Behold the majesty of the Kumano Sea at Onigajo! The water was so incredibly blue, the town looked like something out of a dream.
This area is famous for the spectacular rock formations caused by wind and sea erosion. The texture is rough and porous with many tiny crevices.
We were lucky to be there on such a sunny day. The sun made the sea sparkle and the mountains glow in the horizon. The sea spray felt amazing.
As wonderful as the sea was, the rocks were just as spectacular! They were perfect for climbing because of their rough grip. Suddenly, we were on the bus once again and arrived at our primary location: the Ise Shrine.
Ise Shrine has a massive area of beautiful grounds, including a lovely ponds and unbelievable trees.
I will always be amazed at the beauty of the nature in Japan, especially when traveling outside of Tokyo (still, the city definitely has some nice greenery)! Koi ponds are very common around shrines. I’ve heard many different things that they may signify: beauty, good luck and triumph over adversity.
The Japanese people certainly do not take the beauty of their country for granted, for it is celebrated across religious and cultural traditions. I just loved the way the stairs were built around the older cedar trees.
The shrine structures themselves were breathtakingly beautiful. (Unfortunately pictures were not allowed, so I cannot share the images of the shrine).
A regional specialty are these mikan fruits, which are delicious sweet orange-like citrus fruits. There were trees all over the Ise grounds.
