Hanaguri cow nose ring shrine in Okayama

Hanaguri Cow Shrine (with mound of nose rings in background)

Yesterday I went to the hanaguri (cow nose ring) shrine in Okayama. As a cow lover, I had been wanting to visit this place for a long time. Here, they have collected over 7 million nose rings from cows who have gone to slaughter. It was a bit sad, but a little comforting too to know that the cows had not been forgotten.

Close-up of the pile of nose rings.

Every year on the third Sunday of April, there is a shugendo ceremony to bless the souls of the cows who have given up their lives so humans can have beef, leather, and other bovine fancies.