Tomi Shrine [Nara]

【summary】

Tomijinja is an ancient shrine with a history of 2,000 years, built in the Torimi Mountains. The shrine is listed in the Engishiki Shinmeicho (Engi Shiki Shinmeicho) as a shrine in the Yamato-kuni Jōkami-gun domain and was called “Notomiya” until the Meiji era (1868-1912). It is said that Emperor Jinmu first enshrined the deity of the Imperial Ancestors and the deity Amatsu here after his accession to the throne, and that this was the origin of the Great Tameshi-Kai. The deities enshrined here are Amaterasu no Mikami and Iware no Myojin.

A stone structure that looks like a turtle blowing water at a water fountain. This is the divine beast called “Aikiyo. Legend has it that it is one of the nine dragon-born divine beasts, the nine dragon-born children, and that it likes to follow heavy weights, which is why it has been used to decorate the foundations of stone pillars and stone monuments since ancient times.

【scenery】

The present Ichino-torii (First Torii Gate) at Doyajinja Shrine was taken over from the torii at the Inner Shrine of Ise Jingu. The torii gate of the Inner Shrine was rebuilt in conjunction with the ceremonial relocation of the Ise Jingu Shrine. One of these old torii gates adorns the entrance to Tohya Shrine. It is said that Ise Jingu applied to Ise Jingu for the transfer of the torii gate at the time of Ise’s Shikinen Sengu ceremony.

Jingu (Inner Shrine of Ise Jingu) [Mie]

Stone lanterns stand in the precincts of the shrine, the approach to the shrine is covered with moss, and the main shrines are Kamitsuo Shrine and Shimotsuo Shrine. The green leaves and young foliage create a pleasant forest bathing experience, and when you pass through the torii gate, you will find yourself in front of the shrine.

【precincts】

The deity enshrined at Kamitsuo Shrine is Ohirume no Muchi-no-mikoto, who according to the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) is Amaterasu Omikami (Amaterasu Omikami). According to the Kojiki, the deity is Amaterasu Omikami, but there is also a theory that the deity is Nigihayahi-no-mikoto. Torimiyama, which can be reached from the north of the shrine grounds, is said to be the sacred site of the founding of the nation, where Emperor Jinmu ascended the throne at the Kashihara Palace and prayed to the deity Amatsu-no-kami, the ancestor of the Emperor, for the establishment of the great filial piety. At the top of Mt. Torimiyama, there is a monument at Reiju, which is said to be the garden where Emperor Jinmu was enshrined.

The clay figurine with a mysterious face was found near the pond of Shimotsuo Shrine, and has since been carefully kept in the main shrine building as the “sacred body (yatagarasu deity statue)” of the shrine, and is not open to the public. The clay figurine seems to be in the shape of a human being, but it also looks like an alien, a divine being. What is its true identity?

【Nearby attractions】

2023年9月9日 Oomiwa Shrine [Nara]

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