Annex of Kotaijingu Shrine

It is said that the shrine is dedicated to Amaterasu, and was designated by Yamahime as a place to collect offerings to be presented to the Imperial Grand Shrine. Known as the "First Shrine of Shima," it is surrounded by a solemn and sacred atmosphere.

Events & News

News

Events

On New Year's Day, you can see the sunrise from the middle of the first torii.
We also recommend paying a visit to the three shrines in Isobe- cho, Shima City: Izawanomiya Shrine, Saminaga Shrine, and Isobe Shrine.

The stately shrine pavilion stands in the quiet precincts of the shrine. Every year on November 11, the Isobe Shrine Orei Matsuri is held, and the energetic shouts of children carrying the mikoshi (portable shrine) echo through the shrine.

White sweat for good fortune and black sweat for bad luck

Once upon a time, there lived a fisherman named Sozaemon at the mouth of the beach at Hagiriura, Daiozaki. One day, Sozaemon went out to the offshore of Daio Island and cast his net as usual, but on that particular day, he did not catch any fish.
“What is this?”
Sozaemon threw the stone into the sea with a sharp tongue and rowed his boat out to sea, and when he put the net in the water, his previous intention came back.
Another stone? Sozaemon muttered.
Sozaemon threw the stone away, muttering to himself, and rowed onward, this time in a different direction, and when he had cast his net, the same stone caught him again.
　Sozaemon thought this was strange, and loaded the stone on his boat, rowed back, and placed it under the bank on the beach.
A few months passed, and as the children of the village went out to play on the beach, they started to urinate on the stone, and kick it for fun.The child who urinated on it would get a fever, and the child who kicked it with his foot would get swollen feet.
"This is strange, it's Tatari stone..."
The villagers consulted with a stonemason, who refurbished the stone and built a hokora on a small hill at the edge of the village to enshrine it.
　However, when the village had a big catch or a good harvest, the Jizo would sweat white sweat. On the contrary, when there was an earthquake or a tsunami, or when there was a bad catch or a bad harvest, he would sweat black sweat to warn the villagers.
　As word of this spread through the neighboring villages, several miscreants from neighboring villages came to Hagiri Village, hoping to steal the Jizo. Under the cover of night, they tied the Jizo with a rope and carried it out, and when they reached a slope on the outskirts of the village, they placed it on the ground to take a rest and have a smoke.
　In the meantime, the night began to grow light.
　After that, no one came to steal the Jizo from anywhere, and the villagers worshipped the Jizo with even greater reverence.

Nowadays, the festival is held on February 2 every year to pray for safety at sea, satisfaction of a big catch, family safety, prosperity of family business, and traffic safety.

The temple was built over a period of about 7 years from 1836

The temple was founded as Shima Kokubunji Temple in the Nara period (13-5) under the edict of Emperor Shomu, based on the expansion of Buddhism and the decree of "One Province, One Temple. (The present building was rebuilt in 8.) On May 20 every year, the temple is crowded with visitors for the Hana-Matsuri (Flower Festival). The main statue of Yakushi Nyorai is designated as a cultural asset of the prefecture. The temple main doors are opened once every 1 years.

It is a popular power spot for prayers for success.

It is very popular as a power spot for students preparing for entrance exams, high school ball players, and those in distress, as it is pronounced "Ugata" which is very similar to "Ukatta" meaning "it worked well !". On the third day of the New Year every year, a lion dance that has been performed since the Edo period is dedicated to the shrine, attracting a lively crowd.

Ride a good wave safely!
Worshippers come from all over Japan for the "Wave Riding Protection".

The traditional Anori puppet show held in the temple grounds in September, performed by local volunteers, including junior high and high school students, is powerful, beautiful, and very impressive.

Seated bronze statue of Buddha: an Important Cultural Property.

The temple was once a place of prayer for Shingon esoteric Buddhism practitioners, and has a bronze seated statue of Nyorai Buddha, designated as a national important cultural property, as well as a standing eleven-faced Kannon statue (from the Heian period), designated as a cultural property by the prefecture.
Pets are allowed (please consult in advance).

Date of foundation: Kamakura period (XNUMX-XNUMX)

Fudosan associated with Kobo Daishi

During the Enryaku era (XNUMX-XNUMX), Kobo Daishi returned from China (Tang Dynasty) and came to Goza in search of a good site to establish a sacred place for the propagation of esoteric Shingon Buddhism. After performing a XNUMX-day goma offering at Mt. Kompira, he carved a statue of Fudo Myoo into a natural stone protruding from the ground with his fingernails, according to the legend. The villagers worship this image as Tsumekiri-Fudoson, and have built a hall to worship the image as a sacred place and an absolute secret Buddha. In addition to the Fudoson, there is a Daishi Hall dedicated to Kobo Daishi, the founder of the temple, a Yakushi Hall, and a Koyasu Jizo (a guardian deity for children).

(History of Shima Town, Revised Edition, Shima Town Board of Education, 2004)

Koshiga Shrine for the bow-drawing ritual

The main hall is a wooden shinmei-style structure. The lion's head and tengu masks, which are said to have been brought back by Koshiga Hayato during the Korean invasion, are enshrined as sacred treasures.

The masterpiece is all on the ceiling

Inari Shrine is worshipped as the god of fishery. It is famous for its 48 lattice-paneled ceilings painted by Nomura Mansai and his disciples.

The beautiful temple of Hydrangeas and Tenrei Sakura

The mountain is worshipped as the sacred site of Benzaiten and Hotei, the seven gods of good fortune in Shima Province, as well as the sacred site of the Four Heavenly Kings disease-fighting spirit, cancer-fighting spirit, and the spirit site for stopping weakness in the legs and feet. The temple is also known as a temple of flowers, and in early spring from late February to early March, "Tenrei-zakura (Kawazu-zakura)" blooms, and in June, XNUMX hydrangeas bloom in the temple grounds, creating the illusion of a "floral paradise".

When Yamahime-no-mikoto made a pilgrimage to Shima Province,
she found a crane holding an ear of rice and enshrined it.

It is a shrine under the jurisdiction of and affiliated with Izawanomiya Shrine, where one of the three major rice planting festivals in Japan is held.