Showing posts with label ebisu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ebisu. Show all posts

Sunday, February 9, 2025

The Seven Lucky Gods at Anyoji Temple

 


A giant statue of Bishamonten sits atop the gate into Anyoji Temple near Kurashiki where Bishamonten is the honzon of the temple.


Bishamonten is also one of the Shichifukujin, or Seven Lucky Gods of Japan and so Anyoji has statues of all seven in the grounds as a popular attraction.


Bishamonten is one of three of the 7 Lucky Gods with origins in Hinduism. Benzaiten, photo 5 left, and Daikokuten, photo 4 right, being the other two.


Three of the others have their origins in Taoism, Jurojin and Fukurokuju, photo 3, and Hotei, photos 6, 7, and 8.


The only "native" god is Ebisu, photo 4 left.


The exact origin of this grouping of 7 is murky, though by the Edo period they were a very popular group and a visit to shrines for the Shichifukujin at new year is the origin of the Hatsumode tradition nowadays.


Anyoji was part of a major Shinto-Buddhist complex in ancient times, and there is a lot to see here. The previous post in the series was on the Ryujindo in front of the main entrance.




Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Miho Shrine

 


Miho Shrine is a major shrine located at the Eastern tip of the Shimane Peninsula and is the head shrine of about 3,000 Miho shrines throughout Japan.


It is also said to be the head shrine of all Ebisu shrines nationwide, though that is also claimed by Nishinomiya Shrine in Hyogo.


There are two quite distinct origins for Ebisu, one as the "leech child" born to Izanagi and Izanami, and the other as Kotoshironushi, one of the sons of Okuninushi in Izumo. The former si the basis for Nishinomiya Shrine, and the latter for Miho Shrine in Izumo. In early Meiji Period the government officially classified Ebisu as Kotoshironushi.


Miho Shrine was mentioned in the Izumo Fudoki, the 8th century local gazeteers published shortly after the more famous Kojiki and Nihon Shoki.


It seems quite possible that at first the kami Mihosumi was enshrined here but that later Mihotsuhime and Kotoshironushi became the two kami under the influence of the Kojiki and Nihnshoki.


Mihotsuhime is a wife of Okuninushi, and step-mother to Kotoshironushi.


Their twin hondens are in a unique architecture style and registered as Important Cultural Properties. They were constructed in 1813.


I have not noticed before at other shrines, so am not sure how prevalent the custom is, but above the entrance gate hang two Onusa purification wands.


Kotoshironushi used to go fishing often at his favorite spot on an offshore islet.


He was there when his father, Okuninushi, sent for him to consult about the offer from Amaterasu envoys to hand over the land to her descendants in what is known as the Kuniyuzuri myth.


This event is recreated in two unique festivals involving boats, the Murote Fune held on December 3rd involving two large canoes, and the Aoshibagaki held on April 7th.


The shrine also has an impressive collection of hundreds of musical instruments that have been donated over the centuries.


846 are registered as Important Tangible Folk Cutural Properties and include the first accordion and organ in the country


Often depicted carrying a Sea Bream, Ebisu is well known as a kami of fishing but also safety at sea, and prosperity in business.


Mihotsuhime, a daughter of  Takamimusubi, is known for abundant harvest, marital harmony, safe childbirth, prosperity of descendants, and music and dance.


Mihonoseki is a small port in a sheltered position that was used as a lay-over for the Kitamaebune ships in the Edo period.


Served by buses from Matsue, it is a nice place for a quiet visit and the guesthouse used by Lafcadio Hearn is still in business.


The previous post on sights to see in Matsue was on Jozan Inari Shrine, another shrine with a famous boat festival.


Saturday, August 10, 2024

Altars at Udono Cliff Carvings


 The Udono Sekibutsu are a set of almost 60 Buddhist relief carvings in the cliffs and caves near Ochi in Saga.


In the medieval period there was a temple here called Byodo-ji.


Much later a Shungon temple was built at the base, but now there are no temples


Scattered among the carvings however are numerous altars which are still maintained by local people.


Several Fudo Myo statues are here, not surprising really.


There is also an Inari altar set up, and also one to Daikoku and Ebisu, a pair of the seven lucky gods.


The other altars all contain an eclectic mix of statues.


Photos and details about the cliff carvings can be found in the previous post in this series on day 72 of my walk around Kyushu.




Thursday, May 23, 2024

Hachiman Shrine Kawagoe

 


A little over a kilometer further upstream from the main part of Kawagoe village and bridge is another sizable settlement.


Called Watari on old maps it is now just part of Kawagoe but had a quite large Hachiman Shrine.


One source says it was founded in the early 11th century, which seems feasible as on the opposite bank of the river is a large temple founded even earlier.


I have been to all-night matsuris in almost all the shrines in this area, but not this one. I suspect the main shrine for Kawagoe is the new Suwa Shrine back in the main part of the village. The interior of this one did not have a tengai, the overhead canopy under which kagura is performed.


Being a Hachiman shrine, the three main enshrined kami are Emperor Ojin, his mother, Jingu, and his wife. Also enshrined here are Amenokoyane, Futsunushi, Takemikazuchi, and Ebisu.


The previous post in this series on my walk up the Gonokawa River to its source was Along the Gonokawa to Kawagoe.

Thursday, May 2, 2024

Hokao Shrine Arita

 


Hokao Shrine is a small, local shrine on top of a rise next to the river at the southern end of the old town of Arita in Saga.


It is built in concrete, and something about it struck me as more attractive than many concrete shrines.


It has two pairs of komainu, the first pair dating to early 21st century.


There was no signboard, and no information I could find on the web. Like many local shrines, origin and even kami enshrined are lost in time.


The second set of komainu dated back to the 1920's.


I found this small Ebisu statue intriguing. Ebisu is very popular in the area, as in all of what is now Nagasaki and Saga.


The previous post was on Arita Porcelain Park.

Sunday, April 28, 2024

Nishinomiya Ebisu Shrine

 


Nishinomiya Ebisu Shrine is certainly the most popular and well-known shrine in the city of Nishinomiya in Hyogo.


Nishinomiya means "West Shrine" and the shrine the city is named after is actually Hirota Shrine.


To the north of Nishinomiya Ebisu, Hirota Shrine was in ancient times a very important shrine, and it is believed that the Ebisu Shrine was sometimes referred to as "Southern Shrine" indicating its branch relationship to Hirota.


There are three hondens behind the main shrine. One enshrines Ebisu, one enshrines Amaterasu and Okuninushi, and the third enshrines Susano.


The enshrinement of Amaterasu and Okuninushi occurred in the early years of Meiji when the shrine officially separated from Hirota. Not sure when the Susano enshrinement happened.


There seems to have been some dispute over the Okuninushi Shrine. It seems at one point the whole shrine was renamed Okuninushi Shrine but then later separated from the Ebisu Shrine. After 1945 the Okuninushi became a sub-shrine of the Ebisu.


The main hall is a post-war reconstruction of the 17th century building. I also believe it underwent further reairs following the Hanshin Earthquake.


There are numerous secondary shrines within the large grounds, including the aforementioned Okuninushi Nishi Shrine which also enshrines Sukunahiko, and a Kojin Shrine (photo 4 )


There is also an Atago Shrine, and an Okiebisu shrine, enshrining the "wild/turbulent" aspect of Ebisu relocated to within the grounds  in early Meiji. (second to last photo)


There is a Benzaiten Shrine and a Rokkosan Shrine, an Inari Shrine, but also an Ugatama Shrine from before Meiji when Inari became equated with Ugatama. There are two shrines connected to sake brewing, a Matsuo Shrine, and an Umemiya Shrine.


The most interesting subsidiary shrine for me was the Hyakudayu Shrine which enshrines a kami connected to puppeteering. It is said that one of the reasons for the widespread adoption of Ebisu nationwide was due to Ebisu stories told in puppet plays.


Nishinomiys Ebisu is considered by some to be the head shrine of all Ebisu shrines nationwide, and the version of Ebisu here is the one based on Hiruko, sometimes called "Leech Child" born of Izanagi and Izanami who failed to follow the correct protocol and so their first child was born without limbs or skeleton. It was placed in a basket and set adrift.


One version of the story has the basket sailing to Hokkaido where the child is raised by Ainu. Another version of Ebisu is equated with Kotoshirunushi, a son of Okuninushi, and so some consider his main shrine of Miho Shrine in Shimane to be the head Ebisu shrine.


Certainly the pairing of Ebisu and Daikoku, another variation of  Okuninushi, as two of the Seven Lucky Gods, explains Ebisu's popularity among businesses and commerce, whereas Ebisu as the patron deity of fishermen suggests a different heritage perhaps.


The Toka Ebisu Festival takes place on January 10th and includes the Lucky Man Race wherein thousands of hopefuls race from the main gate to the main shrine building.


I was here very early on June 10th and preparations were underway for a ceremony at the Okiebisu Shrine.....


This was my first stop on day 3 of my walk along the Kinki Fudo Myo pilgrimage. The previous post was on my last stop of day 2, the Kifune Shrine in Amagasaki.