Taga Taisha
Taga Taisha is considered by many to be the premier shrine in Shiga Prefecture. Though the actual year of its founding is uncertain, it was likely founded some time around the 8th century because it was mentioned in the Kojiki, the oldest Japanese document recording the nation’s mythic origins and the geneology of Japan’s first emperors. Enshrined at Taga are the spirits of the two gods who created the world from foam: Izanagi-no-kami and Izanami-no-kami. As I have mentioned in other posts like Tsukiyomi-gû, shrines containing the spirit of Izanami-no-kami are very rare. After giving birth to a multitude of gods, she died in childbirth and became the ruler of the underworld. Upon seeing her hideous form, Izanagi did the very rude thing of running away and trapping her in the underworld. Understandably furious, she promised to curse their mortal creations with a limited lifespan and thus she is not a widely worshipped figure in Shinto.
For the casual: 8. For the educated: 9.
I’ll start with the bad news I guess: Taga Taisha is not an easy shrine to get to. Let me clarify: it’s not within a major city and requires prior planning to really go visit. That being said, I highly recommend that everyone consider visiting this shrine as I will get into in a little, but first I would like to take a rare oportunity to describe some methods of transportation to get to the shrine from Kyoto. While I’m sure there are buses or tours that make trips to Hikone for the castle and Taga Taisha, I’m going to make the assumption that you the reader are not going to be doing that. Instead, there are trains and cars, and between the two I’m again going to assume the former. Train-wise, there are two trains in particular you can use. The first is the Special Rapid service on the Kyoto line bound for Maibara. Hikone is the station before Maibara and is the best station to go to for the shrine. The Special Rapid is a commuter train that takes between and hour and 90 minutes to get from Kyoto to Hikone. If you would like the potential to speed that up at a higher cost, you can take the shinkansen from Kyoto to Maibara. Maibara is the largest station in the eastern Shiga area, but it’s not a major shinkansen station so visitors will likely have to wait for the Kodama line shinkansen which stops at every station. Still, it’s faster than the commuter train, though it may take time to wait for the Kodama line Shinkansen. From Maibara, a one stop ride south will get you to Hikone Station and from there you can change trains to a local one which goes to the shrine, but it doesn’t run very often. If you don’t want to worry about the local train, there are also buses that make their way over to the shrine. If you’re on a schedule, I recommend just taking a taxi because it’s fast and I had good luck speaking to the drivers.
Honestly, I really recommend going to Taga Taisha. For one, the atmosphere was everything that one could want from a shrine. Sure it’s a major shrine, but it was so secluded and the little stores across the street were clearly there for generations. It was almost like something out of a dream. The people were super nice and welcoming and the shrine is a beautiful piece of natural art. Stone walkways, tall cedar trees, and the rich brown color of the building makes for a super relaxing environment. Glittering gold accents on the supports starkly contrasts the earthen tones of the buildings, but it’s not overburdening. All in all, the light and colors really made me feel warm and relaxed. Because I was sadly pressed for time, I didn’t get the chance to really soak in everything at the shrine. Near the entrance and across from the talisman window is a small open-air cafe that looked like a really nice place to sit, relax, and enjoy the atmosphere. Like many shrines, Taga Taisha has a stage for Noh performances and maiko dances, so be sure to take a look for any special events before visiting. Who knows, you might get lucky!
