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User:Immanuelle/Koganeyama Shrine

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Koganeyama Shrine (黄金山神社) is a Shinto shrine located in Japan. It is a Beppyo shrine, or a shrine that is particularly notable in a certain way with a significant history to it.[1]

Immanuelle/Koganeyama Shrine
Religion
AffiliationShinto
Deity- Kanayamahiko-no-Kami

- Kanayamahime-no-Kami - Heavenly Myriad Deities

- Earthly Myriad Deities
FestivalsSeptember 25
TypeListed Minor Shrine, Former Prefectural Shrine, Beppyo Shrine
Year consecratedYear 750 (during the Tenpyo-shoho era)
Location
Location5 Kanagasaki, Ayukawahama, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture
Immanuelle/Koganeyama Shrine is located in Japan
Immanuelle/Koganeyama Shrine
Shown within Japan
Geographic coordinates38°17′52.9″N 141°33′21.6″E / 38.298028°N 141.556000°E / 38.298028; 141.556000
Architecture
Architectural typeThree-bay Shrine Architecture with Copper Roofing
Architectural styleThree-bay Shrine Architecture with Copper Roofing
Glossary of Shinto

It is located on Mount Koganeyama, an isolated island in the Pacific Ocean opposite the southeastern tip of the Oshika Peninsula [fr; en; ja] in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. Its former status was that of a prefectural shrine, but after the war it became a special listed shrine under the Association of Shinto Shrines .

It is located facing west on the middle of the western slope of Mt. Kinka, but since the entire island of Mt. Kinka is considered a sacred area, the shrine and Mt. Kinka (island) are sometimes used almost synonymously, and it is also commonly known as Koganeyama Shrine or Koganeyama Koganeyama Shrine . The temple is bustling with worshippers and tourists praying for worldly benefits such as prosperity in business and better luck, but before modern times it was a Shingon sect [en; ja] temple called Koganeyama Daikin-ji, which had no women allowed [en; ja] and dedicated to Benzaiten (Benten). It is counted as one of the " Five Benten Shrines " in Japan along with Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima Prefecture [2], and is counted as one of the " Three Holy Sites of Tōhoku, " alongside the Three Mountains of Dewa (Dewa Sanzan) in Yamagata Prefecture and Osorezan [en; User:Immanuelle/draft; ja] in Aomori Prefecture .

Deity

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Before the Meiji period, Benzaiten was enshrined, and in the early modern period her divine virtues of bestowing good fortune were widely publicized, and she became renowned for her remarkable divine powers in bringing worldly benefits such as good luck and prosperity, especially in bringing about financial and wealthy fortune. Her worship has continued even after she was redesignated as the current enshrined deity in the Meiji period.

History

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Koganeyama Shrine was established in the second year of the Tenpyo Shoho era (750 AD) near the site of Japan's first gold mine on Mount Kinka, vital for funding national projects like the gilding of the Todaiji Temple's Great Buddha. Initially, the shrine was dedicated to the gods of gold mining, Kanayamabiko and Kanayamabime, and later became associated with Benzaiten, embodying prosperity and good fortune.

Legend ties the shrine to celestial origins, suggesting Benzaiten was a celestial maiden who inspired the shrine's location. Over centuries, the shrine's influence grew, supported by the Fujiwara clan among others, and became a center for Shugendo practitioners, linking spiritual practices with the region's rich gold deposits.

Despite various reconstructions due to fire and war, the shrine's cultural and spiritual significance persisted. Following the Meiji Restoration, it transitioned from a Buddhist temple to a Shinto shrine, reflecting broader religious reforms of the period. The shrine buildings, repeatedly damaged and rebuilt, today continue to serve as a site of pilgrimage and cultural heritage, closely tied to the community and the natural landscape of the region.

Religious practices

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Koganeyama as seen from the Oshika Peninsula [fr; en; ja]

Relics Part 1: Soji Pass

 

Soji Pass is located in the eastern mountains of Mount Kinka. It was a sacred place inaccessible to laypeople, where the founding monk (Narizo-bo Chojun) performed the "Thousand-Day Circumambulation." At its base, there exists an ideology of a utopia deep within the mountains, akin to a hidden village view, suggesting a kind of secluded paradise. However, this might have been further localized and minimized into a "quintessentially early-modern production" after the image of Mount Kinka as a golden and silver island was formed during the Edo period. [3]。

Historically, Koganeyama has been a central figure in the religious life of people along the Oshika Peninsula, particularly among fishermen who revered it as a guardian deity for safety and prosperity at sea. Sailors used the mountain as a navigational guide, naming different points of its visibility at sea to estimate their distance from the coast. Rituals such as lighting lamps at sunset and offering prayers and rice into the sea were common, underscoring the mountain's deep spiritual significance.

Ascetic practices were also prevalent at Mount Kinka, where ascetics engaged in rigorous spiritual exercises. Locations like the "Diamond Realm" and "Womb Realm" on the island suggest a strong tradition of esoteric Buddhism, with rituals like the "Utero Diving" symbolizing death and rebirth. This spiritual tradition, centered around the temple at Mount Kinka, attracted pilgrims and fostered a community that believed deeply in the sacred powers of the mountain and its deities, particularly Benzaiten. Over time, these practices evolved, blending with local legends and the mythology of Benzaiten as a deity of water and wealth, further enriching the cultural tapestry of the region.

Koganeyama faith

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The belief in Mount Kinka since the early modern period has focused on seeking worldly benefits such as financial luck from Benzaiten, but at its root is the expectation of the people that there is a place somewhere in the area filled with gold that will one day appear, as they long for the blessings that come from gold production. It is thought that ascetic monks took advantage of this expectation and linked Mount Kinka to the historical fact of gold production in the Tenpyo period, spreading the idea of Mount Kinka as a place where the ideals of the people had become reality, thus expanding the sphere of belief. Eventually, people around Mount Kinka came to believe that gold was buried in a corner of the island, or that Mount Kinka was an island made of gold, even though the island is almost entirely made of granite and has no gold veins. Nishikawa Nyoken wrote, "If you look at the map of the world and see that there is an island of gold and silver in the East Sea of Japan, it would not be this island (Mount Kinka) [4] " He accepted the European notion of Japan as an island of gold and silver, as represented by Marco Polo 's The Travels of Marco Polo, and applied this notion to Mount Kinka in a more localized way. [5]

Relics Part 2: Golden Sea Cucumber (Kinko)

 

The sea cucumbers that grow near Mount Kinka are called "Golden Sea Cucumbers (Kinko)," named for consuming the gold sands found on Mount Kinka. According to Sakuma Dongon, they are deep yellow in color, similar to chicken eggs, which he describes as a manifestation of "gold energy"[6]. This connection to the gold-producing legends is significant. Dongon notes that they are characterized by their round shape with a distinctive scar on the back. According to Tachibana Nanki, they are smaller compared to other sea cucumbers, have a unique taste, and the dried and hardened ones are highly prized throughout Japan[6], and Furukawa Komatsuan also notes that they have a golden color on their back, distinctly different from other sea cucumbers[7].

Pilgrimage to Koganeyama and Koganeyama Ko

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Pilgrims from Sendai Domain and beyond have traveled to Koganeyama Shrine for centuries, following established routes documented in travel guides like "Various Directions and Routes." The journey from Sendai to Ishinomaki splits into land and sea paths at Ishinomaki, leading to Ayukawa and then to Mount Kinka via the Omotehama and Urahama Roads. Traditional practices require land travel as a test of faith, although sea routes are also used. Upon reaching Mount Kinka, pilgrims change into new straw sandals to purify themselves before visiting Daikin Temple. Strict traditions prevent removing any natural elements from the island, reflecting its sacred status. Additionally, local groups known as Koganeyama ko conduct regular worship and community gatherings, reinforcing the shrine's cultural importance. Legends and songs imbue the island with mythical qualities, celebrating its historical association with gold and prosperity.

Rituals

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The annual festival is held on September 25th, but there are also other Shinto rituals and festivals such as the following:

Hatsumi Festival
This ritual is held for seven days from the first day of May, and is a successor to the faith in Benzaiten, as her messenger is a snake (mi). The main festival is held at the main shrine at the hour of the snake (10:00 a.m. ) on the first day (the day of the snake), and on every Sunday during the festival, a portable shrine is carried to the temporary shrine at Kinkazan Port. During the portable shrine procession, a ritual to purify the sea is performed in which seawater is drawn and used to purify the shrine . This is also a type of Hamadori ritual, and it is said that in the past, the portable shrine was carried by young men and rushed down the mountain, into the sea, and crossed all the way to Kamejima (now Kameishi) [3] [8] . In addition, the Snake Year Enthralling Festival is held once every 12 years in the year of the snake.
Deer antler cutting festival
This event takes place on the first and second Sunday of October, which is the mating season for deer ( Sika deer ), and involves cutting off the antlers of male deer around the temple grounds to prevent them from harming worshippers. It is said to have started in 1963, and was initially performed by shrine staff, but from around the end of the Showa era or the beginning of the Heisei era (the end of the 20th century), groups of seko (beaters ) from Ishinomaki would capture the animals and have the priests cut them off. The captured stag is given a sacred offering of sake, after which its antlers are cut off. The antlers are then donated to the shrine and distributed to those who wish to have them. [9]


Shrine Architecture and Features

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The main hall of the shrine is designed in the Sanbayashi-Nagare style, while the worship hall features a gabled roof with five bays across and a three-bay veranda, also with a gabled roof at the front. Both structures are topped with copper roofs. Additional buildings include a prayer hall, where goma wood is burned for prayers in a manner reminiscent of the Shugendo period, and a Suishinmon gate.

The shrine complex was gradually reconstructed over thirty years following a devastating fire in 1897. The architecture prior to this event was highly ornate, comparable in beauty to the renowned Nikko shrines, earning it the nickname "Nikko of the Eastern Frontier." Adjacent to the main hall is the site of the historic Daikin-ji Temple.

Adding to the shrine's historical allure are two bronze lanterns donated by worshippers from Yamagata Prefecture in the late 19th century. Standing 4.8 meters tall, these lanterns are celebrated as one of the "Three Great Lanterns of Japan," sharing this distinction with those at Kotohira Shrine and Yamadera Risshakuji Temple.

Temple grounds

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Mount Kinka and its entire island have long been revered as sacred, with numerous shrines and deities scattered across its landscape, including Ryuzo Gongen at the summit and Benzaiten, the deity of water and wealth, as central figures. The island houses various other deities in shrines like Watatsumi Shrine, Kanagui Shrine, and Hama Shrine, each associated with specific cultural and natural aspects of the region.

Designated a quasi-national park in 1979 and incorporated into Sanriku Fukko National Park in 2015, the area protects its rich religious and natural heritage. Key annual festivals are held in these shrines, continuing traditions that date back centuries. The temple grounds are also a site for unique 'mountain climbing' tours, which explore both the spiritual and physical elements of the landscape.

Protected as messengers of the gods, approximately 530 wild deer live on the island, reflecting the deep spiritual connection between the local wildlife and the shrine's practices. Historical and modern legends surrounding these deer emphasize their sacred status and the area's ongoing cultural significance.

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    Ayukawahama, Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture
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    Ayukawahama, Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture 2
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    Koganeyama-jinja Haiden (Worship Hall)
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    Koganeyama-jinja (Koganeyama Shrine)
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    Kintsubaki-jinja (Kintsubaki Shrine)
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    Kinka-san Torii and Boat Landing
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    Koganeyama-jinja Rear Approach

References

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  1. ↑ "別表神社とは？御朱印めぐりに参考になる「別表神社一覧」とマップ | 開運戦隊ゴシュインジャー". jinja-gosyuin.com. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  2. ↑ 他の五弁天は江州竹生島（都久夫須麻神社）、相州江ノ島（江島神社）、和州天川（天河大弁財天社）であった（『和漢三才図会』巻第79）。
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Test
  4. ↑ 西川如見『長崎夜話草』、享保4年（1719年）。
  5. ↑ なお、天明8年（1788年）当時の伝聞として、金華山に「黄金満ち満ち、参詣の山道砂金あり」という風評があるが「甚だしき虚説にして、山中においてはさらに金色の石なし」という報告がある（古川前掲書）。
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 橘前掲書巻之五。
  7. ↑ 古川古松軒『東遊雑記』巻之十。
  8. ↑ 小野寺正人「金華山信仰の展開」（『東北霊山と修験道』所収）。
  9. ↑ 東北電力「金華山信仰と神鹿」（平成23年7月5日閲覧）。
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