Komo Shrine Revisited

 

Komo Shrine is quite a large, impressive shrine in the countryside near Nakatsu.

This was my third time visiting, and a previous visit was documented in this post.

I was here this time on day 6 of my walk along the Kyushu Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage.

There is much to see, but perhaps the most noticeable thing is the magnificent two-storey gate.

This is a 1622 reconstruction, and is a national Important Cultural Property.

Next is the torii floating in the pond.

Originally a triangular pond, it is actually the inner shrine of Komo Shrine and is the source of shrine itself.

The chief priest of Usa Shrine visited the pond and was instructed by the kami to take some reeds from the pond and construct a sacred pillow with them.

In 720, in response to yet another "rebellion" of the Hayato people of southern Kyushu, the central government sent a punitive force.

It was joined by an army from Buzen and was led by a portable shrine made of the reeds from Sankaku Pond.

Komo Shrine itself is said to have been founded as a branch of Usa Hachiman in the early to mid 9th century.

This roofed bridge was in poor condition.... not sure if it is still standing....

There are numerous huge, ancient camphor trees within the shrine...

As well as the main Hachiman there is also a Wakamiya Shrine which also enshrines Ojin, and a Yasaka Shrine enshrining Susanoo and his "family"

The shrine crest is a single Tomoe, and some link it to the Munakata Princesses who are part of Hachiman.

Interestingly, one version of the Munakata myth in the Nihon Shoki has the princesses descending to this area before moving to their current homes on the coast and islands of Fukuoka...

The previous post in this series on my walk along the Kyushu Fudo Pilgrimage was on the nearby Sanmei-in Temple.

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 It will not be published or made public.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 most recent posts.

Sufu Kasuga Shrine & Hinoashi Hachimangu

 

Not far from Shotokuji temple and Jorinji Temple is a Kasuga Shrine with great views over Sufu and the mouth of the Sufu River.

There appear to be few existing records, but as Kasuga Shrine is the family shrine of the powerful Fujiwara family, and the local rulers claim descent from a branch of the Fujiwara family, that makes sense.

The Kasuga Daimyojin consists of Takemikazuchi, Amenokoyane, Futsunishi, and Himegami.

I was impressed with the older-style masks....

About a kilometers away near the mouth of the Sufu River, is Hinoashi Haxchimangu. This shrine does have records.

The governor of Iwami, Fujiwara no Kunikane, established the shrine as a branch of Usa hachimangu in 1114. Thirty years later the shrine was given extensive lands to support it and its festivals. It was the tutelary shrine for 16 villages. The Suo Clan, descendants of Kunikane, made it their family shrine and gave more support. When the Suo moved with the Mori to Nagato a lot of the shrines lands were confiscated.

There is a very popular Inari shrine within the grounds. Over the centuries it has been located at numerous locations.

The previous post in this series on walking the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage and the Iwami Kannon Pilgrimage was on Jorinji Temple.

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.

Tsuchida Hachimangu

 

Tsuchida is a small coastal village between Kamate and Okami on the Iwami coastline in western Shimane.

I stopped in at the local shrine while walking up the coast on day 34 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage.

It's a fairly standard village shrine, a Hachimangu.

It is said that the shrine was moved to this spot in "ancient" times. There are numerous secondary shrines in the grounds but no info available.

The current building has two dates from the 18th century engraved into some beams. This version of Hachiman has Ojin, Jingu, and Tamayorihime. It also lists Kotoshironushi as a primary kami.

Being a Hachimangu, there still remain some Buddhist statues in a small shrine next to the stairs.

The previous post was on the scenic harbour at Kamate..

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

Hachiman Shrine & Makio Shrine in Yasaka

 

Day 9 of my walk along the Iwami Kannon Pilgrimage and during the morning I stop in at two noteworthy shrines.

Iwami is a remote region, and the area in the mountains now collectively grouped together as Yasaka Town is a remote part of that region. Though I have lived here for decades, this was an exploration for me...

The first shrine I reached was the Hachimangu in the area called Nakayasu after thebfamily that were installed in the area as local  administrators in the mid 14th century.

They served under various different lords until the mid 16th century when the Mori attacked and defeated them, then took over.

This Hachimangu was established as a branch of Usa Hachiman in the mid 15th century to protect the nearby castle. It became the tutelary shrine for ten villages in the area.

There are a pair of huge Sugi trees flanking the stairway, and a third up near the shrine buildings.

They are big enough to be protected and registered as Natural Monunments by the prefecture.

An older Tenmangu shrine was moved into the grounds in early Meiji.

With its Ryobu-style Torii, Makio Shrine, much further south, is quite picturesque. (top photo above)

Said to be founded in the early Heian Period, making it about a thousand years old, it was relocated to its current location in 1582.

 

Unusual is the combination of main kami, Izanagi, and Otoshi. Izanagi, well known as the male of the creator-kami pair with his sister/wife Izanami. Otoshi, one of Susano's sons, with association with rice harvest and Korean clans.

There is a kagura den, but it looks like it has not been used in a while....

The previous post was on the last temple I visited yesterday, and the place I stayed the night.

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