Saka Shrine Origin of Sake in Japan

 

Down below Ichibata Yakushi Temple, and not far from Ichibataguchi Station, is Saka Shrine, sometimes called Matsuo Shrine.

October 2nd, 2015, and this is where I start day 43 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage.

This is an ancient shrine connected to the production of Sake, and the areas around it all have names connected to sake.

The first time sake is mentioned in the ancient myth-histories published in the early 8th century is when Susanoo brews some sake to give to the Orochi serpent, which he then slays when they are in a drunken stupor. As sake is a word used for alcohol in general, it is suggested that the sake he brewed was made from fruit.

However, same books, plus the  Izumo Fudoki, published a few years later, has a legend from this area wherein 180 kami gathered together, built a kitchen and brewed up some sake, and had a 180-day feast.

About ten kilometers away up the Hi River is Mankusen Shrine, where a big group of kami gathers during Kamiarizuki, the annual meeting of almost all of Japan's kami in the Izumo area. The shrine has a unique ritual and ceremony wherein the kami are kind of pushed out of the shrine because they won't leave. The reason they won't leave is that they say the sake here is so good.

The primary kami of Saka Shrine is Kushinokami, believed to be another name for Sukunahikona, the sidekick of Okuninushi who settled and created the land of Izumo. He was also linked with medicine. Also enshrined here are 180 unnamed kami, obviously a nod to the myth-legend.

At some point before the 16th century, the kami of Matsuo Shrine near Kyoto was enshrined here. Oyamakui is also considered the kami of sake, and Matsuo Shrine in Kyoto is considered the main sake-brewers' shrine in Japan. Saka Shrine was known as Matsuo Shrine until the Meiji Period, when it reverted to Saka Shrine.

Researchers and historians believe that sake was introduced into Japan from Korea via Izumo. The Hata Clan created the Matsuo Shrine in Kyoto, and the Hata are known to be an immigrant clan from the mainland; some say China, some say Korea, some say even further west. Many historians suggest that the Hata spent some time in Izumo before moving on to Yamato. All this suggests that the area around Saka Shrine may well be the origin of Sake in Japan...

Sake brewers continue to support and pray at Saka Shrine. At the annual festival in mid October, at which the head priest has brewed sake for it, many sake brewers gather. The shrine has a special license to brew the sake.

In the grounds are numerous secondary shrines, notably an Inari.

There are also an Ekisha, a Takeuchi Shrine, and a Hoden Shrine. The most interesting is a Smallpox Vaccination Shrine.

The previous post in this series was on the 84,000 Yakushi statues at Ichibata Yakushi. Well worth a look!

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Koizu Inari Shrine & Sansha Shrine

 

At Koizu fishing port I headed over to see what seafood was being dried in the baskets, only to discover it was nets.

Koizu is, I think, the biggest port and fishing village so far along the Shimane Peninsula..

The road switchbacks up and out of the village. This is mostly a steep coastline.

I come to the familiar vermilion toriis of an Inari Shrine....

The shrine itself consists of just a honden..... bigger than in a roadside shrine, but smaller than a main shrine.

There does seem to be a kind of meeting hall though....

The 2d white fox on one of the torii is interesting.... don't remember seeing that anywhere else...

A little further up the road is the entrance to Sansha Shrine. The two shrines are adjacent so the Inari shrine may officially be a sub-shrine of Sansha....

I can find no information about the shrines history...

The Sansha Shrine is a little more substantial.

It is believed that this is the Suijin Shrine listed in the Izumo Fudoki. Later it became known as Sansha Daimyojin.

The main kami are the three Sumiyoshi kami, Uwatsutsu, Nakatsutsu, and Sokotsutsu.

This secondary shrine is an Umisachi Shrine.

These sub-shrines are Toshitokujin, and then a Miho Shrine with a Kinoyama Shrine...

The previous post was on the washboard rock coastline leading into Koizu.

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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.

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Kamaura Coast

 

By 6:30, the sun was already painting the western sky seen from my night's rest stop on the Uppurui Cape on the Shimane Peninsula.

The road east along the peninsula was narrow and there was no traffic

After a few kilometers I started down some switchbacks into the tiny fishing village of Kamaura.

Up ahead another wind farm.

Route 23 now hugs the waters edge and leaving the tiny settlement I passed a small shrine.

An Inarisha, but the nameplate also says Koshin, a Taoist cult that was very popular in the Edo Period

The road continues to hug the waters edge until the next settlement, Shiotsu.

I am always surprised by how beautiful this section of coastline is.....

The previous post was on the sunset from the windmill park where I spent the night...

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