| After leaving Shimoda, we followed National Route 414 and
136 northward. It took about one and half hour to reach the city
of Mishima. What worried I most along this stretch was – no
petrol! The fuel was already running low, and we didn't pass a
single open petrol station. We did see one in Shimoda, but it
was closed. The car's satnav didn't pick up any nearby stations
either, so I didn't dare accelerate too much. After nearly an
hour of cautions driving, with only about 10% of the tank left,
we finally found a petrol station in
Amagi Yugashima (天城湯ケ島), Izu City. What a relief – and it
even had a full-service attendant! |
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Along National Route 414, there's one particularly interesting feature –
the
Kawazu Nanadaru Loop Bridge (河津七滝ループ橋, offically known as the Nanadaru Viaduct). In 1978, an offshore
earthquake hit the Izu region, causing a landslide on what was then
Prefectual Road 13 and cutting off traffic. The road was later upgraded
to National Route 414, and to climb 45 metres in height over a short
distance, they built this unique double-sprial bridge. |
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Kawazu Nanadaru Loop Bridge (Photo source:
Google Maps) |
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Once we entered Mishima, we noticed a roadside rest area called
Izu
Muranoeki (伊豆・村の駅), so we pulled over for a quick look and to
see if they sold coffee – we were in need of a little pick-me-up. |
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The rest area seemed more geared toward locals. Most of the products
sold were fresh farm produce – locally grown veggies, seafood,
free-range eggs, specialty salt, tea, tofu and the like. There weren't
really any tourist souvenirs, and not even a proper coffee shop. In the
end, I just bought a bottle of ready-to-drink coffee and called it a
day. |
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We later found out that 'Muranoeki' (村の駅, literally 'Village Station') refers
to rest areas aimed at local residents, while Michinoeki (道の駅, literally
'Roadside Station') are designed more for tourists. In fact, about 1 km
south of this spot along National Route 136, there's a tourist oriented
rest area called the
Michi-no-Eki Izu Gateway Kannami (道の駅 伊豆ゲートウェイ函南),
which we had actually passed earlier. |
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Approach between the torii and Sômon, lined
with bare weeping cherry trees |
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It took about 15 minutes to drive from Izu Muranoeki to our destination
– Mishima Taisha – but we hit heavy traffic. Many worshippers had come
by car, and the shrine's car park was completely full. As we got closer,
security staff and police were already directing cars, managing the
queues and rerouting non-visitor traffic. |
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Mishima
Taisha (三嶋大社, Mishima Grand Shrine) is the most important
and iconic shrine in the Izu region. It holds Ichinomiya (一の宮, the
highest rank shrine) of all shrines in the former Izu Province. The
enshrined deities are Kotoshironushi-no-Kami (事代主神) and
Ôyamatsumi-no-Kami (大山祇神). Kotoshironushi is known in folk religion as
the true form of Ebisu (恵比寿), one of the Seven Lucky Gods, and is
associated with fishing and commerce. Ôyamatsumi is the father of
Konohanasakuya Hime (木花開耶姫) and Iwanaga Hime (磐長姫), the goddesses introduced earlier
in
the article of Mt Ômuro. He is traditionally worshipped as a
mountain god and also as a god of warriors. |
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Mishima Taisha is also one of the top cherry blossom spots in Shizuoka
Prefecture. From late March to early April, the shrine grounds burst
into bloom, attracting countless visitors. There are around 200 cherry
trees here, mainly Somei Yoshino (染井吉野), with some yamazakura (山桜) and shidarezakura
(枝垂桜, weeping cherry) varieties. Behind the great torii lies the Shinchi (神池,
Sacred Pond), another famous blossom viewing spot lined with weeping
cherries. Of course, in January, there's not a blossom in sight – just
bare branches, haha! |
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Shinchi, the small shrine on the island is
Itsukushima Jinja |
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Shrine office, the trees out front are also
bare cherry trees |
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Shinmon (the Inner Shrine Gate) |
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In the middle of the pond stands a small
Itsukushima Jinja (厳島神社)
dedicated to Ichikishimahime (市杵島姫) – one of the three Munakata
goddesses created by Amaterasu. She is considered the true form of
Benzaiten (弁才天), the goddess of water among the Seven Lucky Gods.
Shrines dedicated to her are typically built near or over water. It's
said that HÔJÔ Masako had great faith in Ichikishimahime, so she had
this small shrine built on the pond to worship her – the same shrine
that still stands there today. |
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The pathway across the pond leads to the
Sômon
(総門) – the shrine's outermost gate. This gate was destroyed in the 1930
North Izu Earthquake and rebuilt in 1931. It's considered a prime
example of Shôwa-era shrine architecture, and it was the first to
use Taiwanese cypress. It's known for its elegant and simple design. The
gate was designed and supervised by SUNAMI Takashi (角南 隆), an engineer
from Bureau of Shrines, the Ministry of Home Affairs (内務省 神社局), and is
now designated as a cultural property by the city of Mishima. The straw
rope (注連繩, shimenawa) hanging above the gate weighs around 400 kg, is 2
metres thick, and stretches 6.4 metres in length. |
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Beyond the Sômon lies the inner precinct. The area between the Sômon and
Shinmon is another great cherry blossom viewing spot. On the left stands
the shrine office, and next to it, the Kyakuden (guest hall), where
visitors go for blessings and to receive goshuin (御朱印, shrine stamps).
The Shimon (神門) was built in 1867 and is also designated as a city
cultural property. It features carvings by the Ozawa school – a renowned
group of sculptors active in Izu during the Edo period, known for their
intricate and dynamic wood carvings often found in shrines and temples
throughout the region. |
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Seat stones of Yoritomo and Masako |
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Near the shrine office is a statue of
YATABE Moriharu (知田部 盛治), who was
adopted into the Yatabe family of shrine priests and became head of the
household in 1850. After the Ansei Tôkai Easthquake of 1854 severely
damaged Mishima Taisha, Moriharu travelled across the region to raise
funds. After over a decade of effort, the shrine was fully rebuilt in
1869. |
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Moriharu also played a vital role in developing the local area. He
turned the wasteland of Gionhara (祇園原) into usable rice paddies and
improved irrigation by digging tunnels to bring water from Sawaji River
(沢地川). During the turbulent late Edo to early Meiji period, he even
formed a local militia known as the Ibuki Unit (伊吹隊) to maintain peace
in the Mishima area. In 1950, residents erected this statue to honour
his contributions. |
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Opposite the status is a pair of
Seat
Stones (腰掛石) – supposedly where MINAMOTO no Yoritomo and HÔJÔ
Masako once sat. Sound familiar? Yes – there's another one at
Izusan Jinja.
Both shrines claim have the original 'lover's seat'. Given that Izu was
the place where Yoritomo was exiled and eventually staged his comeback,
it's no surprise there are many local legends tied to him. While Izusan
Jinja is often linked to the couple's encounter, most believe Yoritomo's
actual prayers for victory were likely offered here at Mishima Taisha –
which make sense, as the main deity, Ôyamatsumi, is traditionally
worshipped as a god of warriors. Izusan Jinja was probably just the
place where Yoritomo and Masako first met. |
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At the end of the day, no one can ask Yoritomo himself. And really, when
you're down and out in a strange land, it's only natural to worship any
deity you come across and pray for a reversal of fortune. Maybe he
prayed at both! Why was Yoritomo so free to wander about during his
exile? Perhaps instead of being 'free', he was just good at winning
people over – turning his captors into family by marrying the daughter
of his 'watcher'. And when Yoritomo finally rose again, the Hôjô clan –
his wife's family – played a critical role in his comeback. Of course,
after Yoritomo's death, the Kamakura shogunate ended up being ruled by
the Hôjô regents for generations... but that's a story for another time. |
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After passing through the Shinmon, you'll see the shrine's two main
buildings – the Budden (Dance Hall) and the Goten (Main Hall). Mishima
Taisha was built in the gongenzukuri (権現造) style, meaning the haiden
(拝殿, worship hall), heiden (幣殿, offering hall), and honden (本殿, main
sanctuary) are all part of one continuous structure – collectively known
as the
Goten (御殿). The haiden is where the public prays, the heiden is
where offerings are placed, and the honden is considered the dwelling
place of the deity – hence also called the 'Shinden' (神殿, divine hall). |
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The shrine was rebuilt after the 1854 earthquake and completed on 9th
September 1866. Other buildings in the precinct were gradually completed
by 1868. The structures were made using plain zelkova wood, unpainted,
and decorated with elaborate carvings said to be the work of master
craftsman OZAWA Hanbei (小沢 半兵衛) and his son, Kidô (希道). |
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In front of the Goten stands the
Budden
(舞殿, Dance Hall), completed on 18th December of the same year. It was
originally called the Haraiden (祓殿, also be written as 'Haraedono' or 'Haraidono')
and was used for ritual purification and kagura performances. Later, it
became a dedicated hall for sacred dance, though it is also used for
other rituals and ceremonies. |
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Besides the spots mentioned above, Mishima Taisha also features fragrant
sweet osmanthus trees, haiku monuments, a treasure museum, and a sacred
deer garden – all worth seeing. But as time was running short, I didn't explore everything in detail. After all, we had to reach our hot
spring inn in Kawaguchiko before the final check-in time at 17:00... |
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