About This Video
Located off the shores of Futami city in Mie 10km away from the Ise Grand Shrine, Meoto Iwa (also known as the Married Couple Rocks), are a couple of small rocks sitting peacefully.
According to the Shinto Futami Okitama Jinja (二見興玉神社), the rocks represent the union of the creators of Izanagi-no-Okami (God), represented by the larger rock and Izanami-no-Mikoto (Goddess), by the smaller and more delicate rock. Linked together by a rope, these two rocks symbolize the union of marriage between a man and a woman.
It is also interesting to note that the rope linking both rocks can weigh up to a ton and need to be replaced several times a year during a dedicated ceremony organized by the Futami Okitama Jinja. Finally, if you plan to visit Meoto Iwa it is, according to the locals, advisable to come in summer and early in the morning to fully enjoy the sun rising between the two rocks.
