The origin of the Shrine is rather obscure. Ancient records state that way back in the 5th century, Emperor Yuryaku (his date of birth and death unknown) offered a holy tribute, or a wand
with hemp and paper streamers, to the Shrine. Emperor Yuryaku was the 21st
generation of the imperial family and was on the throne during the 22-year
period from 456 through 478. More evident documents are the comprehensive rule books compiled during the reign of Emperor Daigo (885-930), which had 50 volumes with more than 3,000 articles, and laid down the social code and administrative legislation. Back at the time, Shinto was essential part of politics and the rule books elaborated on ritual code for Shinto, and listed the then existing shrines throughout the country, ranking them in order of importance. The Shrine ranked top of the list in Kanagawa Prefecture, and was called Sagami (old name of Kanagawa) Ichi-no-miya, or the top ranking shrine in Sagami. It meant whenever a new Prefectural governor was assigned, he had to visit the Shrine first of all others. In today's Japan, there still are many towns with the name of Ichi-no-miya, Ni-no-miya (the second shrine) or San-no-miya (the third one), all of which denote that once there existed a prestigious shrine authorized by the imperial court.
Commanding the top position in Kanagawa, the Shrine demonstrated the status of dignity, and it was well patronized even after the Heian Period (794-1185) by successive warlords including Yoritomo Minamoto (1147-1199), the founder of the Kamakura Shogunate, Hojo Regents, and Ieyasu Tokugawa (1542-1616). When Yoritomo Minamoto gave a birth to Yoriie (1182-1204), the Second Shogun, he dedicated a horse to the Shrine as a votive offering. The horse is called shinme, literally a divine horse. Today, we see many wooden plates hung in the shrines, on which various wishes are inscribed by worshipers. This sacred tag is called ema, or a picture horse. Instead of dedicating real horses, today's worshipers buy a tag on which a horse is drawn, and inscribe their wishes. The shrines hang them on the doors of the hall after performing Shinto rituals.
During the Edo Period (1603-1868) under the rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the Shrine was revered by the folk in eastern Japan as the guardian deity to protect the eight provinces, or today's Tokyo and its five outlying prefectures, from all evils. Later, the Shrine began to be worshiped as the guardian deity to protect the eight directions (Happoo in Japanese), in other words, all directions, after the eight provinces changed the names to today's metropolitan Tokyo and five prefectures. For instance, superstitious carpenters, who are often nervous on the directions, has been visiting the Shrine to receive its soil and using it on a ground-breaking ceremony to exorcise evil spirits.
Entering the Meiji Period (1868-1912), the Shrine began to claim its affinity to the Imperial Family. With the Imperial Palace relocated from Kyoto to Tokyo after the Imperial Restoration of 1868, the Shrine was suddenly situated some 50 kilometers southwest of the Palace, and they began to assert that it guards the Imperial Family against all devils. According to the Japanese astrology called Onmyo (refer to Heikenji for details), the northeastern quarter was believed to be the demon's gate, where danger and evil are believed to enter. People tried to avoid travelling or building a house in the direction of the northeast to avoid an unlucky exposure. In addition, the southwest was believed to be the next unlucky quarter, and here the Shrine began to serve as a guardian deity for the Imperial Family since it is located exactly southwest of the Palace.
Positioned right in the center of the Sagami Plain, Kanagawa Prefecture, the Shrine drew a crowd of worshipers in old days. However, today's railroad network does not necessarily give favor to the Shrine as you see in the access map attached here. Frankly, it is inconveniently located, and yet nearly 500,000 worshipers visit the Shrine during the first three days of New Year. If it were located near a station of the Tokaido Line of East JR, far more worshipers would have been visiting.
Main Hall
Enshrined in the main hall are a couple of Shinto god and goddess named Samukawa-hiko (god) and Samukawa-hime (goddess). The locals call them collectively "Samukawa Daimyojin." They are believed to be a divinized powerful couple who once lived and controlled this area in the ancient times, since the couple do not appear in Kojiki (The Ancient Chronicle), nor in Nihon Shoki, (The Chronicles of Japan).
The main hall faces southeast to function as a guard for the Imperial Family. The brand new hall was reconstructed as recently as 1997 and the construction plan was laid out in 1990 to commemorate the 2,650th anniversary of the Imperial Family's founding and the enthronement of the current Emperor Akihito (1933-). Probably because of its affinity to the Imperial Family, layout of the structures is very similar to that of Meiji Jingu Shrine in Tokyo, with corridors enclosing the courtyard. Half of the construction cost totaling 5 billion yen was covered by the donation of 100,000 parishioners and followers. The gorgeous, copper-roofed hall is made of four structures: Outer worship hall, inner worship hall, prayer hall and the inner sanctum called the Honden, the holiest part of the entire structure where the deities are believed to dwell and only a handful of priests can enter. The structure has more than a 1,200-square-meter space. Though casual visitors are unable to confirm, the inner sanctum is a typical Nagare Zukuri architectural style and all lumbers are of Japanese cypress, which is thought to be most suitable species for Japanese wooden buildings.
To the right-hand side is another new building, in which there are reception desks for those who ask the Shrine for prayer or exorcism. Most popular among the prayers is Happoo-Yoke, or protection against evils from all directions. Next comes Yaku-yoke for those whose age reach Yaku-doshi, or yaku year (See Heikenji). According to the Onmyo school, the age 25 and 42 for men and 19 and 33 for women are thought to be critical years. (Note: A person's age in this case is counted according to the calendar year starting from the year of birth as age 1. A baby who was born on December 31, therefore, would be age 2 the next day.) They are usually at a crossroad in life and are deemed vulnerable for evil influences. Almost all of the Japanese are concerned with their Yaku-doshi, and religious people apply shrines (or temples like Heikenji) to exorcise evil spirits when they reach those ages. Other than Happoo-yoke and Yaku-yoke, the Shrine accepts all kinds of wishes such as recovery from sickness, profitable businesses, safe travel, success in entrance exams, good marriage and so on. Applicants fills the application forms with necessary information, usually, name and address, birthday and what they want the Shrine to pray for. Fees ranges from 3,000 to 10,000 yen. In the New Year's Days, applicants have to wait their turn forming a queue. For busy people's convenience, the Shrine even accepts prayers by mail-order. In addition, the Shrine sells an array of amulets or charms of all kinds, for example, to prevent sickness, ensure family safety, foster business prosperity and many others. Unlike Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines do not engage in funeral services, and therefore, prayers for the devout and selling those amulets are major sources of their income other than the offertory by worshipers.
Main Gate Decorated with Lantern Float
Unique is the main gate decorated with a huge and colorful lantern float called nebuta, which are featured at Aomori Nbuta Festival held in Aomori Prefecture every summer. The Shrine has been displaying the float since 2001 changing every year according to zodiac sign under eto. For example, 2011 is the Year of Rabbit and the Shrine displays rabbit-related float based upon folk tale. At the end of each year, the float for the next year is brought down to the Shrine from Aomori. The float for the year 2011 can be seen here at the Shrine's webpage, which measures 8.5 meters wide, 2.25 meters high, and illuminated with 400 bulbs at night.
Annual Observances:
In addition to the regular annual events, the Shrine observes the following two unique festivals that can be seen nowhere else, and both are enrolled upon the list of Intangible Cultural Assets by the Prefecture of Kanagawa.
May 5 (Children's Day): Ko-no-machi Festival
It dates from more than 1000 years. Back then, the local government of Sagami had its office near today's Oiso Station of Tokaido Line, and the governors were named from the court nobles in Kyoto. Once a year, the governor invited priests of the major shrines and leaders of the powerful clans in the province to the governor's residence, and performed a religious service to pray to god so that peace may reign over the province and they could enjoy a bumper crop. This practice is thought to be the origin of the festival. In Sagami, there were five major shrines starting with the Shrine (Ichi-n-miya, or the first shrine), followed by Kawawa Shrine (Ni-no-miya, or the second shrine), Hibita Shrine (san-no-miya, or the third shrine), Sakitori Shrine (shi-no-miya, or the fourth shrine) and Hiratsuka Hachimangu Shrine (Go-no-miya, or the fifth shrine). At the top of those was the mother shrine Rokusho Jinja. (All are extant in today's Hiratsuka, Oiso and Chigasaki areas.) Early on the morning of May 5, the festival day, portable shrines of the five shrines parade to Rokusho Jinja. For the Samukawa Shrine, it's a long haul carrying nearly 12 kilometers to Rokusho Jinja, the farthest among the five. The highlight of the festival is the silent dialog between the heads of Samukawa (the first) and Kawawa shrines (the second) conducted on top of the hill near Rokusho. During the tenth century when ranking of the shrines was laid out, the two shrines seemed to have contested with each other to obtain the post of the "first shrine." The chief priests of the two show tiger skin, which was believed to be the seat on which the deity sits, to demonstrate they deserve to be the first shrine of the province. After demonstration ceremony, the chief priest of Hibita Shrine, the third one, declares that the dispute will be settled next year. Aside from this peculiar ceremony, the festival holds a wide varieties of practices including dancing with music, and portable shrines dispatched from each shrine go back home in the evening. Incidentally, May 5 is Children's Day, a national holiday. Photo: Courtesy of Samukawa Shrine.
July 20 (Marine Day): Hamaori Festival
One of the greatest summer festivals in Kanagawa Prefecture starts with
the Shrine. Young parishioners of the Shrine gather here on the eve of
the festival and after finishing a religious ceremony, they leave the Shrine
at 2:30 a.m. carrying portable shrines and parade through the street down
to the beach of Chigasaki city, roughly 7 kilometers. Portable shrines
of more than 30 neighboring shrines also join the parade shouting "Dokkoi Dokkoi," and head for the beach. By the time they get to the beach, the number will reach nearly 40. Each portable shrine is beautifully decorated and carried by some 30 young men and women, each clad with a livery coat called Happi, and followed by standard bearers. With the Samukawa shrine's in the center, they form in line and go into the sea shoving and pushing. Nowhere else in Japan do so many portable shrine (not floats) gather. Just before the break of dawn, all of them are ready to join the purification-cum-exorcism ceremony that takes place at cock crow viewing the rising sun. The beach, that is otherwise lonely, is flooded with some 150,000 people and creates a spectacular scene. The city of Chigasaki posts pictures of Hamaori Festival on its official website.The origin of the festival stems from an ancient purification ceremony performed by the Shrine at the nearby beach. However, an accident in 1838 seems to have made the festival more popular. That year, the Shrine was holding Ko-no-machi festival as usual, and on their way back home, the Shrine's portable shrine encountered with flood and it was washed away into the Sagami River. Fortunately, it was later found by a fisherman living the Chigasaki beach near the estuary of the river, and the Shrine could restore it. The Shrine has ever since been sending the portable shrine to the beach where the lost one was found, to express its gratitude to the fisherman's family. Photo: Courtesy of Samukawa Shrine.
Notes
Statue of Shak'kyo
Near the torii gate of the Shrine's entrance, which is the third one to be exact, and
on the other side of a pond stands a statue of Noh player (picture; left) acting as a human lion. It is called Shak'kyo, a Noh number and was placed here in August 1988
to commemorate the Takigi (burning firewood) Noh plays performed on August 15 every year.
It started on August 15, 1970, the 25th anniversary
of the end of World War II, in propitiation
of the souls of war-dead and in supplication
of world peace. The number played on the
evening of August 15, 1970 was Shak'kyo and was well received by the audience and
the statue was erected the next year.The story lying behind Shak'kyo is apparently Buddhism based on an experience of the Tendai Sect priest Jakusho (?-1034), who visited China in 1003 to study Buddhism. One day while he was in China, he tried to cross a stone-bridge, or shak'kyo, over an unfathomable ravine to reach the other side of the ravine, where Monju Bosatsu (Manjusri in Skt.) is said to reside in the Paradise on top of Mt. Wu-Tai, Shansi Province. The bridge is only 30 centimeters wide and more than 300 meters long, covered with slippery moss all the way. Just before he steps on the bridges, a logger appears and tells the priest that no priests can make it, no matter how austerely they may be disciplined, without the help of the Lord Buddha, and suggests to wait for a while until a good omen comes out. Before long a holly lion appears and play with red and white peony. In the Noh number Shak'kyo, the story develop with dialog between the Priest and the logger. The holy lion with his gorgeous mane is a transformation of Monju Bosatsu. Later, the lion-dancing in this Noh play was employed in Kabuki numbers as well. In the Buddhism pantheon, lions are attendants of Monju Bosatsu as seen in the statues of Shaka trinity. Monju Bosatsu stands on the right of Shaka, usually stepping on a lion. Shak'kyo of netsuke (an accessory attached to cigar or personal seal cases) on display at MFA.
Meanwhile, the term Shak'kyo is Chinese characters read phonetically and is literally Ishi-bashi , or a stone-bridge. The automobile tire manufacturer Bridgestone was founded by a family named Ishibashi in 1928. At the time of the founding, Firestone was the leading tire producer in America and Mr. Ishibashi named his company "Bridgestone", not Stone-bridge, reversing the two kanji characters in the hope that it would be as big as Firestone in the future. Aided by the rapid growth of Japanese car industry, Bridgestone grew fast even to the extent that it took over American Firestone in 1988. In summer 2000, however, Bridgestone/Firestone was forced to recall millions of tires because Ford's Explorer equipped with Bridgestone/Firestone tires caused fatal accidents. At a House of Representatives hearing held in September 2000, Chairman of the company (Japanese) apologized at the beginning of the speech to those who died of the accident and their family, while Ford's CEO showed no sympathy whatsoever. At the time of the hearing, the cause of the accidents was not yet clarified (later, Bridgestone/Firestone identified the cause was in tire pressure and tire quality was not to blame.) The state-owned TV broadcaster NHK feathered the case in a 45 minutes program and introduced how differently the two companies, one Japanese, the other American, responded to the crisis. In Japan, talks to settle disputes often start with an apology as a means to show sincerity. NHK concluded that the Japanese way of doing business does not hold good in America.
In August 2009, general election of Japan's Lower House took place and Democratic Party of Japan won over Liberal Democratic Party, which had ruled post-war Japan. Yukio Hatoyama (1947-), leader of DPJ became Prime Minister of Japan. His mother is daughter of Bridgestone's founder. Asked at the Diet where his political money came from, he said his mother donated all the fund, which totalled 1.26 billion yen in seven years period, and he further said, believe it or not, that he didn't know anything about it. Pointed out he was evading donation tax, he paid 570 million yen immediately. That was when the Diet was discussing whether or not to approve a small amount of children benefits. In case of Prime Minister Hatoyama, the child benefit was way too much to count. He resigned as Prime Minster in June 2010, and was in office only for eight months.
Shingles are in short supply
Cypress bark is the most suitable for shingles like red cedar in North America and temples uses them for thatched roofs. However, number of cypress trees available for bark scrapping is running short. There are roughly 700 structures that have thatched roofs and are listed on the lists of national treasures or ICAs. Maintaining those roofs requires the bark of 42,000 cypress trees annually and demand far outpaces supply, since the trees must be 80 years old before they can be shaved and need 8 to ten years for the bark grow back. Alarmed by the situation, bark scrapers, roof thatchers, shrines/temples and forest owners gathered recently to discuss how to deal with the problem. Now, the national government is considering to supply the bark from the trees in the national forests. The Japan Times reported in late November 2000.