Tanga Daigongen

 

After descending from Shichiga Pass I start to head down a narrow valley towards Yuasa and cannot fail to notice Tanga Daigongen.

Built on a steep slope, the site is a collection of colourful orange metal torii with numerous shrines behind them.

According to the legend, Emperor Shirakawa fell ill at this spot while on a pilgrimage to Kumano and a white-haried old man appeared and helped him, so Shirakawa enshrined him here as Tanga Gongen.

There are several Inari shrines here, and several shrines to Fudo Myo.

The main kami though appears to be Tanga Daigongen which I believe is a manifestation of Kono Zao Gongen, the head deity of Shugendo. Photo 10 is a statue of Kono Zao Gongen.

Photo 9 is of En no Gyoja, the legendary mystic who is said to be the founder of Shugendo and who here is named Shinben Daibosatsu.

Also enshrined here are a Koyasu Daishi, a Tatee Jizo, and an Eleven-Headed Kannon as well as several more kami.

I love these kind of places as they mix so many strands and layers of religious history across all the artificial barriers of sects and schools...

Very "folk" as opposed to so many of the bigger establishments that are overtly political and somewhat sterile.

This was day 7 of my walk on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, said to be the oldest "circuit" pilgrimage in Japan, and still following the Kumano Kodo Kiiji Route at this point.

The previous post was on the route up to the pass. Once I reached Yuasa I jumped ahead by train to Kimiidera Temple.

Mishima Shrine Kawakudari

 

Kawakudari is a small settlement on the Gonokawa River between Imbara and Kawamoto. I arrived here  towards the end of my 7th day walking the Iwami Kannon Pilgrimage, ready to catch the bus downriver to my home.

The village shrine was established in 1394 by the son of the first Iwami-Ogasawara Clan lord to enshrine Mishima Daimyojin. The main kami is Oyamazumi whose head shrine is on Omishima Island between Honshu and Shikoku, and I believe Mishima shrines derive from the main one in Shizuoka.

The tengai inside indicates that in earlier times kagura would have been performed here, but seems to not be in use nowadays. In the grounds is a small kasuga shrine and an Inari shrine, quite possibly moved here from nearby early in the twentieth century.

The previous post in the series was on Chokoji Temple, the 10th on the pilgrimage.

From Kiyotakiji to Shoryuji

 

I spent the night in the tsuyado, the free room offered by some temples for walking pilgrims, at temple number 35 Kiyotakiji, so was up before sunrise and on my way on day 18 of my walk along the Shikoku Pilgrimage.

The route towards temple 36, Shoryuji, was pretty much directly south towards the coast and about 15k away. First I had to cross the Hage River, a tributary of the Niyodo River.

To reach the coast the road passes over a line of hills. Just before the pass, at around 100 meters above sea level, is a small park. As well as toilets it has a nice seated shelter..... exactly the kind of place that a walking henro keeps their eyes open for....

Dropping down into a town called Usa. I knew of the Usa in Oita on Kyushu, home to the head Hachiman shrine, but hadn't heard of this one before.

As usual, I pass by numerous small, local shrines, and one has a most unusual torii.

It is made of steel, seemingly stainless, yet dark. I have seen bronze torii, torii sheathed in copper, and some large steel torii, but none like this...

I reach the Pacific coast and pass by the fishing harbour with expansive views back along the Kochi coastline.

Shoryuji is on the Yokonami Peninsula a long narrow peninsula across a long narrow inlet. Before the 640 meter long Usaohashi bridge was built in 1973 pilgrims would have had to cross by ferry, one of the many sections on the pilgrimage route that ferries were needed.

The beaches on the tip of the peninsula seemed to be a popular holiday spot.

The previous post in this series was on temple 35, Kiyotakiji.

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.

Uzukamikoto Shrine

 

Uzukamikoto Shrine is located near the northern tip of Ama, one of the main islands in the Oki Islands.

The main kami, Uzukamikoto, sometimes known as Uzuka no Mikoto is unique to those shrine and is obviously a local deity.

The shrine was listed as one of the 4 major shrines of the Oki islands in the 9th century. Its treasures include many volumes  of a Buddhist sutra from the 14th to 16h centuries.

Throughout its history it received major support in terms of donations of land from whoever was the political power of the islands at the time.

According to the myths, the kami was in dispute with a kami on the neighbouring Nishinoshima Island over a certain Princess Hinamachihime of Nishinoshima. The dispute was won by Uzaka no Mikoto and following their marriage she gave birth to a daughter, Yanaihime or Nagirahime, the kami of nearby Nagarihime Shrine.

Nagarihime was born at Byobu Rock at the nearby Akiya Coast, the subject of the previous post in this series.

The honden of the shrine is quite magnificent and large, befitting its earlier importance. Now with a copper roof, it was thatched until about 70 years ago.