iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

The only live craft demo at Maison & Objet #Paris (daily at stand N120/P119): master Yoshimasa Shibata's Magewappa #曲げわっぱ traditional #JapaneseCraft from #Akita. Watch cedar softened at 80℃ bent by hand; hear it creak at 32s 🪵 On site, win his demoed bento boxes 🍱 Father & son work with pure joy 🙂

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

At Maison & Objet #Paris to connect EU traders & journalists with #Japan wood pros for the Japanese Forestry Agency until Monday 🌳 DM me for press invites to film bent-woodware demos, touch 40+ artworks from Akita/Hakone/… and interview 1 of only 16 master craftsmen worldwide in English/French 🎤

"Welcome Home" banner at the entrance of the exhibition centre. In English, the event name means "Home & Object".

Map of this massive event at the entrance.

Inside Hall 6 (where I work), which extends far in all directions.

The master craftsman (centre) with his wife and son, behind objects he made (lunch boxes, cups, wine holder, matcha set box…) that you can see, touch, smell… on our booth N120/P119 (at the very end of Hall 6, on the right). To see him demo his crafts, 10:30-12:30 seems best.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

🧵3/ Most impressive at Matsuri Japan: Iwami Kagura! Kids went wild when the 8-headed serpent spilled into their ranks 🐍 Props reminded me of #Shinto mythical sites I explored in Shimane Prefecture in June. I enjoyed watching Susanoo overwhelmed then victorious, handing the heads to kids 🤩 #祭 #石見神楽

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

🧵2/ Nagai city (Yamagata) festival's mythical black lion roamed our hall, snapping its jaws over kids to ward off evil 🦁 Easily the longest "shishi" I've seen; its black & white tail fit 10+ kids from the audience underneath 🖤 Matsuri #Japan surprised even Japanese parents. #祭 #ながい黒獅子まつり #長井市

Festival performers on stage alongside a traditional black lion costume, whose long fabric body extends into the audience area.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

🧵1/ In #Tokyo now & tomorrow: Matsuri Japan festival inside Takanawa Gateway Convention Centre. Organised yearly by Happo-en. Kudos to the performers of the dragon dance from Nagasaki Prefecture; 10 intense minutes 🐉 matsuri-japan.happo-en.com/2026/ #祭 #龍踊り

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

I explore impactful jobs in #Tokyo #Yokohama: chambers of commerce, consulting, DX, GX… with AI, US trade, Hormuz, and climate crises in the background 🔮 A strong lead via my pro network is brewing to support #Japan via my PhD, cross-cultural skills, and 21 years here 🗾 DMs open & LinkedIn updated 💼

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

End of my work at Japan Travel KK, 8 years meaningful beyond expectations, with farewell drinks hosted by leadership 🥂 From overcoming the covid crisis to launching/managing unique projects, I proudly contributed to economic inflows, rural revitalisation, local pride, and unforgettable memories ⛩️

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

🧵2/ The blizzard tunnel was so immersive that I got (safely) dizzy 🌀 A great reminder of why I moved to #Japan in 2003: #VR research. This perfect cool escape from Tokyo's scorching summer for all ages runs until 27 September. Stop by the nearby giant Gundam robot afterwards! dainankyokuten.jp #未来館

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

🧵1/ I just touched 1,000s-year-old Antarctic ice 🧊 while exploring the interactive #Antarctica exhibition at #Tokyo Miraikan with a VR researcher friend and his family! Organized with #Japan National Institute of Polar Research, it covers 70 years of polar history in English & Japanese 👍🏻

Touching big blocks of Antarctic ice with my left hand.

Walls of bilingual explanations in English and Japanese, with drawings and photos.

Photo of me before the poster of the Antarctica exhibition at the entrance of the Miraikan (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, literally translated as "Hall Of The Future").

Miraikan seen from an automated elevated train (Yurikamome line departing from Shimbashi station).

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

🍜 Back to life thanks to cold vegan #ramen inside Tokyo station at T's Tantan: Mexican spices whiff, salsa, crunchy tortilla chip, avocado, and veggie rainbow on bamboo-charcoal rice-based noodles. Squeeze the lemon over then taste 🍋 1,480 yen. #VeganJapan #VeganTokyo

Chopsticks over a plate of ramen, holding spicy black sesame mixed noodles, cold salsa style.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Sounds like a promising trip! I spent a wonderful week exploring Shimane last month, so feel free to check my recent posts for some inspiration. If you have flexibility in Yamaguchi, I warmly recommend checking out Hagi castle town, which has a nice historic ambiance. Have an amazing trip 🗾

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Planning a trip to Japan is so exciting! If you still need help, I'd love to hear your current thoughts. Feel free to drop your ideas here whenever you want (tagging me so I don't miss them). I wonder what season you're aiming for, and what's the thing you're most excited to see/do?

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Winter brings gorgeous blue skies, snowy peaks, and events like Sapporo Snow Festival in February (one of my top memories in Japan). Don't worry too much about the food; Japan's is diverse. Just avoid June (rainy season) through September (intense heat/humidity + typhoons). Happy planning, Zach!

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Glad to see you enjoyed the food in Japan 🙂 Tokyo (my home), Osaka & Kyoto have exceptional vegan restaurants but did you find search/planning difficult? Which dish tops your memories? If you come back, feel free to ask me recommendations 👍🏻

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Japan really makes visitors feel at home (language excluded)! I came for an internship and somehow 20 years flew by here! Japan's not perfect but gets increasingly rewarding as one dives deeper into the culture, local festivals, seasonal nature… What would you visit/do during your next trip here?

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

You'll certainly love Japan, Milas! Quick tip: book your must-visit restaurants ahead. Amazing vegan spots fill up fast, and I learnt that the hard way during business trips in Kyoto. Smaller towns can be tricky. Have the best time planning, dreaming then exploring!

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Travel tip: immediately drop your bags at your hotel. Storing luggage for a same-day client is standard in Japan (you can contact your hotel to confirm) and safety here makes theft/damage unlikely. Tokyo restaurants & cafes are often compact so suitcases would be significantly inconvenient. Enjoy!

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

You'd find Japan simultaneously different & unchanged, with fun shifts in urbanism e.g. Takanawa Gateway City. As a 20+ year resident travelling nationwide for work, I recommend avoiding summer. The last 3 years of heat/humidity have been brutal!

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

No shame in falling off the wagon, Arya 👍🏻 Are you taking an "all or nothing" approach or trying to veganize things piece by piece (e.g. swapping some meat for veggies)? Wishing you the best as you experiment at your pace ✨

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Welcome back to the vegan journey 🌱 If you're ready to share publicly, what tripped you up last time? I'm curious what strategies you're adopting this time to make it stick. Best wishes for your health & more!

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

If you're motivated and crave diverse tastes, consider making your own cheese, Lorraine 🧀 I recommend Miyoko Schinner's 2025 "The Vegan Creamery: Plant-Based Cheese, Milk, Ice Cream, and More (A Cookbook)" 🔖 www.greenqueen.com.hk/miyoko-schin...

greenqueen.com.hk

Miyoko Schinner Talks New Plant-Based Cookbook The Vegan Creamery

Plant-based dairy pioneer Miyoko Schinner talks her new cookbook, The Vegan Creamery, which goes big on fermentation, watemelon seeds, and barista milk.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Valid pressure, Patrick 👍🏻 Have you considered veganizing your life one step at a time? A micro-change like swapping some meat for local seasonal veggies would already help the environment and ease your stress a bit 🌱 Plus, that may inspire others, piling up at a world scale 😊

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Kudos for your goal, Sage! Tofu and nutritional yeast will greatly kickstart your vegan journey, instead of chicken & cheese. Otherwise, buy Miyoko Schinner's book "The Vegan Creamery: […]" 🧀 And check out The Vegan Society's starter guide 🔖 www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/how...

vegansociety.com

How to go vegan

Overnight or gradual change? Top tips on how to go vegan.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

30 vegetarian years is a nice achievement, Queenager! Since you're used to prepping your meals, what do you feel is your main hurdle towards a vegan diet? Is cheese or something else hard to give up?

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Kudos for your goal, Skye, and good luck with job hunting! Living at your parents', maybe just shift your proportions (eating more veggies, less meat). Have you talked to your parents about swapping basic ingredients/drinks? A positive reaction may surprise you! Let us know how it goes 😊

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Kudos for your goal, Jenny! If going vegan feels daunting, start small by veganizing 1 meal or by removing ingredients 1 by 1. Years ago, I started with just my breakfasts/drinks/snacks. I later veganized my lunches (excluding business trips… because difficult in Japan). What's your biggest hurdle?

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Doing your best is more than enough, Makayla! The world would be a much better place, with much less cruelty towards animals, if everyone put in as much effort as you do. Please take care of yourself and your health, and keep staying positive!

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Kudos on your goal, Eddie 👍🏻 How is your vegan transition going since mid-2025? Have some whole-food recipes won you over? Did you taste lab-grown meat to replace your chicken/fish?

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Lucky you! Burger King doesn't have vegan burgers where I live (Japan)…

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Keep exploring and you'll find lots of delicious vegan dishes + special chefs 👩‍🍳 If you ever visit Japan, I'd be happy to give you my top recommendations 🌿 Cheers!

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Great lunch with Japanese partners in Tokyo yesterday! I shared cross-cultural tips for their upcoming business trip to Paris and highly recommended Riuzen in Fukui (best sauce-based #vegan soba I ate in Japan in 21 years) 🥢 It felt good to be useful while discussing my next steps: job hunting…

Lunch set at Riuzen. Buckwheat noodles (top right) and 3 sauces: watershield and grated yam (centre), sesame (bottom left), and mushrooms and grated radish (top left).

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

🧵27/ I mapped these #Shinto places plus difficult-to-find #vegan restaurants… ⛩️ Bookmark, share and use to plan your #JapanTravel and to drive in #Shimane #Tottori without going to the wrong places (⚠️ many local homonyms) 🗺️ www.google.com/maps/d/viewe...

google.com

Shinto origin myths - Google My Maps

All spots visited in June 2026.

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Reposted by Sébastien Duval

Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

🧵1/ I almost gave up! After 8 busy years, I unlocked an old dream & reached #SanIn to explore #Japanese creation myths (8-day holiday): Izanami's death, Orochi's beheading, Susanoo's sake & sword, Okuninushi's nation-building… ⛩️ Visit after Awaji (first island) but before Kashihara (first emperor) 🗾

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

I'm on holiday all July except 3 days including farewells 🏖️ Upcoming: vegan summer foods, Japan star festival, fun beach party by business partners (no heatwave, 29℃ = 84℉), exciting immersive exhibition with a VR researcher in Tokyo (feel a blizzard, touch Antarctica ice, see auroras)…

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵26/ Finally, Amaterasu's grandson Ninigi ruled and planted earth's first rice field using Amaterasu's heavenly seeds 🌾 His great-grandson Jimmu became #Japan first emperor, far from Shimane 👑 Enjoy #Kashihara city like me: Jimmu's enthronement site (Kashihara Shrine), Jimmu's tomb (just beside)…

Sébastien Duval wearing a samue at the Mausoleum of Emperor Jimmu in Kashihara in 2016. I went there many times.

Sébastien Duval wearing a samue before a giant votive plaque at Kashihara Shrine in the year of the monkey 2016. I went there many times.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵25/ Okuninushi exchanged his earthly realm for a bedrock-rooted heaven-reaching palace: Izumo-taisha ⛩️ Every 10th lunar month, Japan's 8 million gods gather here to decide fate 🌙 #Shimane Prefecture celebrates this Month With Gods 🥂 Meanwhile, the rest of #Japan cautiously spends a Godless Month ⚠️

Shrine maiden wearing a pair of red hakama trousers, a white kosode short-sleeved top, and a white hair ribbon, walking at Izumo-taisha.

Grand hall for performance of traditional rituals at Izumo-taisha, featuring the largest sacred straw rope in Japan.

Izumo-taisha's prayer hall (left) and eight-legged gate (right) with mountains mostly hidden by clouds in the background.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵24/ During negotiations, Okuninushi's son Ebisu (sea safety & business god) was enshrined at Cape Jizozaki (🧵2/17/22). Head of 3,000+ Ebisu shrines worldwide, Miho Shrine welcomes you daily (08:30 & 15:30) with free #kagura dances 🤩 Bad timing for me but I saw the blue-during-rain paving 🌧

Roadside welcome monument at Cape Jizozaki, featuring Ebisu (left) holding a fish and bamboo rod.

Miho Shrine main hall surrounded by forest.

Inside of Miho Shrine main hall with beautiful wooden beams and wooden foldable seats. A taiko drum is partly visible on the right.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵23/ As Okuninushi completed nation-building, Amaterasu decreed her lineage should rule. After consecutive envoys failed to acquire his land, the final negotiators met Okuninushi at Inasa Beach 🏖️ When you visit, join its famous sand-exchange ritual and watch where 8 million gods arrive annually!

Sébastien Duval wearing a samue at Inasa Beach during the rainy season. In the background, a big rock features a Shinto gate, small shrine, and vegetation.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵22/ Fleeing his 80 brothers, Okuninushi met and fell in love with one of Susanoo's daughters ❤️ After deadly trials, Susanoo allowed their wedding but ordered Okuninushi to build a nation & palace 👑 He began his quest by partnering with a tiny son of Kamimusubi met at Cape Jizozaki (🧵2 & 17) 🌊

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵21/ Beside, Shimizu-gawa Shrine uniquely houses 3 deities of regeneration (Okuninushi's mother and the clam goddesses) famed for illness recovery and #MindReset 🙏🏻 As my 8-year job at Japan Travel KK ends in 5 weeks, praying here felt profoundly timely, reflecting on my life, career, and next step 🔮

Flowers and tall grass covered the path to Okuninushi's resurrection spot.

A stone sign marks where Okuninushi resurrected.

Shimizu-gawa Shrine looks like a simple modern house surrounded by forest.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵20/ Okuninushi's mother secured help from Kamimusubi "Sacred Generative Force" primordial god, who dispatched two clam goddesses. Dissolving shell powder in water, they healed Okuninushi's burns and resurrected him as a handsome youth 🐚 The residents use Shimizu-i pure-water well in everyday life💧

Shimizu-i well, accessible using stone steps.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵19/ The grateful hare prophesied Okuninushi would marry a local goddess. Jealous, his brothers tricked him into catching a "red boar", actually a rolling-down red-hot boulder that burnt him to death 🐗 That boulder is deeply buried & sealed at Akaiiwa Shrine so that it doesn't defile the land 🪨

Wooden votive plaques featuring Okuninushi and the mythical red boar.

Cursed boulder deeply buried & sealed at Akaiiwa Shrine, surrounded by a stone fence, beside a holy tree, with the hall in the background.

Holy trees with impressive moss-covered roots at Akaiiwa Shrine.

Entrance of Akaiiwa Shrine, with lion-dog guarding both sides of the path, and with the well-maintained red hall visible beyond the Shinto gate.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵18/ Crossing the sea from Oki Islands, a hare was skinned by sharks 🦈 Ame-no-Fuyukinu's cruel sons incited it to wash in harsh seawater 🌊 Arriving last, youngest Okuninushi cured the hare with a freshwater bath then rest on reeds! See the healing pond & reeds (+ sand sculpture) at Hakuto Shrine 🐇

Sand sculpture by Kenta Hanai featuring the hare of Inaba, Okuninushi (right) and the local goddess Yagami-hime (left).

Temizu-ya with a Hare Of Inaba figurine providing the holy water.

Orange-brown healing pond surrounded by trees.

Hall of Hakuto Shrine, with a giant sacred straw rope at the entrance, trees on both sides, and the Japanese flag waving in the wind on the left.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵17/ Susanoo's great-great-grandson (also Ame-no-Fuyukinu's father) Omizunu wanted to enlarge Izumo so he pulled & sewed lands from afar: Matsue from Oki Islands, Cape Jizozaki (🧵2) from Noto Peninsula… 🗾 #PrincessMononoke fans: Omizunu's deer-and-tree aspect inspired the Forest Spirit 🦌

Sébastien Duval at Ryuzugataki, one of Japan's 100 great waterfalls, during the rainy season. In addition to the rain, water from the falls was flying in all directions at the bottom!

Colourful holy Wedded Rocks linked by a rope at Cape Jizozaki. The large rock with trees represents the husband; the small one (centre right) represents the wife. The "husband" was vividly orange.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵16/ Furthermore, Susanoo created #Japan first fire where Matsue's Kumano-taisha stands ⛩️ This Shrine Of First Fire houses a dedicated thatched hall and holds every 15 October the major Sanka-sai Fire #Festival, during which fire is revered as Susanoo's living spirit 🔥 I'd love to join; you?

Thatched fire-making hall with a forest in the background, during the rainy season.

Tunnel of red torii Shinto gates beside a wooden one in the forest.

Sébastien Duval's head, tiny below a giant holy straw rope.

Plaza with the main hall and its giant sacred straw rope on the left, and with the ceremonial dance pavilion on the right, with trees in the background, under a grey sky.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵15/ Don't confuse Suga & Susa shrines. Susanoo made Susa Shrine his final/true home ⛩️ Walk around to find the seawater well he used to purify the land, shadowless cherry tree (east of Amaterasu's #Shinto shrine), mountain with white light (star!) predicting good/bad harvests, 1,300 y.o. holy cedar…

Holy seawater well at Susa shrine, fenced with wood.

Holy "shadowless" cherry tree east of Susa shrine, in a rice field, with mountains in the background, during the rainy season.

Board in Japanese explaining that white light visible on the mountain is a star predicting good/bad harvests. The mountain is unsurprisingly hidden by clouds during the rainy season.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵14/ Clouds arising as his palace was completed, storm god Susanoo composed the first ever waka poem, naming the area #Izumo (= emerging clouds): The many-fenced palace of Izumo Of the many clouds rising— To dwell there with my spouse Do I build a many-fenced palace: Ah, that many-fenced palace!

Clouds partly hiding mountains in the green countryside of ancient Izumo province.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵13/ Yamata-no-Orochi defeated, Susanoo found a spot so suga-suga-shii (= refreshing) that he built a palace there to live with Kushinada-hime. First ever #Shinto shrine, it's Suga Shrine ⛩️ Buying charms at this must-visit cradle of gods for me, home & friends felt extra-ordinary. #Japan fan? Go!

Ancient stone gate framing successive stairs leading to the main hall of Suga Shrine, with two tall trees and a hill in the background, under a grey sky. The carved writing at the bottom left is the name of the shrine.

Main building of Suga Shrine, with its golden name on a wooden board at the top, wooden seats on a red carpet, and more.

Wooden votive plaque cutely illustrated with sake jars, and Susanoo in ancient white clothes cutting the heads of drunken Yamata-no-Orochi.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵12/ Susanoo offered the Heavenly Sword Of Gathering Clouds to Amaterasu via Ame-no-Fuyukinu ☁️ A sword-offering ritual remains celebrated on New Year's Eve at Hinomisaki Shrine ⛩️ Protecting #Japan at night, it's in a sense a Top 2 #Shinto shrine (distant #Ise Shrine guards Japan by daytime) 🌌

Sébastien Duval under the rain at Hinomisaki Shrine, with numerous oracle papers attached on the right, and with the main red building visible in the background.

Numerous wooden shrines on the left at Hinomisaki Shrine, with a red shrine beyond stairs on the right, during the rainy season. The rope represents the sky, the vertical straw represents rain, and the white zigzags represent lightning.

Sacred island featuring a white Shinto gate and numerous birds under grey & black clouds.

Coast of Cape Hinomisaki, with a calm sea, numerous tiny islands, and mountains partly hidden by clouds.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵11/ From the valley-spanning Yamata-no-Orochi's tail, far off on Mount Sentsu, Susanoo pulled a sword that's now 1 of 3 imperial treasures. Rainy season clouds hid the panorama… Perfect fit while I hiked and for the summit monument dedicated to the storm god's Heavenly #Sword Of Gathering Clouds ☁️

Slippery vegetation-covered path while hiking to the summit of Mount Sentsu during the rainy season.

Misty clearing with flowers while hiking just before reaching the summit of Mount Sentsu during the rainy season.

Sébastien Duval beside the monument marking where Susanoo found the Heavenly Sword Of Gathering Clouds, at the summit of Mount Sentsu, under a grey sky.

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