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Yamatsumi Shrine, located in Yasaka, finally held its festival the other day.
Just as things were beginning to settle down after overcoming the earthquake and nuclear accident,
the shrine's old main building burned down,
a pity.
Everyone worked together to rebuild the new main building,
and a brand-new main hall is being rebuilt on the site of the old one.
It's so clean and beautiful, not just from the outside,
but the automatic entrance swings open wide.
There's a vending machine for amulets to the right, and on the left is a gift shop selling all kinds of talismans and amulets.
The stone wolf statue in the grounds, which survived the fire, has a scorched back,
and it feels like you want to rub it with your palm.
The temperature difference between summer and winter is extreme here, so the worship hall is fully air-conditioned and heated.
It would be nice to have at least a shop in front of the gate.
If you had to choose between Hamadori and Nakadori, I'd say Hamadori.
Exit the Tohoku Chuo Expressway at Reizen-Iitate IC and take Route 115 west.
Head south on Prefectural Route (31) toward Minamisoma and Iitate.
Eventually, a fork in the road will lead you to the right, where you'll see the stone pillar of Yamatsumi Shrine. Don't miss it, and enter the village on the old road side.
Soon, you'll see another vertical sign for Yamatsumi Shrine on the right.
Turn right at this point,
and when you see the cowshed on your right, you'll have arrived.
There are no buses, so
you'll have to drive, walk, or taxi.
It's located roughly equidistant from Fukushima Station on the Tohoku Main Line and Soma Station on the Joban Line, about halfway between them.
Although Soma Station is a little closer,
it takes half a day to walk there.
The amount of snow isn't that much, but if you're not used to frozen roads or can't do salt carmente, it's best to avoid it during the harsh winter.
Even during peak season, you'll be walking through forests and rice fields, so you might encounter hornets, bears, wild wolves, and wild boars. The Yamatsumi Shrine you're heading for is a village shrine; the original shrine is a small shrine on Mount Toratori. You'll need proper equipment to get there.
A little way up the mountain trail from the entrance to the main shrine, you'll find a wolf bench, which was exhibited at the Osaka-Kansai Expo.
From here, it's about a 45-minute walk along the mountain trail to reach the main shrine, which sits near the summit.
If you go around the rocky area next to the main shrine, you'll reach a large rock with a great view.
I came back after a long time since the earthquake disaster! There were surprisingly many people there, and although there is no outdoor stall, it is a wonderful shrine. Charms and other items can be purchased from vending machines.
オオカミをお祀りしてある神社です。建物は比較的新しいものです。本殿の裏に奧社まで行く道があるのですが、生憎の雨模様の天気だったので、今回は断念。次回、熊鈴なども準備して再訪したいと思います。
オオカミの天井画が本殿にあったのですが、誰もいなかったので、勝手に本殿に入る理由にもいかないので、残念ですが今回は外から拝見しました。
[Wolf Shrine Pilgrimage] While wolf worship remains strong throughout the Kanto region, particularly around Chichibu and Okutama, it also persists in the Tohoku region.
At Yamatsumi Shrine, in addition to wolf statues and wolf amulets, the wolf ceiling painting is a rare and valuable artifact likely found nowhere else.
★2015 Shrine Fire and Reconstruction: Modern Facilities★
The shrine building was destroyed by fire in 2015. Upon reconstruction, it was reborn as a shrine with modern facilities such as automatic doors and amulet vending machines. The air conditioning worked well, making it comfortable even in the middle of summer. The wolf ceiling painting was also repainted. Being a recent painting, the colors are very vibrant.
★Origin of Toratori-san (Tiger-Catching Mountain)★
Approximately 900 years ago, during the Heian period, there was a villain named Tachibana Sumitora, said to have been born and raised in the village of Mano. The Sumiko gang repeatedly raided neighboring villages, plundering and robbing them.
At that time, Lord Minamoto no Yoriyoshi, who was in the region, heard of their wicked deeds and ordered his men to subdue the Sumiko.
Although the Sumiko were defeated in the Battle of Reizan, they continued to hide in the mountains, using elusive guerrilla tactics to greatly trouble Lord Yoriyoshi.
"If you wish to capture the Sumiko, follow the footprints of the white wolf."
Following this divine message from the mountain god, they finally captured and subdued the hiding Sumiko.
Because of the capture of the Sumiko, the mountain came to be called Toratori-yama (Tiger Capture Mountain), and the white wolf came to be worshipped as a messenger of the gods.
