These are the Torii Gates for which Japan is infamous, and rightly so. This was by far the most spectacular way I have interacted with Japanese traditional culture here so far. You could feel the spirituality of the shrine in the couple of seconds it took you to walk from the street, under the first Torii gate and up the steps to the entrance of the shrine. The Torii gates symbolically represent the transition from the mundane, or every day, to the sacred. They are commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine. Shintoism is the religion most Japanese people practice. However, unlike the West, Japanese people don’t separate their religion and their daily life. Instead their Shinto practices are ingrained in their daily routine and is a huge part of Japanese culture overall as they both uphold harmony and community as vital values to one’s life. The stone ball I am attempting to pick up is called the giboshi. It is typical to make a wish and pick up the stone giboshi, if it is lighter than you expect your wish will come true. If it is heavier, it will be harder for your wish to come true.