February 23rd, early spring.

Fumitsu Hanyu and Shi Yunan boarded the train to Gunma Prefecture.

When the two got off the car, it was dusk in Guiao Mountain, Gunma Prefecture.

Gunma Prefecture has a weak presence in Japan, but the scenery has a unique charm.

The two of them were walking on the sparsely populated highway, with a stream beside the road.

There are houses next to the stream. Although these houses are short, they are arranged in a scattered manner. At this time, wisps of smoke from cooking cooks rose on the roofs of most families, just like a lively long snake, flying deep into the mountains.

The sunset falls on the top of the mountain, under the deep sky, and in the embrace of the distant mountains as vigorous as dark, are early spring crops dancing with the wind and waves.

Farmers can be seen working in the fields, and some early spring flowers are dotted in it. By chance, the figures of birds pass by in the afterglow...

"There is the Guiao Mountain in front of it. Asakusa Shrine is on the mountain. The Guiao Prefecture at the foot of the mountain can be temporarily used as our residence."

Hanyu Fumixin said.

"It seems that the shrine is not an abandoned shrine commonly found in horror movies hidden in the mountains and forests. It has many people who visit every day."

Shi Yunan thought about it. Along the way, Asakusa Shrine seemed to be the signature scenery industry in Gui'ae Prefecture. You can see the road signs guiding the Asakusa Shrine from the train platform.

This development is similar to that in China. The major Buddhist and Taoist holy places finally became scenic spots, and the evolution of Japanese shrines was also the same.

The two of them walked along the way. Shi Yunan was a painter. His perspective on things would be different than that of ordinary people.

"Most modern Japanese architecture integrates Western aesthetics, while the buildings in Guiae Prefecture maintain conservative and traditional, which is good."

Shi Yunan nodded frequently when he saw it.

"Ki'ae Prefecture uses the shrine as its scenery and visits it all year round. Whether it is aesthetic or belief, it will naturally be relatively outdated. The building here itself is a local cultural symbol."

"Mr. Hanyu, what kind of existence is a shrine in Japan?"

Shi Yunan suddenly asked, not very interested in the Chinese ghosts and gods, let alone Japanese ones.

Fumiko Hanyu smiled and said, "The faith in the world is actually similar. Whether it is a Buddhist temple, a temple, a church or a shrine, they are all places where humans place their spiritual sustenance. Since it is the place of spiritual sustenance, they will naturally play a unique role in major human events, such as the savior, the prophet, the witness, etc.."

"From ancient sacrifices, to the divine power and heavenly grants in the feudal era, the power transfer of various dynasties, to the civilian affairs of marriage and funerals, these events are basically where the 'god' is."

Fumishi Hanyu looked up at the direction of the Asakusa Shrine in Keoyama and said, "The shrine is like this. Humans simply believe that under the gaze of the 'God', everything will be the best posture."

Shi Yun'an nodded. He glanced at the surrounding environment and asked in confusion: "Why haven't you seen any cemetery along the way?"

"Because of Asakusa Shrine," said Fumiko Hanyu.

"You mean, this is the abnormality of Asakusa Shrine?" Shi Yun'an showed a little difference.

Fumishi Hanyu smiled and shook his head, saying, "No, in Japanese Shintoism, death and cemeteries are symbols of uncleanness, so there are almost no cemeteries around the shrine. Moreover, the Japanese believe that people need to return to the temple after death and need to ask monks to chant sutras and salvation, so that they can get rid of the cycle of life and death in the world and go to the Pure Land."

Shi Yunan raised his eyebrows: "Doesn't that mean that Japanese monks are professions in managing deaths and cemeteries?"

"It's true that in Japan, deaths and cemeteries are all handled by Buddhism."

Shi Yunan nodded. He suddenly thought of something and said again: "Mr. Hanyu, what are the generally worshipped in Japanese shrines?"

"It's hard to say that in addition to the famous gods dedicated to worship, there are many wild gods in Japan. These are considered primitive natural gods, so what is worshipped in the shrine can be anything you see in daily life." Hanyu Fumitsu said simply.

Shi Yunan was a little surprised: "Wouldn't that mean that a dog, a cat, a stone, and a piece of rotten wood may be worshipped by the shrine?"

"Yes," Hanyu Fumitsu confirmed his statement, "In fact, these are all humans who have attached additional spiritual attributes to some ordinary objects through legends. For those who believe in God, they do not care whether they worship stones or wood."

That's true.

Shi Yunan thought of his hometown.

Every festival, someone will burn incense and worship God.

After all, as long as humans encounter unknown or uncertain events in their lives, it is difficult for them to trust themselves completely. They are more willing to place their hopes on clay statues, as if those unknown fears can be given peace by them.

There are people in China who buy incense and Buddhas at a sky-high price, and there are people in Japan who buy a shrine for the first time to sound the bell of the Benping. These are ways to bring peace to the heart through behavioral rituals. One is willing to beat and the other is willing to be beaten.

The two of them entered Gui'oi Prefecture and saw that what event seemed to be about to be held in Asakusa Shrine?

"Shrine witch selection..."

Shi Yun'an slowly read out the flyer posted on the bulletin board, like an idol selection, and always felt that there was some drama when this happened at the location that was about to appear at the Red Class Festival.

"I'm sure this Red-level festival must be related to the selection of this witch girl." Shi Yunan took out the leaflet and said confidently.

This leaflet shows the images of several witches. They all have no feet on the ground, some are carried by others, and some are sitting on the chariot. Shi Yunan muttered inexplicably: "Are they all disabled?"

Fumishi Hanyu glanced at him: "The witch is a person who communicates with God and must remain sacred and pure."

"It's really formalism," Shi Yun'an was quite disdainful. "It's really strange that in China, the people who communicate with God are all men. For example, Buddhist monks, Taoist priests, and even Western religions are also priests who are responsible for communicating with God. Why, in your Japanese society with such serious patriarchalism, the people who communicate with God in the local religion Shintoism are actually women?"

Fumishi Hanyu glanced at him and said, "Precisely because the gods in Shintoism are symbols of patriarchal power, the people who serve God are women."

"To this day, there are still a large number of shrines in Japan that enshrine male genitals. The purity of witches...maybe another form of dirtyness."

Hanyu Fumixin seemed to have thought of something and stopped talking.

The two found a hotel in Guiae Prefecture and put down their luggage. The sky had forgotten. They decided to go to the Asakusa Shrine in Guiae Mountain tomorrow morning.

At this time, Qin Wenyu, who was supposed to be recuperating in the hospital and came to Qunma County on the last day, suddenly called.
Chapter completed!