The orange seller at Oyama Zumi Shrine
The scenery of Shimabara Kaido is so beautiful that every turn is amazing and makes you want to stop and take pictures. Because we spent too much time cycling on Shimabara Kaido, by the time we arrived at IKIIKI Hall, the local famous sea bream burgers were sold out, and we also missed the morning tide watching boat. So we adjusted our itinerary and went to Oyama Zumi Shrine first, and then took the tide watching boat to see the whirlpool in the afternoon.
Oyama Zumi Shrine is located in Omishima, Imabari City, and enshrines Oyama Zumi, a deity that appears in Japanese mythology. Because Oyama Zumi Shrine has a collection of as many as 8 national treasures and 75 important cultural properties, Omishima, where Oyama Zumi Shrine is located, is known as the 'Island of National Treasures'. We met a family here celebrating 'Shichi-Go-San', a very ceremonial event (Figure 4). 'Shichi-Go-San' is a traditional Japanese event to celebrate children's growth and pray for their future health, similar to Children's Day in Japan. According to old Japanese customs, when a boy is three and five years old, and a girl is three and seven years old, they must celebrate. The main ceremony is to go out to a nearby famous shrine for worship and prayer, wishing the child to grow up healthily.
After visiting the shrine, we saw a few tourists walking up the mountain. Out of curiosity, we followed them. On the way, we met an old man selling oranges. He took out a lot of oranges for us to eat. The oranges were very sweet, so we asked for the price. We bought a lot for 10 yuan, and the old man gave us a bunch of small oranges. This buy big and get small is too cost-effective.
In Ehime, we often meet simple, kind, and enthusiastic people. They are polite, humble, and friendly. Come out often, and you will feel that the world is full of love and kindness.