November 7, 2007: Marriage rocks

Undertoad · 11-07-2007, 08:17 PM

A nice entry by a blog called deputydog, titled "these rocks rock", this was number one on the hit list. According to the photo's Flickr page,

Quote:

Nestled against the shoreline near the seaside resort of Futami-ga-Ura, the dramatically picturesque "husband and wife" rocks can be found silhouetted against the background of the deep blue Pacific Coast waters of Japan.

Known in the Japanese language as Meoto Iwa, these rocks have a religious, mythological and popular significance. They are connected with Shime Nawa, a straw rope made of intertwined rice stalks. The rope is symbolic and never used as a bridge. The husband-and-wife rocks celebrate the union of man and woman and the sanctity of the union between husband and wife in the Shinto belief of the people of Japan.

deputydog points out the really amazing part: the rope connecting the rocks (the shimenawa) weighs over a ton and is replaced throughout the year during various ceremonies.

The rocks are not politically correct, however, because they diminish the relative size of the woman, to the measure that she appears a bit dog-collared.

Elspode · 11-07-2007, 09:07 PM

So I suppose that marriage on the rocks is out of the question?

Clodfobble · 11-07-2007, 10:06 PM

No rope binding the two children-rocks, I see...

Fa- · 11-08-2007, 06:05 AM

argh, its really bugging me trying to figure out the scale of these rocks, there is nothign to compare to, i want to know how big a man is compared to the rope/rocks - if the rope ways a ton.

Kolbenfresser · 11-08-2007, 06:26 AM

Fa-, this should do:

Conesus · 11-08-2007, 06:56 AM

Well now, based on these two photographs, looks can be deceiving, especially when viewed through a single lens. The first photo made me think, "Wow, I'd like to see that! That's amazing, and huge!"; realizing only moments later that this is probably the work of some bored Japanese 11-year-old who's handy in rope-making.

Undertoad · 11-08-2007, 07:18 AM

I would guess the gate at the top of the man rock is human-sized.

Sheldonrs · 11-08-2007, 08:09 AM

I wonder what the other rocks are thinking.

(Thought balloon) She may be just a mineral but I bet she's an animal in bedrock

Mockingbird · 11-08-2007, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elspode

So I suppose that marriage on the rocks is out of the question?

I hope not, that would be flippin' awesome.

Katkeeper · 11-08-2007, 08:49 AM

Why is everyone assuming the big rock is the man??

ZenGum · 11-08-2007, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katkeeper

Why is everyone assuming the big rock is the man??

Trust me, it is.
And it also reflects the traditional (and still mostly prevailing) attitude to marriage in Japan.

Here is another picture showing the replacement of the rope, for scale. The big rock seems to be about 5 meters high or so.

These are about 100 or 150 km from my place, but I've never been there. They're just rocks, they don't do much. Although, at midsummer, the sun rises between them and may even silhouette Mt Fuji in the distance.

queequeger · 11-08-2007, 09:56 AM

Hey now, that's sexist. That could just as easily be a midget hermaphrodite leading around a very tall eunuch.

Shawnee123 · 11-08-2007, 10:02 AM

That's sweet of those guys to have the targets painted so clearly on their backs.

BigV · 11-08-2007, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katkeeper

Why is everyone assuming the big rock is the man??

Big rock? Don't you understand, we're all the same height under the surface? It's just that you women make us men... poke up more. And y'all are all wet underneath. Marriage does that.

Quotha!

ZenGum · 11-08-2007, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by queequeger

Hey now, that's sexist. That could just as easily be a midget hermaphrodite leading around a very tall eunuch.

So... what would they do when they got there?

11-07-2007, 09:07 PM	#2
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	So I suppose that marriage on the rocks is out of the question? __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

11-08-2007, 06:26 AM	#5
Kolbenfresser Wiseacre Emeritus Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Good old Germany Posts: 35	Scale of the rocks Fa-, this should do:

11-08-2007, 08:09 AM	#8
Sheldonrs Master Dwellar Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 4,412	I wonder what the other rocks are thinking. (Thought balloon) She may be just a mineral but I bet she's an animal in bedrock __________________ Laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and the world laughs AT you.

11-08-2007, 09:56 AM	#12
queequeger Hypercharismatic Telepathical Knight Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: The armpit of the Universe... Augusta, GA Posts: 365	Hey now, that's sexist. That could just as easily be a midget hermaphrodite leading around a very tall eunuch. __________________ Hoocha, hoocha, hoocha... lobster.

11-07-2007, 10:06 PM	#3
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	No rope binding the two children-rocks, I see...

11-08-2007, 06:05 AM	#4
Fa- Jotter of Notes Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 11	argh, its really bugging me trying to figure out the scale of these rocks, there is nothign to compare to, i want to know how big a man is compared to the rope/rocks - if the rope ways a ton.

11-08-2007, 06:56 AM	#6
Conesus hit of sunshine Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: San Francisco Posts: 8	Well now, based on these two photographs, looks can be deceiving, especially when viewed through a single lens. The first photo made me think, "Wow, I'd like to see that! That's amazing, and huge!"; realizing only moments later that this is probably the work of some bored Japanese 11-year-old who's handy in rope-making.

11-08-2007, 07:18 AM	#7
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	I would guess the gate at the top of the man rock is human-sized.

11-08-2007, 08:49 AM	#10
Katkeeper Hoodoo Guru Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Mechanicsburg PA Posts: 296	Why is everyone assuming the big rock is the man??

11-08-2007, 10:02 AM	#13
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	That's sweet of those guys to have the targets painted so clearly on their backs.

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