Nutashi Shrine

 

On the shore of Lake Shinji, a substantial torii marks the route to Uchi Shrine, a couple of kilometers away up on the slope of Mount Hongu.

A little past the road heading up to the mountain is the entrance to Nutashi Shrine.

This enshrines Sarutahiko. It is mentioned in the Izumo Fudoki, but not in the Engi Shiki, as it was not under the control of the government shrine dept. It was an "unofficial" shrine.

According to the legend, when Princess Takahime descended to Mount Takano, Sarutahiko took the stern of the boat and guided her. She is now enshrined on the mountain, and Sarutahiko was enshrined here.

Sarutahiko is known as a guide. In the descent of Ninigi and his group from Takamagahara, they came to a complex junction with many routes and didnt know which way to go. Sarutahiko was waiting for them and offered to guide them down to earth. If you see a matsuri procession, you will often see a figure leading the procession wearing a red mask with a long nose. Many people believe it to be a tengu, but in fact it is Sarutahiko.

Because of the "saru" in his name (saru means monkey in Japanese ) monkeys have long been associated with him and so under the shrine are a variety of monkey statues.

The shrine has an unusual layout. It is a largish honden with no haiden or heiden, but a kagura den.

Standing next to the hinden is a shrine to Gozu Tenno, quite unusual, I think, as most shrines to Gozu Tenno are now Susano shrines.

There is also a small Inari shrine, no more than a small, stone hokora.

When I walk around other areas of Japan, I am struck by just how many interesting, ancient shrines there are in the Izumo region. No wonder it is known as the Land of the Gods!

The fact that the Izumo Fudoki was the only provincial gazetteer to survive intact also means we know so much about these shrines...

The previous post in this series on day 43 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage was on the walk along this north shore of Lake Shinji.

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