Matsubara Itsukushima Shrine & Tonoura Kotohira Shrine

 

Matsubara is the small settlement below Hamada Castle on the mouth of the Hamada River.

The shrine right below the castle and immediately next to the sea is, not surprisingly, an Itsukushima Shrine...

There is a secondary Ebisu shrine in the grounds and hanging inside the common pairing of two masks of Ebisu and Daikoku. 2 of the 7 lucky gods, the pairing has deeper significance in this region as Daikoku is read as Okuninushi, and the father-son pair of Okuninushi and Ebisu are important in Izumo mythology.

The Itsukushima shrine is a branch of the famous one on Miyajima. This one only enshrined Ichikishima and not her sisters...

The chikaraishi stones were used in displays of strength at festivals...

The shrine has some very nice, large paintings.....

A few hundred meters up the narrow inlet towards Tonoura, the Kitamaebune port in earlier times, is a Kotohira Shrine set among a rocky outcropping.

This was originally a small Buddhist hermitage in 1711, but a few years later, following a dream, Kotohira Gongen was invited from Shikoku. In 1868, with the separation of Buddhas and Kami, it was turned into a shrine.

The previous post was on the Otoshi Shrine near Hamada Port

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 It will not be published or made public.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.

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.

Tsuda Hachimangu aka Mozukujima Hachimangu

Tsuda Hachimangu is right next to the train station, Iwami Tsuda. It is known locally by its old name Mozukujima Hachimangu

In earlier times, the site of the shrine was a small island in the mouth of the river and the villagers would collect a type of seaweed called mozuku.

This is a giant Hagoita, a kind of paddle used to play a Japanese game similar to badminton. Often decorated with kabuki characters or other auspicious figures, they became used as talismans for good luck, especially at new year.

One thing noticeable here is that the shrine is kept in good order and appearance. It is obviously well looked after.

Not sure if the ring on the ceiling is the same thing, but alongside the main shrine was a used chinowa, the grass ring used for parishioners to pass through for purification. When used, the circle is fresh green.

Another notable thing about this shrine was the large number of masks on display.

There are a couple of quite cool, large oni masks, a Susano, a single Tengu and then two pairs of tengu as well. All in all well worth a visit for me.

Another striking thing about the shrine is the large numkber of secondary shrines...

There is an Omoto Shrine which lists Kunitokotachi as the kami. It is one of the primordial kami and I suspect was named in the Meiji period. In the rest of Iwami Omoto is a local land kami.

There is an Inari Shrine visible in photo 6, and a Nakayama Shrine, once again listing Kunitokotachi.

There are two Ebisu Shrines, both enshrining Kotoshironushi, and one adding Omononushi also.

Finally, there is an Itsukushima Shrine.

The version of Hachiman here is Ojin, Jingu, and the three Munakata kami.

The final photo shows a Soreiden. This seems to be connected with ancestors and funerals, and as this area was part of the Tsuwano Domain at the end of the Edo Period, and the Daimyo of Tsuwano decreed that all people in the domain would have Shinto burials, it may date to that period.

The previous post in this series on day 33 of my walk along the Chugoku Pilgrimage, was on the walk to get here

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.

Kushirogahime Shrine

 

After crossing the Masuda River, my route is now up a trail that leads from a arge torii on the riverbank up to a shrine in the village up above.

Apparently the shrine was originally down here at several sites on the waters edge but was moved after a tsunami in the 11th century.

There are several Buddhist statues and altars on the way up as there used to be 3 temples associated with the shrine but they were all closed in 1868 with the separation of buddhas and Kami.

The original shrine was established very early in the 8th century and is connected to a myth of the Kushiro Clan. Originally from what is now southern Osaka, they are said to be "pioneers" who immigrated here.

A little further up the coast in Kamate are a couple of "islands" just offshore, a male one and a female one. Kushirogahime is the female kami enshrined here, and Kushishikiamenohiko the male. The male is enshrined much further up the coast, not far from my place.

The male comes down to the islands to meet his wife. If in their meeting they agree then a rainbow forms between the two islands. It is said it is rare.

The husband covers his head and face with a scarf, and as it slips to reveal his face, that is the source of the waxing and waning of the moon.

The shrine is listed in the Engi Shiki, meaning it received offering from the Imperial Court.

The shrine was also well supported by the Masuda Clan.

An old, wooden mask from the Edo Period....

A more modern style of mask made from local paper. The kind of mask I make.

The current main hall was built in 1765, but reused some of the materials from the rebuilding in 1548.

At some point, Hachiman was enshrined here as well. The shrine is in possession of the oldest kami statue in Shimane.

The kami is dressed as a Buddhist monk, so it is almost certainly a Hachiman statue.

No idea what these lobsters are about.... they look real creepy.

The shrine has a small pair of stone komainu that were brought from Shikoku.

The shrine is home to 3 "Great Rites", a sumo, a lion dance, and a needle ritual. 

The origin of the three rites was in the time when the shrine was to be relocated and two groups from different villages argued over where it should be. It turned physical and an old lady intervened and in the process lost her favorite needle.

The previous post was on the walk along the beach and across the river mouths to get here.

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.