Revisiting Achi Shrine during wisteria season

During the wisteria season, I revisited Achi Shrine to see the famous Achi Great Wisteria. This wisteria, of the 'Akebono' variety, is estimated to be at least 300 years old, with some speculating it could be as old as 500 years. Located behind the shrine, its branches stretch over 20 meters, and its flowers cascade down from the trellis, swaying gently in the wind. The wisteria had once withered and dried up, but thanks to the shrine's efforts in hiring tree doctors, it was revived and flourished again. Nearby, a white wisteria planted later is also in full bloom. Interestingly, this spring has been unusually cold and warm, and despite it being early May, the maple leaves in front of the shrine are vividly red. This creates a unique scene combining autumn maple leaves, Children's Day carp streamers, and wisteria flowers—a condensed view of four seasons in one. Inspired by the Great Wisteria, the shrine offers special 'Flower Charm' amulets. While photography is not allowed at the service counter, with staff permission, I managed to capture images of seven types of Flower Charms, four of which are seasonal exclusives. These charms are meant to bless individuals with strong and enduring relationships, akin to the wisteria's resilience. The shrine's fortune-telling process is also unique. After praying to the three Munakata goddesses, visitors can draw fortunes outside the service counter. Instead of numbers, the fortunes are sorted alphabetically (あいうえお). Once you identify your letter, you pay at the counter, and the staff retrieves your fortune. The fortunes are colorful and correspond to a story and a prediction of luck. Based on personal experience, they seem remarkably accurate. 📍Address: 12-1 Honmachi, Kurashiki, Okayama 710-0054, Japan 🚗 About a 15-minute walk from JR Kurashiki Station.