Ushio Shrine

Ushio Shrine was the last shrine I visited before heading over the pass out of the Hi watershed. It is named after the Ushio clan who had a small "castle" on top of the mountain behind the shrine. They were vassals of the Amago.

It is yet another shrine in the area that is listed in both the Izumo Fudoki, and the Engi Shiki. The main kami enshrined here is Unojihiko, the same kami enshrined at Unochi Shrine that I visited earlier in the pilgrimage.
For details I refer you to that post. It is worth mentioning that according to the myth he caused Lake Shinji to rise in an attempt to drown his father, and supposedly the water level reached this point, which is quite remarkable considering how much higher this place is than Unochi Shrine.

Within the grounds are smaller shrines to Hachiman, Inari, Ebisu, and Aragami.

From here the road forks, the road heading north goes to Suga Shrine, a major shrine connected to Susano. The road I take heads west to Kumano Taisha, once the most important shrine in Izumo, also connected to Susano.

Serida Shrine

It may look like a small inconspicuous village shrine, but Serida Shrine has some vintage. It is listed in the Izumo Fudoki, so has existed since before the 7th Century, and is also listed in the Engi Shiki, therefore it received offerings from the imperial government in the Heian period.

The main kami enshrined here is listed as Kanayamabiko, who came into existence from the vomit of Izanami as she was dying after giving birth to fire. However, according to an excellent website on the history of iron in Japan at Hitachi Metals, it was probably called Kanayago before the Meiji Period.

Kanayago is a very popular kami among iron and metal workers and the head kanayago shrine is a little east of here. The Chugoku region and especially this part of Izumo was a main center for iron production in ancient times, and there are many Kanayago shrines.

Also enshrined here is Izanami and Kotosakano and Hayatamano, the latter two being the kami that came into existence at the time of Izanagi's oath of divorce from Izanami. Curiously they are linked with Izanami here rather than Izanagi.

This area is between the entrance to Yomi where Izanagi visited Izanami, and Izamani's tomb on top of Mt. Hiba.

Iishi Shrine

Iishi Shrine is the shrine that Jyufukuji was built as a Jinguji for. It is a very ancient and important shrine being listed in both the Izumo Fudoki and the Engi Shiki. The main kami is Iishitsuhenomikoto, otherwise known as Amenohinatori or Takehiratori.

The white fence behind the shrine surrounds a large rock, the goshintai of the shrine, and it was onto this rock that the kami descended. The rock itself is considered the honden. According to records from ancient Izumo, Takehiratori was the son of Amenohohi who was the first emissary sent by Amaterasu to convince Izumo to cede their land to the Yamato. According to the Yamato version of events in the Kojiki, Amenohohi sided with Okuninushi and did not get back in touch with the High Plain of Heaven, so they sent Takemikazuchi to convince Okuninushi. In the Izumo version however, Amenohohi did sent a message back and his son, Takehiratori descended and arranged the transfer of land, known as Kuniyuzuri.

The Nihon Shoki also says that Takehinatori came with divine treasures that were placed in the Izumo Grand Shrine which suggests that the records of Gakuenji that state Izumo Taisha enshrined Susano originally may have some credence. Both Amenohohi and Takehiratori are considered ancestors of priestly lineage that functioned as head priests of Izumo taisha as well as governors of Izumo.

There is a smaller secondary shrine within the grounds, Takuasha, that enshrines Kibitsuhiko.

What is also unusual about Iishi Shrine is that there are no komainu or shimenawa, in fact no "decoration" at all.

Mishiro Shrine

Mishiro Jinja

Mishiro Shrine is less than 1k from Yaguchi Shrine, and like it is also listed in the Izumo Fudoki and is a shikinaisha, a shrine receiving offerings from the central government in the Heian Period and therefore listed in the Engi Shiki.

Like Yaguchi, it enshrines Susano, but also his "wife" Kushinada, and a grandson Oyamakui, son of Otoshi. Like many of the offspring of Otoshi, Oyamakui has strong links with Korean immigrfant groups in ancient Japan. Oyamakui is the original kami of Mt Hiei and what is now Hiyoshi Taisha. Oyamakui also has connections to the Hata and kamo clans, 2 very powerful immigrant clans .

There is a zuijinmon containing a fine pair of zuijin and their attendant, small, wooden komainu which have a most definite "cute" appearance.

There are 2 smaller shrines within the grounds, an Inari Shrine, and a Takasa Shrine which enshrines Aohatasakusahiko, and all I can find out about him is that he was one of the numerous offspring of Susano.

Yaguchi Shrine

Yaguchi Shrine has no particularly distinctive features, and yet is listed in both the Izumo Fudoki and Engi Shiki.

Yaguchi means "eight mouths", and refers to the 8-headed serpent Yamata no Orochi that was slain by Susano. Susano is the main kami enshrined here.

There is another Yaguchi Shrine in the area that is supposedly where one of the sake barrels that was used by Susano to drug the serpent is buried.

For the next few days of the pilgrimage, I will be passing through the country where the Orochi Myth is set.
It was early May and so everyone was out preparing the paddies and planting the rice.

Iha Shrine

Walking out of the village of Naoe towards the train station there is yet another shrine. Iha Shrine is recorded in the Izumo Fudoki so is therefore at least 1300 years old. It was until 1750 on top of Mount Iwano but then relocated down to its present location.

The map shows it as Iha Shrine, as does the signboard, but the new stone marker in front says KamiNaoe Hachimagu. I can find no explanation.

At some point in the not too distant past the whole shrine has been reconstructed. The main kami of the shrine is Okuninushi.

There are several smaller shrines collected together in the grounds but they are listed as unknown kami.

There is also the almost obligatory Inari shrine....

Kumu Shrine & Shusai Hachimangu

There are two shrines occupying the same site here, located just east of Izumo City across the river in Hikawa.

The older shrine is Kumu Shrine, though in the Engi Shiki it is called Humuno Shrine. It has been in existence since at least the 7th Century as it is listed in the Izumo Fudoki. It was moved to its present site in the middle of the Edo Period. It enshrines Susano.

The bigger shrine is Shusai Hachimangu and it is not known exactly when it was founded. Unusually it lists Susano and Homuda Wake as the main kamis, Humuda Wake being the name of the emperor who was known posthumously as Ojin

Within the grounds are an Inari Shrine, a Wakamiya, a Miho, and Aragami.

Enya Shrine

Enya Shrine is the tutelary shrine of Izumo and is located south of downtown. It used to be called Yamuya Shrine, and the main kami enshrined is Yamuyahiko and his wife Yamuyahime.

Yamuyahiko was a grandson of Okuninushi, and other than that I can find no information about him.

The shrine is very old, being listed in the Izumo Fudoki of 720, as well as the Engishiki.

Also enshrined in the main shrine is Kotoshironushi, Oyamazumi, and Ojin,.... a strange mix of kami. Enshrining Ojin makes it a hachimangu, though it is not officially named that,  it is considered the number one of Izumo's eight Hachimangu. Hachiman must have been enshrined here much later.

Secondary shrines within the precincts are to Inari, Tenjin, and Aragami, among others...

There was a nice pair of small, wooden komainu in the Zuijinmon.

To Inome

After leaving Onamuchi's shrine the narrow road continues to wind steeply up the mountainside. I love walking these roads as they are more like wide asphalted hiking trails with very little traffic, maybe 1 or 2 vehicles an hour and they usually being Post Office or delivery vans.

At the pass the road forks and I take the right-hand one, the road less travelled, and now I enjoy the road even more as it descends. geologically speaking japan is a very new land, so erosion has not smoothed out the mountains and so they are still steep.  The only sound is of rushing water on its way to the Japan sea a few kilometers downhill

Approaching the village of Inome, it was mostly tea in the fields. Inome means "Wild Boar Eye" and refers to a nearby sea cave that is shaped like a wild boars eye. According to the Izumo Fudoki dreaming of this cave was a portent of your imminent death. The cave is also considered to be one of several entrances to Yomi, the underworld, the most famous one being the one used by Izanagi

Tea does not need flat land to be grown, which suggests that these were once rice-paddies. There was no-one on the street of the village who I could ask.

In the middle of the village the Otoshi Shrine with its unusual double honden

Mefu Shrine

Mefu Shrine is yet another shrine in Matsue that is listed in the 8th Century Izumo Fudoki which means it was in existence for about 1,000 years before Matsue was built.

It is located not far from the station, on the south bank of the waterway that connects Lake Shinji with Nakaumi and the sea, so its not surprising that the main kami is Haya Akitsuhi the kami of inlets and straits,created by Izanagi and Izanami.

A secondary group of kami are Isotake and his 2 sisters Oyatsuhime and Tsumatsuhime, the three children of Susano that came to Japan with him from Korea.

Behind the main honden are a couple of shrines to Funadama, the kami of boats, and Konpira the kami of safe journeys

Other smaller shrines include Ebisu, Wadatsumi, the dragon kami of the sea, and an Aragami. The shrine is noted for a fine pair of komainu.