JAPAN REPORT: Letter From Japan, December 16, 2012

Sunrise on Aoshima Island. PHOTO: Miyuki Okayama

On the morning of December 16, we performed the ceremony of the Sunrise service on Aoshima Island of the Miyazaki prefecture. We celebrated the completion of the two-year Academy course by the students of the 3rd graduating class after the Sunrise ceremony.

Yukinori Matsushita (3rd from left) with students of the 3rd Academy class after the Sunrise ceremony. PHOTO: Miyuki Okayama

After that, we visited the Aoshima shrine to pray.

Aoshima shrine. PHOTO: Miyuki Okayama

The Aoshima shrine is located on Aoshima Island, and the shrine occupies most of the area of the island.

The Aoshima shrine is located on Aoshima Island. PHOTO: Miyuki Okayama

We also visited Udo-Jingu shrine on that day. Udo Shrine has a very old history. This shrine is situated in a giant cave perched atop a cliff overlooking the ocean.

At Udo-Jingu shrine. PHOTO: Miyuki Okayama

lt is said to have been built by Sujin, the tenth emperor of Japan, and enshrines the deity Ugayafukiazu-no-mikoto.

Yukinori Matsushita at Udo shrine. PHOTO: Miyuki Okayama

This is the shrine Bishop Savoy and others from the U.S. visited during the 2011 Japan seminar tour. It was a very beautiful day.

Sincerely,

Miyuki Okayama
Japan Correspondent

Group at Udo shrine. PHOTO: Miyuki Okayama