Ikuta Shrine Sannomiya

 

Ikuta Shrine is the most important shrine in Sannomiya, part of Kobe in Hyogo. It was the third-ranked shrine in the province, the sannomiya, which is why the area around it took that name.

My room for the night was nearby so I passed through the grounds on my way there.

A "shinto" wedding was taking place. As I have mentioned before, Shinto Weddings are a very modern thing and not at all traditional.

Christian weddings have a much older history in Japan than Shinto weddings. The first shinto wedding was in 1904 for the Crown Prince. It was modelled on royal weddings of Europe and especially the UK.

Later a few elites had Shinto weddings and before the war it became popular with salarymen and army officers who chose it because it was modern and untraditional. Ikuta Shrine is known to have performed shinto weddings in the prewar years.

In 1945 it was suddenly made traditional and has gained in popularity since then.

According to myth, Ikuta Shrine was established by Empress Jingu when her ship was becalmed here.

She was told by the kami Wakahirume that she wished to stay here, so Jingu set up the shrine. Wakhirume is considered to be either  a younger sister of Amaterasu, although sometimes she is thought of as a daughter of Amaterasu or even Amaterasu as a girl.

Over the centuries numerous other shrines have been made inside the grounds, including Sumiyoshi, Hachiman, Suwa, Hiyoshi, Inari, and a Sai shrine. As is evident in the final photo, Ikuta Shrine is one of the increasing number of shrines "specializing" in matchmaking.

This visit was at the end of my third day walking the Kinki Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage. The previous post was on one of the Inari shrines at Ikuta.

Miyajidake Shrine

 

Like Kashii Shrine which I had visited a few hours earlier, Miyajidake Shrine is yet another major shrine in Fukuoka connected to the mythical Empress Jingu.

The long approach road runs from the shrine to the sea and is known as the Path of Light as twice a year it aligns with the setting sun.

According to the myth, Jingu prayed at the top of the mountain for success in her upcoming invasion of Korea, so she is the primary Kami enshrined here along with Katsumura no Okami and Katsuyori no Okami, said to be two brothers of the powerful ruling family of the area.

The shrine is famous for Japan's Best Three, the three being a giant taiko drum, a giant copper lantern, and the huge shimenawa.

Many sources claim this to be the biggest shimenawa in Japan, but by every metric I can figure the one at Izumo Taisha is bigger.

Behind the main shrine is the Inner Shrine area which has a group of eight other shrines.

The most interesting is the Fudo Shrine, not least because Fudo Myoo is a Buddhist deity with Hindu roots.

It is located within the stone burial chamber of an ancient kofun. While the mound itself is not particularly large, the stone burial chamber was claimed to be the biggest in Japan, though nowadays "among" the biggest is more common.

Dated to the end of the 6th or start of the 7th century, many grave goods have been found nd now registered as National Treasures.

It is not known for sure who was buried here but some historians suggest it was a notable of the Munakata Clan who is said to have ruled the area.

The Munakata were involved in trade with mainland Asia and the Munakata Shrines were links to the mainland by sea. Incidentally the Munakata Ptncesses, the name given to the three female kami of the Munakata Shrines, were "daughters" of Susanoo which has led some historians to suggest that Northern Kyushu was within the control of the Izumo polity.

Mitajidake Shrine has many festivals throughout the year, but one of the most popular is the Tsuitachi Mairi, held every month. Previously held on the new moon, since switching to the solar calendar it has shifted to the first day of each month.

The previous post was on Kaishinji Temple a short distance away on the Path of Light.

Chinkaiseki Hachimangu Shrine Itoshima

 

Situated on a hilltop overlooking the sea and noted for its sunset views, Chinkaiseki Hachimangu traces its roots back to the mythical Empress Jingu, just like the last shrine I visited in Karatsu, Kumonohara Shrine.

The chinkaiseki of the name refer to a pair of smooth stones Jingu picked up and carried in her sleeves while she "subdued" the Korean Peninsula. Later she returned the stones here, though they cannot be seen.

The story is recorded in the Kojiki as well as in a poem in the Manyoshu.

Stones of various kinds can be found at the shrine.... halfway up the slope, at the site of what was earlier the main hall, is a small structure containing three stones. The Yin Yang stones resemble the genitals of male and female, and the stone on the right is said to be a sainokami, the guardian of village borders, often represented as a phallic stone and later by a "cute" male-female pair.

There is a Konpira Shrine, and a Sarutahiko shrine, and several sacred stones of different kinds.

This was the last stop on day 73 of my walk. I was coming down with some kind of cold so I took the train into Fukuoka and planned a rest day the next day. The previous post in this series was on the neighbouring Shinkoin Temple.

Misetaireiseki Shrine & the Myth of Empress Jingu

Misetaireiseki Shrine & the Myth of Empress Jingu

Heading south from Rikitake I come to the most substantial shrine of the day that is obviously much  more than just a village shrine.

According to the legend, Emperor Chuai, the 14th "emperor", was unusual in several respects. He was the first emperor who was not a son of an emperor. He was also based in Kyushu rather than Yamato in central Japan. According to the Kojiki and Nihongi he reigned in the late 2nd century, but these dates have been known to be out by centuries since the Edo period but are still adhered to in much official literature.

He is said to have had a temporary palace at this spot during his military campaign to subdue the Kumaso tribe. His "wife", later known as Jingu, had a vision and suggested he not attack the Kumaso but rather invade Korea, but he scoffed at the idea.

In the ensuing battle the Kumaso were victorious and Chuai was mortally wounded by a poison arrow. Fearing that news of his death would demoralize the troops, Jingu put on Chuai's armour and led the troops to success. Further north at what is now Kashii Shrine, she announced Chuai's death and then led her troops on an invasion of Sila on the Korean peninsula.

There is absolutely zero historical evidence of such an invasion, but in the 20th century, the Jingu myth was used to justify the occupation of Korea.

According to the myth, she took with her a stone containing the spirit of Chuai, and on her return left it here and founded the shrine to protect Korea.

According to the myth, for the three years of the Korea campaign she was pregnant with Chuai's child and gave birth on her return to a son who became Emperor Ojin. This is where historians divide the Yayoi period from the ensuing Kofun period.

It looks as if the Yayoi period is characterized by immigration and cultural and technological import from southern China, SE Asia, and even the pacific islands, whereas the Kofun period is marked by massive influx of Korean culture and technology......

The third photo is of the rock around which the shrine is based.  The 6th photo is inside the Awashima Shrine in the grounds. Misetaireiseki Shrine is one of only a few shrines in the Chikugo region that were listed in the Engi Shiki, which means it used to be quite important.

Yokoguma Hayabusataka Shrine

Japan Shrines

About one kilometer from the previous shrine, Otoguma Tenmangu, the village shrine in Yokoguma was similar in appearance, being situated within a grove of large trees. However, by crossing a small river to get here  I had entered into a different cultural sphere. Whereas almost all the shrines I had visited earlier were Tenmangu shrines, on this side of the river they turned out to be shrines all connected to the mythical Empress Jingu.

According to the story, Emperor Chuai, considered the last of the "emperors" of the Yayoi period, and who was based here in northern Kyushu rather than the Yamato area, received an omen from the kami Takamimusubi who took the outward form of a bird that alighted on a pine tree before flying off to the north.

Takamimusubi is one of the first group of kami who "came into existence" and who has no stories about him in the ancient myths but is considered in some versions to be a grandfather of Ninigi who later descended from the high plain of heaven to begin the rule over Japan.

After Chuai's death, his consort, later known as Empress Jingu came back to this spot and established the shrine with Takamimusubi as the kami.

Hayabusa, in the name of the shrine, refers to the peregrine falcon, believed to be the bird of the legend. Though the original pine tree has long since gone, a group of three centuries old trees are revered here,

My next stop was the nearby Frog Temple, Nyoirinji, and several of the shrines i visited later were also connected to Jingu.

Japan Shop

Sumiyoshi Shrine Hakata

Sumiyoshi Shrine Hakata

Sumiyoshi Shrine in Hakata is a large, historic shrine near the river that in ancient times was much closer to the mouth of the river and the sea.

It enshrines three kami that were associated with safety for sea journeys. The head shrine is Sumiyoshi Taisha in Osaka, but it is believed that this one in Hakata is the original.

The current main hall was built in 1673 and is a National Treasure. The Sumiyoshi kami are associated with the mythical Empress Jingu, and she is also now enshrined here.

Within the extensive, wooded grounds of the shrine is also an Ebisu Shrine, and several Inari Shrines. Next door is the Rakusuien Garden.

Ema Votive Plaques