tour 15 of 15
Collecting souvenirs in Japan: a diary
3 February: Miyajima
In Miyajima, as elsewhere throughout Japan, a
lively crowd of visitors arrive for Setsubun, the festival held on
February 3, when people go to the shrines and temples for a
bean-throwing ceremony. From a platform on or near the main hall,
priests and prominent members of the community throw dried beans
into the crowd for good luck. Hats and bags are held up to catch as
many as possible. I had seen the beans in local supermarkets over
the last few days, sold together with devil masks. These are worn
by children back at home, while other members of the family run
around the room and the house throwing the beans at the
'devil', shouting 'Oni wa soto, fuku wa
uchi' ('out with the devil, in with the
luck').
But
Setsubun is not the main reason why people come to Miyajima. It is
another of the Nihon
sankei ('three scenic
views'), famous for the red shrine, Itsukushima, and the
large orange gate
(torii) which appears to
be floating in the sea at high tide. It is also where Inge Daniels
carried out her research which is also referred to in the BP
Showcase exhibition.
Visitors compete in
setting up cameras in the best spot, vying with others for the
perfect setting to a group-shot in front of the
torii.
In
the same way that Marugame is 'Fan Village', so
Miyajima has become identified with the
shamoji, wooden scoops
used for serving rice. Again, street signs, restaurant menus,
advertising and exhibitions all feature the
shamoji shape, and it is
one of the most popular souvenirs with which to leave the island.
Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Miyajima offers many souvenirs
that combine both well-known features of the island - the shrine
gate in particular - with images such as a globe, in recognition of
its world status.