地鎮祭・着工、construction starts!

 

先週火曜日はとうとう我が家の地鎮祭。

底冷えするが晴天の中、

土地の神様に許しを乞い、工事の安全を願ってきた。

私たち夫婦の実家は両家ともホームメーカーで

ン十年前に新築した際は地鎮祭は行わなかったとの

ことだったが、

これも日本特有の風習、やってみるとなかなか

良かった。

日本らしいなあ、と特に思ったのは祭壇。

祭りの神輿同様、神様のお社をポータブルにして

持ち運び出張サービス（とは失礼だろうけど．．．）

できるようにしちゃう辺りが日本人だなあ、と思った。

私たちは結婚も私の地元のお宮で神前形式だったので、

神社つながり（？）ということで、

なんとなくまとまって縁起も良い気がする。

先週金曜日からは着工し、３月2週目くらいには地盤が

完成予定。

両脇はまだ建築中なのでお向かい３軒と裏１軒に挨拶

周りにいった（うち２軒不在）。

向かって左隣は完成し内覧会をしている様子。

右隣はもう少しで出来上がる様子だったので、

うちだけ少し遅め。

順調にいけば６月末竣工予定。
少し予定より遅くなったが、ひとまずここまできたか！

Last Tuesday was our Jichinsai.
http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/network/english/newsletter/other_20.html

Us, our architect and the construction
company owner gathered around to calm
the god of the earth and
ask for her approval to use the land.

This is a Shinto ritual.


Neither Toru nor I experienced such ritual
before even when our parents' houses were put up
few decades ago because both houses were put up by
a big home construction company  and it is typical
that when you go through a big corporation or if you buy
an already built house, this ritual is skipped
(I don't know why).

It was a good experience to see such a Japan unique
ritual. Our wedding was also by Shinto ritual and
this was also done by a style unique to Japanese culture.
Such opportunity (ritual or ceremony) allows us to
experience and touch our culture that has been living
in this country for years and years which we don't
realize in our daily lives.

It was interesting to see a kan-nushi (a Shinto priest) set up
a perfectly small and portable altar in middle of our
property. This is also consistent with a portable shrine
we see at omatsuri (festivals).
Worship god, but we make it portable so it is convenient!
Very Japanese!

They started the construction from last Friday and plan to
finish the basement by March 10th. And if all goes well,
our house will be complete by end of June.

We are still contemplating about our kitchen...
IKEA or a Japanese maker.