In early January, I visited Toga Shrine in Toyokawa City to have my car purified.
The shrine grounds still echoed with the lingering atmosphere of the New Year’s first visit, adorned with large zodiac ema plaques wishing for good fortune. I hope to receive this year’s blessings for our firm by taking photos of these auspicious items.
The shrine also houses Japan’s largest sazare-ishi (pebbles), and I felt energized by this power stone.
Since I was there, I wanted to enjoy Toyokawa’s local cuisine! Toyokawa’s specialty is inari sushi. I wanted to try the stuffed kind, but since they’re sold in the temple town of Toyokawa Inari and close by evening, I unfortunately missed the chance and had to give up.
Incidentally, “Toyokawa Inari Sushi” is a regional collective trademark of the non-profit organization “Everyone’s Toyokawa City Promotion Team”.
Trademark Registration No. 6013646: Toyokawa Inari Sushi (Toyokawa Inari Zushi) | Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan Patent Office
The “Toyokawa Inari Sushi Guidebook” also shows how the branding of Toyokawa inari sushi is being promoted.
In the end, I didn’t get to try the Toyokawa gourmet, but I was able to receive a purification ritual at Toga Shrine, said to be the most prestigious in Mikawa Province. I feel like I got off to a good start this year.
While waiting for the purification ritual, I watched the Nikko Saru Gundan monkey show in the shrine grounds. I laughed a lot and got a lucky monkey handprint souvenir. May this year be one where “misfortune flees”♪ (Cacao)
※“Saru Gundan” is a registered trademark of Osaru Land Co., Ltd.