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After finishing our local meal, it was time to visit the birthplace of a
famous local legend – Hakuto Jinja (白兎神社,
literally 'White Rabbit Shrine'). The shrine is located to the northwest
of Tottori city, already outside the urban area. Driving there from
Tottori Station takes about 20-25 minutes. At the entrance to the shrine
there is a roadside rest area, Michinoeki Shinwanosato Shirousagi (道の駅
神話の里 白うさぎ), where visitors can park. |
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When we travelled from Osaka to Tottori, the train we took was called
Super Hakuto (in Japanese 'hakuto' or 'shirousagi' means 'white
rabbit'). But how did this 'white rabbit' become a symbol of Tottori –
and even be worshipped at a shrine? |
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Michinoeki Shinwanosato Shirousagi |
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According to the Japanese myth recorded in the 'Kojiki' (古事記),
there was once a white rabbit living on an island, Okinoshima (淤岐之島)
who wished to reach the land of Inaba (now Tottori) on the opposite
shore. As the rabbit could not swin, it came up with a trick. It told a
group of sharks that it wanted to see whether there were more sharks or
more rabbits. The rabbit asked the sharks to line up from Keta Coast (気多海岸,
now known as Hakuto Coast) to Okinoshima, then began hopping across
their backs one by one, pretending to count them. When it reached the
last shark, the rabbit proudly revealed the truth, 'Fools, you've been
tricked!' The final shark was furious. It stripped the rabbit of its fur
and left it lying on the shore. |
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At the same time, the Yasogami (八十神), a group of
eighty brothers of the deity Ôkuninushi (大国主大神) –
were travelling from Izumo (出雲) to Inaba in order
to court the goddess Yagamihime (八上姫). They
encountered the badly injured rabbit and were asked for help. However,
they decided to tease it instead. They told the rabbit to bathe in the
sea and then let the wind dry its body. The wounded rabbit followed
their advice. The seawater caused terrible pain, and once the wind dried
it, salt crystals formed in its wounds, making things even worse. |
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Okinoshima – said to be where the white rabbit
originally lived (image source: Google
Maps) |
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The first torii gate and shrine name stone
plaque |
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'Musubi stones' placed on the rabbit statue by
visitors |
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Soon afterwards the rabbit encountered the younger brother of the
Yasogami – Ôanamuji (大穴牟遅),
who later become the deity Ôkuninushi. He had been bullied by his
brothers and was walking behind them carrying their baggage. After
hearing the rabbit's story, Ôanamuji kindly told it to wash its body in
fresh water from a pond, then gather pollen from cattails growing
nearby. By rolling in the pollen, the wounds would gradually heal. The
rabbit followed his advice and indeed recovered. Grateful, it said to
Ôanamuji, 'Your eighty brothers will never win the heart of Yagamihime.
Even though you are the one carrying their luggage, you will be the one
she chooses.' |
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Yagamihime had witnessed everything. In the end she rejected the eighty
brothers and decided to marry Ôanamuji. Furious, the brothers later
plotted revenge against him – but that is another myth entirely, which
eventually leads to Ôanamuji becoming the great deity Ôkuninushi. |
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Keta Coast thus became the place where Ôkuninushi and Yagamihime were
brought together. The white rabbit is regarded as the matchmaker between
them. Keta Coast later became known as Hakuto Coast, and a shrine was
established here to worship the White Rabbit. Today it is especially
known as a shrine where people pray for good relationships and recovery
from illness. |
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Sand sculpture of the Inaba's White Rabbit
legend |
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Monument for the poet Kitasato Takeshi |
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Passing through the first torii gate and climbing the steps along the
approach, you will see a sand sculpture of the Inaba's White Rabbit on
the left. In the distance to the right stands the monument to KITASATO
Takeshi (北里 闌). The sand sculpture currently on
display is the second version, completed on 16th December 2022 to
celebrate the coming Year of the Rabbit in 2023. It depicts Ôkuninushi
and Yagamihime gently watching over the white rabbit that brought them
together, expressing a wish for good fortune for visitors. The previous
sculpture, created in 2011 (also a year of rabbit), showed Ôkuninushi
proposing to Yagamihime while the rabbit looked on. |
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The monument to Kitasato Takeshi bears a waka poem written by him in
1930. The poem describes the scenery of Keta Coast and was selected for
the Kyûchû Utakai Hajime (宮中歌会始,
Imperial New Year Poetry Reading) with the yealy theme 'Rock on
Seashore'. |
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The Kyûchû Utakai Hajime is held every New Year. Originally it was
limited to members of the imperial family. Each year the Emperor sets a
theme, and participants compse waka poems (和歌)
based on it. From 1874 onwards the public were allowed to submit poems.
Today the event is broadcast live on NHK General TV. |
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Musubi stones thrown onto the second torii gate |
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The forest surrounding Hakuto Jinja is designated a national cultural
property. Because it stands close to the coast, the trees have been
shaped by strong sea winds over many years and often grow leaning
towards the south, creating a distinctive landscape. On the northern
slope, where the wind hits most strongly, tall Japanese black pines
dominate. Beneath them grow various plants such as star jasmine, Ardisia
japonica and Farfugium japonicum, forming rich layers of vegetation.
Around Mitarashi Pond (御身洗池)
grow species suited to warmer climates, including camphor trees
and red oak, as well as ferns. The forest also preserves areas of
natural woodland dominated by chinquapin and holly. |
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Walking along the approach path, you will see many statues of rabbits on
stone pillars. On top of these pillars – and even on the torii gates –
there are small stones. These are called musubi stones, which can be
purchased at the shrine office. Throwing one onto the top of a torii
gate is said to make your wish come true. Of course, most people fail to
throw them high enough, so they place them on the rabbit statues
instead, hoping their wishes will still be granted. Some visitors also
take a musubi stone home with them. |
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The water basin is very cute |
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Mitarashi Pond ('the pond that neither
increases nor decreases') |
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Beyond the second torii gate stands the chôzuya (purification pavilion).
The water basin here is particularly charming – a white rabbit standing
on a cloth sack. The rabbit symbol is obvious, but the sack may
represent the baggage that Ôkuninushi once carried for his brothers.
Water flows from the mouth of the sack. When someone approaches the
basin, music begins to play – a children's song called 'Daikoku
Sama' (大黒様). It was published in 1905 in a
Ministry of Education songbook for primary schools. The lyrics tell the
story of Daikoku encountering the flayed white rabbit. |
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But wait – was it not Ôkuninushi who met the rabbit? Daikokuten (大黒天)
is a deity from India who became one of Japan's Seven Lucky Gods.
Through the historical blending of Buddism and Shinto, Daikokuten became
associated with Ôkuninushi. |
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Oppsite the chôzuya is Mitarashi Pond, surrounded by trees and about 100
metres in circumference. In ancient times this was a large lake. After
the area was reclaimed as farmland, only this pond remained. According
to the 'Kojiki', this is where the white rabbit washed its wounds. The
water level is said to remain unchanged whether in drought or heavy
rain, which is why it is also known as 'the pond that neither increases
nor decreases'. |
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Main hall and chrysanthemum pedestal stones |
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Hakuto Jinja enshrines the White Rabbit deity – the Inaba's White
Rabbit. In the past it was also called Hakuto Daimyôjin (白兎大明神).
Two other deities are worshipped here as well: Ukemochinokami (保食神),
the deity of food, and Toyotamahime, who appears in the myth of
Yamasachihiko-to-Umisachihiko. Toyotamahime is regarded as a goddess
accociated with safe childbirth and prosperity for descendants. |
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The exact founding date of the shrine is unknown. It was destroyed
during warfare in ancient times and was forgotten for a period, with
many records lost. According to tradition, during the Keichô era
(1596-1615) the lord of Kano Castle, KAMEI Korenori (亀井 茲矩),
dreamt of the White Rabbit telling him it no longer had a place to stay.
He then searched for an elderly person who still remembered the location
of the original shrine and rebuilt it. The shrine buildings were
reconstructed again in 1669 and 1773. The present structures date from
1890 and were repaired in 2012. |
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The main hall is a modified Taishazukuri style. The shrine grounds cover
816 square metres. The sacred rope hanging at the worship hall was made
by the same group that produces ropes for Izumo Taisha – the Iinan Town
Shimenawa Club – and was dedicated to the shrine in 2014. The six
foundation stones beneath the main hall are carved with the Imperial
28-petal chrysanthemum crest, known as Kikuzaishi (菊座石).
This design is extremely rare both locally and nationally, which has led
many people to believe that the shrine may once have had some connection
with the Imperial family. |
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A torii gate inside the michinoeki (roadside
station) |
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The second rabbit station manager – Enishi-kun |
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After visiing Hakuto Jinja, we also had a look around the michinoeki. A
michinoeki is a roadside rest station along ordinary national roads.
Hakuto Coast lies along National Route 9, the main road entering Tottori
from the west. The ground floor of the michinoeki has souvenir shops, a
coffee shop and a restaurant. The second floor is an observation deck,
and there is also a footbridge leading to Hakuto Coast. There are many
photo sopts related to the White Rabbit legend there, and from the shore
you can also see Okinoshima in the distance. Unfortunately the wind was
far too strong for us to walk across. |
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Just as Wakayama Electric Railway has the famous cat station manager
Tama, this michinoeki also has its own rabbit station manager – Enishi-kun
(縁くん). |
中文版請按此 Date: 7th January 2025 (Tuesday) After ch...
Click here for English Version 正一非常喜歡自駕遊。要合法在外國駕駛，首先需要「國際駕駛許可證...
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