The fortune-telling pond of Yaegaki Shrine, which I wrote about in the last entry, is located deep amid the trees with quiet dignity. Shrines are dedicated to the deities of Shinto, Japan's ancient religion. We felt purified there and headed for the center of the Chugoku region. Here, call to mind the map of Japan. The largest island of Japan is called Honshu and the western part from Osaka in Honshu is the Chugoku region, which consists of the prefectures of Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Shimane and Tottori. Several noted legends are left around this region and tonight's inn is just in the center of the Chugoku region.
By the way, Japan is one of the most industrial countries, but the area we visited was an isolated and rural place. Naturally, no pollution around. The young people in the villages started raising grapes for wines several years ago here, harnessing the rich soil and ideal sunshine for grapes. They finally hit the big time. We dropped in at their winery to see how it was going. Tasting a variety of wines was great fun, though it was very sad for drivers.
(Vocabulary)
call to mind 思い浮かべる
hit the big time 成功する
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