Momotarô Jinja

Momotarô Jinja is a shrine in Aichi Prefecture strattling the boundry to Gifu Prefecture near Inuyama and is said to be where the tale of Momotarô took place. Momotarô is a famed folk hero in Japan and is a favorite of so many children across the country. The story goes that an old lady was doing laundry on the shore of a river when she noticed a giant peach floating downstream. She grabbed the peach and brought it to her husband. Suddenly the peach opened and a little boy came out and they named him Momotarô (Peach Boy). They raised the boy, and when the oni (ogres) of Onigashima (Ogre Island) started raiding the surrounding villages, Momotarô set out to defeat the oni and put an end to their raids. Along the way he befriended a phesant, a monkey, and a dog. They beat the oni and he brings back all the wealth they took and is praised as a hero.

For the casual: 4. For the educated: 8.

I will say upfront that if you have little care for this story, there’s not much of a reason to go to this shrine. It’s far and there’s no public transportation over to the shrine, so walking or a taxi are the best methods to get there. But if you do have an interest in the story, I recommend the trip. The shrine is filled with plaster statues depicting different parts of the Momotarô fable. The shrine itself not only honors the alleged site of the fable, but it also offers good luck and protection to children.

 

Haritsuna Jinja

Haritsuna Jinja is the shrine to the local gods in the Inuyama area and sit on the hill just below the Inuyama-jô inner keep. It’s most closely associated with childbirth, pregnancy, and longevity and has in its collection a wooden statue of a dog which was a gift from the castle’s famed master, Oda Nobuyasu.

For the casual: 4. For the educated: 4.

If you’re going to Inuyama-jô, then it’s more than likely that you will visit this shrine. A lovely shrine in a great area, I’m not quite sure it’s a go to destination when compared to the castle which stands just up the hill. If you are there, be sure to enjoy the view from the balcony.

 

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!

 

Yohashira Jinja

Only a minute or two from Matsumoto Castle, Yohashira Jinja was founded in the Meiji Period and is actually a rare shrine in Japan, not for its architecture or for any visual note, but because it has four different gods enshrined within the main building. Most shrines will have one or two gods enshrined within with three gods uncommon, but four gods in one building is quite unusual. Because of this, it was given the name of Yohashira, which means the Four Pillars. 

For the casual: 7. For the educated: 6.

This is a wonderful little shrine. It’s in a great place, in a great city, and just off of a lovely little street. Because of the four gods enshrined within, it is believed that the shrine has an above average ability to grant wishes with extra good luck, making it a very popular shrine in the area. When I was there, an elementary school baseball team praying for good luck at the shrine which was quite adorable.

Just outside of the main gate is a small shrine to children. The small structure is completely covered in images, statues, and figurines of frogs. In Japanese, a frog is called a kaeru, which is also the verb to return or go back with an implied intention of returning home.