As an island country, Japan naturally has a lot of coastline to offer and as I've written so many times on this blog, I'm a huge fan of the big water and am always happy to get down to the sea. Fortunately, it doesn't take me that long to reach the beach from the place where I'm currently living, which I really appreciate.

I also particularly enjoy exploring new coastal areas and discovering a whole new side to the sea on our trips and excursions through the Land of the Rising Sun.

A few years ago, we were traveling in Ishikawa Prefecture and took a trip around the Noto Peninsula. This peninsula, which is somewhat off the beaten track, lies roughly in the middle of the main Japanese island of Honshu and stretches a long way out into the Sea of Japan.

The coastal area is mostly quite mountainous and rocky, which was good for the scenery and always led to very interesting views and vistas. At one point, for example, we found these two rocks, which were connected by a straw rope.

These ropes, called shimenawa 注連縄, are made of rice straw and in Shintō they separate the world of the gods, the kami, from the world on this side. Shimenawa can be found at the gates, the toori, of many Shinto shrines, but also at house shrines, on trees and, like this one, on rocks.

Even though I tend to keep a low profile when it comes to religion, from time to time I like to be impressed, and that still works pretty well in Japan. It is probably this unique, intense atmosphere that welcomes me to such places and which at times also manages to make me reflect.