Hakozakigu Revisited

This is part three entry of Hakozakigu (筥崎宮)  in Chikuzen Province (current Fukuoka Prefecture). Please visit part one entry for background info.

Red torii

Why did I visit again?

It was raining when I visited for the first time and couldn't see the second and the third Torii gates.

Guide map from their HP

The God of weather blessed me this time! 

Based on their website, the Torii gates are numbered from the closest one and in April 2018 the 88-year-old-and-16-meter-tall third tori, located adjacent to stone lantern, was removed for safety reason (in case of falling apart). Instead of removing, it could have been renovated... Pity, isn't it?  

Stone lantarn

What intrigues me is that the current 3rd red Torii stands at the shore named Oshioihama (お潮井浜), which looks like entrance is wide-open to the sea for welcoming visitors from the sea. Well, that might be the case in the past when there was no subway or bus to get there. People in an ancient time used to sail by boat, I assume. Currently, the red 4th torii is in the territory of Fukuoka prefecture Shinto ministry bureau and it was not accessible when office is closed.

Red Torii

The second torii is made to imitate the first one. They look alike in shape but you have quite different impression most probably due to the color - the second one is marble-alike and the first one obsidian looking. A title “Hachimangu (八幡宮)” is written in the frame. Hachiman is a nickname of Emperor Ohjin, who, along with his mom Empress Jingu and Princess Tamayori (玉依姫), is enshrined at Hakozakigu.

The 2nd Torii

Their torii has their own characteristic features in its shape. When you take a close look at it carefully, pillars are composed of three blocks and get thicker toward the bottom. The top rail (Kasagi/笠木) is curled upward on margins. Both of top and bottom rail have the same width. Due to its unique features, their tori is called “Hakozaki torii”

The current first torii is built in 1609. When I got closer and closer to the shrine, something caught my eyes. Three flags were hang-up in front of Romon gate (cherry gate/桜門). As described in the first entry, this shrine is politically controversial sort. Two flags are familiar to me and easily recognizable but the one to the left was…. Belgium flag???

First torii

The right flag comprised of two black, yellow and red triangles is a semaphore flag of Imperial Japan Navy. It is called Z flag.

First torii and Romon gate

How come???

Controversial display at Romom Gate

There is a reason. The answer is in this entry. May 27 is the opening fire day with Russo-Japanese naval war in 1905 (Battle of Tsushima) and preparation for the ceremony was ongoing when I visited there (although it wasn’t May 27 when I was there). 

Blue sky!!!

As you already noticed, the sky was utterly blue!!!!

If you are curious about this shrine, here is an official pdf in English!!! It's very well-documented and you are strongly encouraged to check it out.

Hakozakigu Ikejimaden

This is a part two entry of Hakozakigu (筥崎宮) in Fukuoka Prefecture. 

To the east, there are complex of auxiliary shrines called sessha (摂社). Myriad of hanging straw sandals were hung up there, which caught my attention...

From right to left Ikejima Palace (池島殿), Takeuchi shrine (武内社), Otokogu Palace (乙子宮), Sumiyoshi Palace (住吉殿), Inari shrine (稲荷社)

Enshrined deity in Ikejima Palace are Kagutsuchi (賀具土命), Okutsuhiko (奥津彦命) and Okutsuhime (奥津彦姫). The name of the Palace, Ikejima came from the fact that there used to be a pond (ike/池) and an island (shima or jima/島) in the pond. 

As far as I know Kaguchuchi is a god of fire, however, here Kaguchuchi has been worshipped as a deity of healing diseases related to feet and hands. It makes sense that people who suffer from limb diseases come to visit there and pray. When the disease is cured, they deposit straw sandals...

The remaining deities, Okutsuhiko and Okutsuhime, are also know to be the deity of fire in cooking stove... They are all related to fire somehow...

The annual ritual ceremony (池島殿祭) takes place on the 27th of June (starting at 11 AM).

Hakozakigu

Hakozakigu (筥崎宮) is the most prestigious shrine in Chikuzen Province (筑前国) and considered to be one of the three great Hachimangu in Japan. The other two involve Iwashimizu Hachimangu (岩清水八幡宮) in Kyoto and Usa Jingu (宇佐神宮) in Usa city, Ohita Prefecture. Hako (筥) means oval-shaped box.

Since the shrine is named Hachimangu, the enshrined deities are 15th Emperor Ohjin (応神天皇), his mom Empress Jingu (神功皇后), and Tamayorohime (玉依姫).

The shrine started it's history in AD 921 when the spirits of above enshrined deities were transferred from Daibu Hachimangu (大分八幡宮) located in Fukuoka Prefecture. Initially Hakozakigu was located by the Genkai sea (玄界灘). Two years later (AD 923) it was moved to the current location.

The shrine is famous for its plaque "敵国降伏" denoting "Surrender of the hostile nation". The plaque was the enlarged version of its original one written in plain paper by the 60th Emperor Daigo (醍醐天皇) in AD 922. He prepared 37 copies because the main hall was composed of 34 pillars and three deities were enshrined (altogether 37). Besides he was 37 years old when he wrote. It became well-known when Emperor Kameyama (亀山天皇) wrote it in AD 1274 because Mongol invasion (元寇) took place then.

As you can see, it was raining like crazy when I was there:(((