Shrine of Frog and Snake by pellaeon

Oh, I did go to a shrine, but it wasn't in Japan. I went to Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America [link] in Granite Falls, Washington (United States). It is the shrine of Sarutahiko Okami, the guardian prince of earth, and America Kokudo Kunitama no Kami, the Shinto patron of the North American continent.

The Kannushi is Rev. Robert Barrish, who may be a white male but is perfectly fluent in Japanese and trained in authentic Shinto ceremony. One of the shrine maidens is a white girl who wears hair tubes like Reimu, although less frilly and ornate. (And with a flat chest and long dark hair, a white girl can pull off the shrine maiden look just fine!)

The shrine is also decorated with 20 or so stone frog statues. The Japanese word for frog, "kaeru", is similar to the word for returning (also "kaeru", but with a different kanji). Tsubaki Shrine uses frogs to symbolize the need to repeatedly return to the place of holiness.

The first time I went to the shrine was for New Year's in 2010. Rev. Barrish let me take pictures to use in my comic, told me stuff about Shintoism and Japanese legends, and sold me a Geinou Omamori, an amulet supposedly for the preservation of artistic skills. I returned to the shrine for New Year's this year, got a new amulet (they expire every year and need to be burned), and gave Rev. Barrish a copy of my newly published book and the accompanying poster.

I suspect my involvement with the shrine is not yet done.