Chichibu Shrine

We had the tea ceremony at the Chichibu shrine.  I am not sure on the significance of a lot of the structures, but I will share what I can.

If you want more information on the origin, here is the Wikipedia link.

This is a shrine of a fox god of grain.  Apparently, mice eat the grain of the god, and the god eats the mice, so the small mice are enshrined here.  Also, this has something to do with mothers praying for babies they have lost.  If you look closely there are bibs on the stone statues of the fox.  Each bib what put there in memory of an infant.

Fox shrine/ infant memorial

 People who come to the shrine can pay for fortunes.  I am not sure how they are picked, but there can be good fortune and bad.  The people who want their fortune to come true tie it to this structure.

Good fortune

I asked what the white folded paper is, and it is to signify a spiritual place.  I believe it offers protection

 Every shrine has some kind of spirit/god in a tree and rock.  This belt signifies the spiritual tree and I believe offers protection

Entrance gate

Fox shrine

these are wishes people have written

Main temple

Main temple

Main temple

 This is some kind of portable shrine.  The sticker/pasted paper all over the sides are either people who have come to pray or people who have helped build the shrine

names are even pasted to the ceiling 

Some kind of important bow

masks

no idea what this is, but it was very intricately carved

sorry it's blurry, but this is the roof where people have pasted names...not sure how they got up there

Entrance of the main temple

rock spirit/god

This is a place where you throw a coin into the top of this box (there are slots for the coin to fall in) and then you bow twice, clap twice and bow once.  I think this is a way of paying your respects to the god of the temple.

While we were at the shrine we had the good fortune to see a wedding.  I took some pictures as well as a video.  The video is not for the visual, as I didn't feel it was appropriate to go too close, but it gives you an idea of the music being played.

(CAN"T UPLOAD THE VIDEO NOW BUT I WILL TRY AGAIN LATER)

wedding taking place inside.  The woman in the black kimono with the white thing on her head is the bride

Bride and groom

I believe this was a musician

musicians

The wedding party and all attendants.  This was everyone, not the big ceremonies we're use to eh?