Bucket Hat 'Shrine Steps' - 日本の寺院

Shrine steps under blossom, with two cats, embroidered as a patch Shrine approaches — sandō (参道, "the visiting path") — structure how you arrive at a Shinto shrine. Traditionally built in stone, lined with granite votive lanterns and planted with cherry or maple depending on the region, these paths exist to prepare the visitor rather than to move them efficiently. Several are famous for their scale: Konpira-san on Shikoku runs to 1,368 steps, Yamadera in the Tōhoku to 1,015. The presence of cats at Japanese shrines is a quieter tradition and less written about. Many Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines keep semi-feral colonies fed by the monks and by visitors, in a habit of animal tolerance that goes back to the arrival of cats from China in the sixth century. Tashirojima in the Tōhoku, nicknamed the cat island, has more cats than residents, and several Kyoto shrines are known locally as cat shrines. The rectangular patch reproduces a quiet scene: green-grey stone steps climbing toward a shrine roof in red and pink, partly visible at the top left, surrounded by cascading pink cherry blossom. Two orange and white cats occupy the foreground — one climbing the steps, one sitting below in the planting. It is a shrine out of season, before the crowds, which is when they are worth seeing. The mid-profile bucket shape lifts the color of the patch — pink blossom, red roof, green planting, orange cats. Wear it with an oversized black sweatshirt, cargo trousers and chunky sneakers, or with a contemporary haori and a heavyweight tee. The brim earns its place on long shrine days in Kyoto, Nara and Kamakura. Made for people who like cats, who walk to shrines rather than take the bus, and who prefer a piece that tells a scene. 98% cotton, 2% elastane Mid profile, 7.5 cm (3 in) brim One size: 54.9-60 cm (21.6-23.6 in) Soft inner lining Flat seams and clean finishing