Mononobe Shrine

 

By mid-afternoon, after leaving Omori, I stopped in briefly at Mononobe Shrine, the ichinomiya of Iwami.

The primary kami is Umashimaji, said to be the ancestor of the Mononobe Clan. Behind the shrine is a tomb said to be for Umashimaji. The Mononobe were a martial and ritual clan dominant in the rise of the Yamato in Cetral Japan.

The shrine is said to have been established in 514, which fits with the time that Izumo came under the control of the Yamato. It is believed the Mononobe were established here as a check on Izumo power

The Mononobe are probably best known as the clan that fought against the introduction of Buddhism.

They were also ritualists and one of their rituals, the Chinkonsai, a spirit-pacifying ritual, is still practised today in three locations: the Imperial Palace, Isonokami Shrine in Nara, the Mononobe clan shrine, and here at Mononobe Shrine.

This was just a very quick visit, so I will cover the shrine in more detail in a later post.

However, the huge Tengu masks are worth a look....

The previous post was on the delights of Omori at Iwami Ginzan.

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