castle around this time of year.

At the Hiroshima Castle; there were even dog outfit stalls.

However photos weren't allowed, so I couldn't take that many.

one piece merchandise in a supposedly sacred area...>.>

There was even a stall that sold One Piece merchandise.

Japanese people seriously find a way to make money at every single opporturnity.

It's sickeningly impressive.

So you walk into this temple, and there are about a million things to buy.

The money leeching continues, by the way.

I mean, seriously? Why would you need to pay 300yen for a little phone strap that contains good luck for ‘safe driving’.

You don’t even drive in Japan!

You take the bloody train for god’s sake.

There was another charm saying, “safe marriage”.

Like that would ever work out.

my fortune for 2011 >.>

 I bought a fortune for the year of 2011 (as my host mom instructed me to), and it said this: “Do not go up north. North will bring you regret and bad luck”.

That’s comforting.

Seeing as I really want to do an exchange up in the northern hemisphere somewhere, I am not liking this fortune telling business at all.

My host mom even said, “oh, it’s good you are going back to New Zealand. We would miss you of course, but it says you’d be happier and wealth would come your way the further down you go. So maybe you should move down south in New Zealand too.”

I just laughed awkwardly here.

What do you say to that?

What can you say to that?

where you would hang your wishes for the new year ahead

Later on, after thinking that this practice of omairi was over, another huge bunch of Japanese people were crowding over some counter that sold blocks of wood.

“Suckers”, I immediately thought.
“I would NEVER, spend money on a block of wood…!”

my wish!

 However, after heavy and consistent persuasion from my host mom, I did as the Japanese do, and bought a block of wood to scribble my wish on, and hung it up on the ema (place in which you hang your wishes.)

As I was doing so, I noticed that a woman was coming over and taking down other people’s wishes and chucking them into a huge box.

Being a gaijin in Japan, I had to ask why.

“Why do they do that for?”

“Oh April, it’s because they are going to burn it”

“Burn it?”

“Yeah there are no more room for wishes if you let everyone hang their block of wood on here forever.”

There and then, I realized that my 500yen has been literally burnt away.

Good experience all in all though; not to mention that Miyajima is a beautiful island to visit if you are ever in the Kansai district of Japan.

It was one of my favourite experiences in 2008; Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Nagoya.

Funny enough; I didn’t really enjoy Tokyo because I found it too crowded, and coming back today to Tokyo, I realize how over populated this city really is.

I was already stressed just from trying to struggle onto the train, whereas in Hiroshima it was uncommon not to find a seat for yourself.

Here in Tokyo, you’d be lucky not to be squished out of the train.

We also went to the Hiroshima Castle today and again, got in line to do omairi.

I decided against buying another block of wood to write a silly wish on though; I don’t think spending 1000 yen on wood would do good for the money saving at the moment.

I start school in 4 days, and end on the 13^th of January.

My brilliant company apparently changed my flight to make it earlier, so I’ll be arrivingsuper late to New Zealand on the night of 26^th of January.

I think I’ll have to stay overnight at Narita on the 25^th.

How bloody depressing.

All my love always,

April