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The "Wedded Rocks" at Futami no Ura are linked by a hemp rope that symbolizes the
union of Izanagi and Izanami, the primal pair in Shinto mythology who created the
Japanese islands. Note the torii gate at top of rock on the right. (Source: Harry Cook,
Samurai: The Story of a Warrior Tradition, 1993)
Tree kami surrounded by sacred boundaries
The perfectly conical shape of Mt. Fuji has made it one of the
most venerated “nature” kami throughout Japanese history
Nachi waterfall is a sacred space
for Shinto.The falls were
originally devoted to kami
veneration. Today they are also
associated with the Buddhist
bodhisattva of mercy, Kannon.
The rope over the top of the falls
is a shimenawa, marking the site
as sacred.