I made my first visit to a Shinto Shrine yesterday, the Kannagara Jinjya in Granite Falls, Washington. I've been told it's the only Shinto shrine in the Continental US.
I went there to take a few pictures and ask a few questions for a paper I'm writing for my Japanese Studies class, but I ended up participating in a Morning Ceremony, having tea with the priest in his upstairs tatami room, and having a Personal Prayer Service -- and suddenly it was two hours later and I was running late, so I didn't take any more pictures nor ask any questions.
Despite the fact that the services were all in Japanese, which I don't speak, and despite that fact that I know next to nothing about Shinto and had not a clue what was going on, I left with a feeling of well-being that I had next expected.
I do now sort of understand how Roman Catholics felt when Mass was always held in Latin no matter what language the congregation spoke. Despite being given a book with romanized Japanese text I could barely follow along, because the Japanese that was being chanted barely resembled what was printed on the page. The priest later told me that it was also archaic Japanese, sort of like holding a Christian service in Ye Olde English.
I want to learn more about what the ritual elements of the ceremonies mean, and how it came to be that an American man came to be a Shinto priest. But in the mean time I just wanted to share my brief experience with the members of the board, and envite others to do the same.
I'm posting below the two pictures I did take, and if anyone wants to learn more about this shrine here's the link: Kannagara Jinjya -- just click on the Torii symbol near the Pacific Northwest on the map.