After visiting numerous shrines and temples in Japan and experiencing different traditions, I wondered about the meaning of colors. I managed to learn about their significance from a number of sources.
Near Hotaka station in the farming countryside of Azumino, about half an hour by train from Matsumoto, Hotaka shrine is an impressive, spacious shinto shrine, with a number of interesting features to enjoy as you stroll around the grounds.
One day out of the year many Japanese nationalist groups and Shinto shrines throughout Japan celebrate a national holiday with parades and ceremonies, while the Japan Teachers Union and other groups assemble and rally in protest of the holiday.
