In my first year of working life, I was introduced through a friend to a man who, like me, loved history. Our conversations flowed easily, and I started to imagine how wonderful it would be to share a life with someone like him.
That year, by happy coincidence, I visited my younger sister who was doing university research in Shimane. For a history lover, the area is paradise — the very landscapes of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. The first place I visited was, of course, Izumo Taisha: the shrine where Japan’s eight million deities gather, the great shrine of matchmaking.
The moment I stood before the enormous torii, the air seemed to change. I felt nervous. I took a deep breath and walked slowly into the grounds. When I reached for the bell rope, my hands shook. My prayer, of course, was for the historian I had come to love.
And now — having received the blessing of Izumo Taisha — I am married to that man. A connection made through a shared love of history, and sealed at the heart of Japan’s oldest stories. I cannot thank the shrine enough.