Kawada Hachiman Shrine

 

Kawada Hachiman is the biggest shrine in the Yamakawa district of western Tokushima, but is deserted most of the year outside of the annual festival which draws visitors from across the prefecture.

There is no date for when it was originally founded, but it was rebuilt in 1189. It is said to have been a guardian shrine for the Inbe Clan.

The Inbe, or Imbe, were a powerful clan at court but lost power to the Nakatomi/Fujiwara. They sent a branch of the clan to what is now Tokushima to grow hemp for imperial shinto rituals. Another branch of the clan controlled the production of magatama in what is now the Tamatsukuri area near Matsue.

It is believed that at first the three "Munakata Princesses" were enshrined here, Ichikishimahime, Tagitsuhime, and Tagorihime. Later Hachiman was added.

Within the grounds is an Atago Shrine, a Kasuga Shrine, and a Shinmei Shrine.

The previous post in this series on my walk along the Shikoku Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage was on temple 8, Chozenji, further upstream.

Mitate Shrine

 

Mitate Shrine is the main shrine of Saijo in the mountains of Higashihiroshima, and is located just north of the towns main railway station.

It moved to this location in 1910, along with the nearby Wakamiya, Hachiman, Ebisu, Kanazaki, and Daiichi shrines.

The Otateinari Shrine is on the approach to the main shrine.

The original Mitate Shrine is said to have been founded in 706 after the local people prayed to Gozu Tenno and successfully stopped a plague.

Gozu Tenno has been associated with Susano for a long time, but since the Meiji Period all instances of Gozu Tenno have been officially changed to Susano.

Along with Susano, the other main kami listed are Kotoshironushi, and Ichikishimahime.

The shrine has numerous pairs of komainu, in a variety of styles.

Most seem to date to the mid 19th century before the shrine moved to the current location.

One pair date to the early 20th century, after the move.

It seems that before the Meiji Period it was called Gion Shrine.

In the mid 20th century a branch of Matsuo Shrine was established in the grounds.

Matsuo Shrine is the patron shrine of sake brewing, and, like Fushimi Inari, was established by the Hata Clan.

Saijo is one of the major sake brewing towns in Japan, and often calls itself  the Sake Capital.

Though right in the centre of the town the shrine is within a large park and so has plenty of greenery

The previous post was on Yamatogen Shrine....

I have not seen anything like this before.... a tanuki dressed as a Shinto priest and a device for, I guess, whispering something into iys ears.....

Suijin Shrine Saigo

 

This Suijin Shrine, is located on the waters edge in Saigo, the main port of Dogo, the largest of the Oki Islands in the Sea of Japan off of Shimane.

Most locals refer to it as Tenjinsan, as since at least the 16th century Sugawara Michizane has been enshrined here.

However, towards the end of the Edo period it was decided that this was a Suijin Shrine that had been recorded in the tenth century, and Tenjin had been added later.

I recently covered a similar situation where the Suwa Shrine in Kobe had become overpowered by the Inari that had been enshrined later.

The main kami is now listed as Mizuhanome, though it is unclear if that was a renaming from the Meiji riod when many kami were renamed to fit with the "national" histories of the Kojiki and Nihonshoki.

The previous ost in this series on the Oki Islands was on Takuhi Shrine, one of the most important shrines in the Oki Islands.

Ushitora Shrine Fukuyama

 

Ushitora Shrine is said to be the oldest shrine in Fukuyama.

It is said to have been founded as Gozu Tenno Shrine in the early 12th century when the area that is now Fukyama was a big estate of the Fujiwara Clan.

In  1334 it was moved to its current location and renamed Akitsushima shrine after Izanagi was also enshrined here.

When Fukuyama Castle was constructed the shrine was in the NE direction of the castle and so was supported by the lords of the castle as a kimon, demon gate to protect from the NE. 

Gozu Tenno would seem to be originally of Hindu origin and in Japan became known as the god of plagues, both as cause and prevention. The origin of the Gion Matsuri , Gozu Tenno was widely enshrined throughout Japan and equated with Susano. Gion Shrines, Yasaka Shrines, and others were all originally devoted to Gozu Tenno but in Meiji officially became shrines to Susano.

Fukuyama Ushitora Shrine appeared in a 2022 TV program and has since become even more popular as a shrine for seeking protection.

The previous post was on the temple immediately adjacent, Kannon-ji, also functioning as a kimon of the castle.

Kusado Inari Shrine

 

Day 10 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage begins just south of  downtown Fukuyama on the bank of the Ashida River.

Kusado Inari Shrine was originally located on an island in the river that has long since disappeared due to river straightening and land reclamation.

Kusado Sengen was a fairly major port about 1,000 years ago but has long since disappeared, however the history museum in the castle grounds has an excellent set of displays about what was there...

Kusado Sengen was important and wealthy enough to maintain a major temple complex, now named Myoo-in, adjacent to the shrine.

The shrine was said to have been established by a sword-maker who lived in Kusado Sengen after he donated a sword to the temple.

The shrine was swept away by flood numerous times and was moved to its current location in 1655 after having been rebuilt by the founder of Fukuyama Castle, Mizuno Katsunari, at the original site.

It is claimed that the shrine receives the second-largest number of visitors at New Year of all shrines in Hiroshima Prefecture.

With the elevated main hall it reminded me of Yutoku Inari down on Kysuhu... though on a somewhat smaller scale. Perhaps that was the inspiration.

Between the business hours of 9 to 4 the gates to the stairs leading up to the elevated main hall are opened. There are great views.

At other hours the shrine is open and the lower main hall can be used.

The construction of the concrete framework and upper hall was not until the 1980's.

There are many different Inari shrines within the grounds.

The main kami enshrined here is Ukanomitama, the standard Inari kami, but also enshrined is Ukemochi, otherwise known as Ogetsuhime, another food deity that also sometimes appears as a fox, and the third kami is Onamuchi, otherwise known as Okuninushi.

The shrine is popular all year round, and has a full schedule of festivals...

On top of the mountain is an Atago Shrine, the protective shrine for Myoo-in Temple. With the separation of Buddhas and Kami the shrine came under the control of Kusado Inari.

The largest of the secondary shrines in the grounds is the Hachiman Shrine photo below.

The previous post in this series was on the Niagari Odori Festival the evening before.