Tosa Shimizu Sunrise

 

Christmas Eve, 2011, and just after 7am the sun announces its impending arrival.

It's the 23rd day of my walk along the Shikoku Pilgrimage, and with winter solstice just a few days past, the days are so short I need to be off before light.....

Of course, the reward of getting up before the sun is to be out and about at a magical time...

I was walking down the Tosa Shimizu coast towards the cape and the next pilgrimage temple

The previous post in this series was on the previous days walk down the Shimanto and Shimonokae Rivers

This final photo is of Oki Beach...

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Takao Gongen to Mitsu Shrine

 

From the fishing village of Shiotsu, the road rises steeply and then heads inland a little.

I stop in at a small wayside shrine called Takao Gongen. It has a torii and gohei in front of the statues, both "shinto" symbols, but the statues are Buddhist. A nice reminder of tradition.

On the very first walk along this coast that I did more than 20 years ago, this was where I spent the night, so I have fond memories of the place.

Down below a tiny fishing village clinging to the steep hillside. I did not venture down the loop road as it looked quite steep.... that would be for a later trip....

A small tunnel cuts through to make a pass to the next valley which runs down to the larger fishing village of Mitsuura.

At the edge of the village I stop in at  Mitsu Shrine,  but during the Edo Period it was called Rokusho Daimyojin.

It used to be located much closer to the sea and has been moved several times, most recently in the early 20th century.

It is listed both in the Izumo Fudoki and the Engi Shiki, so was of some importance in ancient times.

For a while, it was known as Mitsu Kumano Shrine, suggesting that it originally enshrined only Izanagi and Izanami.

The name Rokusho Shrine would be referring to the six kami now enshrined here, with Amaterasu, Ninigi, Susanoo, and Koyane, along with Izanami and Izanagi.

I especially enjoyed the masks here, especially the old, wooden demon mask.

There are quite a few secondary shrines within the grounds, including a Toshitoku Shrine which may enshrine Otoshi, a Wakamiya Shrine enshrining Okuninushi, and a shrine enshrining "5 great kami".

There is also an Inari Shrine, a Ryujin Shrine, and a Gubin Shrine enshrining Tengu no kami?

There is a sumo ring with a roof...

The previous post was on 2 shrines in Shiotsu, the previous fishing village..

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Scenes From Rural Oita

 

Oita is a large prefecture in northern Kyushu with quite a varied set of landscapes, these scenes are from my walk on the 6th day of my walk along the Kyushu Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage.

My route was roughly southeast from Nakatsu to Ajimu. I have no idea what the Easter Island heads are about.....

Compared to much of Japan, it was fairly wide open with a lot of agriculture... I do realize lots of Japan has coastal plains, especially around the cities, but not where I live.... my area is all narrow valleys..

I've lost count of the number of Statues of Liberty I have come across in Japan..... I believe this one was at a car dealership....

This is a recently built branch temple of Nenpo Shinkyo, a Buddhist sect started in the 1920's....

Not sure if it os classed as a "New New Religion", a "New Religion", or simply a Buddhist sect.

Love hotels are often located in between towns..... Sky Dix is now a chain of at least 5 love hotels, so I am guessing this is the original....

Pretty sure this metal sign is of an ear of wheat...... seems that this is a wheat-growing area....

The previous post was on some of the shrines I stopped in at on this morning walk...

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Funamori Shrine to Ishigami Shrine

 

Coming into Shiotsu Funamori Shrine is enclosed within high concrete walls to protect it from storms.

Until Meiji it was called Hachioji Daigongen and enshrined Hachioji Daimyojin but was renamed Funamori Shrine and the deity renamed Sonosazuchi no mikoto, but I can not find such a kami anywhere.

Little history is kniown but an old timber was dated to 1536.

The Aragami Shrine in the grounds enshrines Susano.

Shiotsu has a small fishing port with ample concrete protections...

At the eastern end of the village is Ishigami Shrine.

Plenty is known about this shrine as it is mentioned in the Izumo Fudoki and listed in the Engi Shiki.

Originally called Umi Shrine and believed to enshrine Wadatsumi, the sea kami.

In the 11th century, the shrine and much of the village were destroyed by a storm.]

Later, following a vision, the shintai of the shrine, the sacred object with the Honden, in this case a large stone, was brought up from the sea.

It now sits behind the shrine, without a Honden. It is surrounded by a stoen fence and the stone is wrapped in numerous layers of heigushi. There is an Inari shrine in the grounds, and an Aragami shrine, enshrining Susanoo.

The previous post was on the walk along the coast to get to Shiotsu.

If you would like to subscribe by email, just leave your email address in the comments below. It will not be published or made public. I post new content almost every day, and send out an email about twice a month with short descriptions and links to the last ten posts.