Hachiman

Usa Grand Shrine (宇佐神宮)

Every person living on this planet is shaped by their experiences, and the environment for which they’ve grown up in. I’m the kind of writer that prefers letting the destinations I visit tell their own stories, but with this one, I’d like to start by offering a bit of personal perspective - I’m a Canadian, who has lived and worked in Taiwan for well over a decade. For both of the beautiful countries I’ve been lucky enough to call home throughout my life, one of the commonalities that you’ll find is that, for better or worse, they have both been very significantly shaped by their relatively modern colonial experiences.

As is the case with many countries around the world that have become popular tourist destinations, if you’re interested in taking in some of the country’s history, most of the time, the most historic locations you’re able to visit are their places of worship - To offer a few specific examples, the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame in Québec, and the Penghu Mazu Temple (澎湖天后宮), are generally regarded as the oldest places of worship in either Canada and Taiwan, both of which only back to the 16th century.

Four centuries of history certainly isn’t what many would consider short, but its all relatively modest by comparison if you find yourself traveling through Europe, especially in Rome, where buildings tend to measure their history in millennia rather than centuries. Similarly, although it might surprise a lot of people, Japan is one of those special countries where there are destinations you can visit that predate the written word. Obviously, some of the most historic buildings you’ll find in the country are its places of worship, most often it’s Shinto Shrines, some of which amazingly date back longer than human’s have been documenting these things!

With an estimated one-hundred thousand shrines scattered across the country, anyone who visits Japan won’t ever find themselves very far away from one of them. However, one thing you’ll learn during a trip to the country is that there are shrines, and then there are shrines. What I mean is that when it comes to the country’s most significant places of worship, there are the shrines that receive few visitors, and then there are others that have become so popular that tens of thousands of people visit daily, and have become some of the most popular destinations for international tourists.

When it comes to experience and perspective that I mentioned earlier, I’ve been fortunate over the years to have visited Shinto Shrines in Japan, Okinawa, and even some of the few remaining here in Taiwan. These places of worship come in all shapes and sizes, and one thing you’ll learn during your travels is that their age doesn’t necessarily indicate very much but in some cases, the size and the age of a shrine are on such a scale that your experience and perspective might change entirely.

In Japan, shrines are most often referred to as ‘jinja’ (神社/じんじゃ), but when it comes to the kind of scale and perspective that I’m addressing today, there are only about thirty shrines out of the one-hundred thousand that are given the title ‘jingu’ (神宮 / じんぐう). The most important shrine in the entire country, Ise Grand Shrine (伊勢神宮), is a shrine so important that its existence coincides with the origin of the Japanese nation, and its culture and language. So when it comes to these ‘Grand Shrines’, you’re likely to notice that not only are they some of the most historic places of worship in the country, but they are also related closely to the imperial family, and the origin of some of the most important figures in Shintoism.

The subject of today’s article is Kyushu’s Usa Grand Shrine (宇佐神宮), which in terms of ranking, is considered second only to the Ise Grand Shrine, making it one of the nation’s most sacred shrines. Dedicated to Hachiman (八幡神 / はちまんしん), the shrine is the headquarters of a network of more than 44,000 shrines scattered throughout Japan, dedicated to one of the nation’s most beloved spiritual figures. An emperor during his mortal life, it is said that Hachiman made his appearance as a ‘kami’ in this location several thousand years ago, and as the ‘protector deity’ of the country, the importance of this shrine is one that can’t be overstated.

Sadly, it seems that very little has been written about this shrine in the English language, so after quite a bit of research and translation, this article may end up becoming one of the most in-depth pieces that you’ll be able to find on the Internet. Yes, it’s a long article, but I’m attempting to tell the story of one of Japan’s most important and oldest shrines, dedicated to one of its most prolific religious figures.

I’ll start by introducing Hachiman, and then move on to the shrine’s history, its architectural design, and then end with details about how you can visit. If you plan on visiting the shrine, or have already visited and just want to know more about it, I hope you’ll find this article of use.   

Usa Grand Shrine (宇佐神宮 / うさじんぐう)

When it comes to the long list of kami within Shintoism, Hachiman is regarded as somewhat of a newcomer in the scheme of things. Compared to Izanagi (伊邪那岐) and Izanami (伊弉冉尊), the creator deities, and their daughter Amaterasu (天照大神), whom the Japanese Imperial Family derives their ancestry from, it took Hachiman considerably longer to make an appearance. Nevertheless, in the ‘short time’ that he’s been around, he has cemented his position as one of the most prolific spiritual figures in Japan, regarded as the divine protector of the Japanese nation, the Japanese people, and the Imperial House. With over 44,000 shrines dedicated in his honor, you might be wondering what specific relevance he has to a somewhat obscure coastal town in northern Kyushu, which is something I’m going to explain, as the legend of Hachiman, and the spread of his worship throughout the country are all things that got their start in this quiet community.

In the English-language, ‘Hachiman’ is often referred to as the Japanese ‘God of War’, but that is something that I’d consider a vastly over-simplification of the role he has played as a spiritual protector of the Japanese nation. Has his worship been usurped for war-like purposes? Sure. But when your ‘official messenger’ is a dove, you probably aren’t the Japanese version of the Greek God Ares. Better known as a tutelary god of warriors, Hachiman is better referred to as a ‘protector deity’, and although he is often associated with archery, he is also an important figure with regard to providing blessings to farmers, fishers, and travelers, as well as being a patron deity of commerce and industry, scholarship and the arts, among numerous other roles.

Cementing his popularity and role as a ‘protector’ deity, Hachiman is regarded as being responsible for the ‘Divine Wind’, better known as ‘Kamikaze’ (神風 / かみかぜ) that helped to stave off the invasion of Mongol forces on two separate occasions. In both cases, it’s likely that typhoons in the Sea of Japan thwarted the attempted invasions that took place in 1274 and 1281, nevertheless, they ensured that large portions of the invasion forces that helped ensure that Japan would become one of the few countries of Asia that were able to resist the power of Kublai Khan.

The story of Hachiman, however, goes back almost a thousand years prior to the Mongol invasions, to the life of Emperor Ojin (應神天皇 / おうじんてんのう), the fifteenth emperor of Japan, who is considered to have ruled the country between 370 and 410AD. Yet, something that we need to take into consideration when telling the life story of the emperor is that his life took place before written record became common in Japan.

Thus, much of what we know about his life is told in the Kojiki (古事記), and the Nihon Shoki (日本書紀),  known in English as the ‘Records of Ancient Matters’ and the ‘Chronicles of Japan,’ respectively. These books, which are part historical record, part myths and legends are essentially a historical account of the ‘origin’ of the Japanese nation, the imperial line of succession and the origin of many of the most important deities worshiped in the country. However, if we take into consideration that both of these chronicles were authored several hundred years after the emperor’s death, it is difficult (but important) to differentiate fact and fiction.

Like most stories, Emperor Ojin’s starts with his parents, Emperor Chuai (仲哀天皇 / ちゅうあいてんの), the fourteenth Emperor of Japan, who was thought to have ruled between 192 and 200AD, and his mother, Empress Jingu (神功皇后 / じんぐうこうごう). Part of the reason why Hachiman worship, and by extension, the worship of the Sumiyoshi Sanjin (住吉三神) are so common in Kyushu is in part due to Ojin’s father setting up his capital in Kyushu rather than Yamato (大和国), as well as the legends that resulted in Ojin’s birth. It’s actually kind of amazing when you realize that events which took place in Kyushu, long before the written word became common in Japan, are still having such an immense effect on the people of the country today.

Link: Emperor Chuai (Wiki) | Emperor Chuai (Japanese Wiki)

Ojin’s mother, Empress Jingu was a shamaness, who is said to have been possessed by supernatural force on the eve of a battle with a clan just outside of the area we know today as Fukuoka. According to the legend, the ‘supernatural force’ insisted that the Emperor abandon his battle with the clan, and instead take to the water to conquer the ancient Korean kingdoms of Silla, Goguryeo, and Baekje. Scorning the idea, the emperor continued with his battle plans, and ended up dying in the process. Having warned her husband to pay homage to the gods, the emperor’s refusal to adhere to their will was considered the reason for his untimely demise. Thus, the Empress Consort, who was pregnant with their son at the time, ascended the throne as regent, and carried out the gods request to invade the Korean kingdoms.

According to the legends in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, the Empress prayed to the ‘Sumiyoshi Sanjin’ prior to setting sail, and with the blessing of the gods, the military expedition went quite smoothly. The legends of Jingu’s ascension to the throne, her status as a shaman, and the conquest of the Korean kingdoms is explained quite well in the article below, as are the questions to whether they are actually based on historic fact.

Link: Jingu c. 201–269 (Encyclopedia) | Empress Jingū (Wiki)

Prince Ojin was born in 201AD in Tsukushi Province (筑紫国) a region that would later become known as Chikuzen Province (筑前国), and most recently Fukuoka Prefecture (福岡縣). When the prince was born, ‘eight banners’ were raised on top of a mountain on an island that celebrated his birth (and in some accounts) celebrating the victory over the Korean kingdoms. According to records, he was crowned prince at the age of four, but for some reason his mother clung onto power until he was (at least) seventy years old. His reign would then last for the next four decades, which means he lived until he was 110 years old, but some accounts suggest he died at the age of 130.

The life of Emperor Ojin, and the length of his reign are open for debate, but it’s generally thought that he was born in 201, died in 310, and his reign lasted from 270-310. Obviously, it’s not likely that he lived until he was 130 years old, but legends are legendary for a reason.

During his reign, it is said that he encouraged agricultural development and the construction of irrigation networks. He also invited craftsman, artists and scholars from both China and Korea, who came to Japan, bringing with them knowledge of spinning, sewing and weaving as well as the introduction of literature, which helped to further develop scholarship in the country.

As things go, one fateful day on the northern coast of Kyushu, in the land of Usa (宇佐の地), a kami going by the name of ‘Hachiman (八幡神 / はちまんしん) emerged from a freshwater pool in front of a priest named Oganohigi-no-mikoto (大神比義 / おおがのひぎ). First appearing in the form of a three-year old child sitting on a bamboo leaf, the kami introduced himself before transforming into a golden hawk and flying along the Yakkan River, which runs through the Land of Usa, eventually finding a perch on top of a pine tree next to the river.

According to legends, strange events started taking place at the ‘divine pool’ several years before Hachiman appeared, so Oganohigi, went to the pool, announced to the kami that he would go on a fast, and pray in front of the pond every day until the kami appeared. Praying for three years, the kami finally emerged and proclaimed:

I am Hachiman, the incarnation of the Sixteenth Emperor of Japan, Hondawake.

「我は是れ日本人皇第十六代誉田天皇広幡八幡麻呂なり」

(ほんだのすめらみことひろはたのやはたまろ)

I am a powerful Bodhisattva, and will use my power to protect the nation.

「我が名は、護国霊験威力神通大自在王菩薩」

(ごこくれいげんいりきじんつうだいじざいおうぼさつ)

Note: According to the traditional list of emperors, Emperor Ojin was the ‘fifteenth’ emperor, but when he appeared as Hachiman, he referred to himself as the ‘sixteenth’ emperor. It’s likely that he considered his mother, Empress Jingu, to be the fifteenth ruler of the country, not himself. Likewise, he referred to himself as ‘Hondawake’ (誉田別尊), which was one of his courtesy names. Finally, he referred to himself as a ‘Bodhisattva’, or a ‘Buddha’, which conveniently points to his future position within the syncretization of Buddhism and Shintoism, which started at the Usa Shrine. Obviously, given that these aren’t direct quotes, we’ll just have to believe that this is what he actually said.

Link: 宇佐神宮 (九州の神社) | List of Japanese Emperors (Wiki)

These days, it might seem a bit strange that the appearance of a supernatural figure in a random pond would offer much proof of the identity of god, but if we take a look at his name, it offers us some pretty important clues. Known either as ‘Yahata-no-kami’ (やはたのかみ), or Hachiman (はちまんしん), the name used to represent the kami essentially translates to the ‘Kami of Eight Banners,’ which should have been a pretty good indication as to his identity to anyone living in the area at the time.

One of the most important things to keep in mind about the legend of Hachiman’s first appearance, though is that although he appeared in the pool within the precinct of the Usa Grand Shrine today, the first shrine constructed in his honor wasn’t actually in this location. After proclaiming to the priest that he was Hachiman, the kami transformed into a Golden Hawk and then flew down the river until he found a suitable place to perch. Thus, the first Hachiman Shrine, known today as the Takai Shrine (鷹居神社 / たかいじんじゃ) is located a short distance away along the river, where it is said that Hachiman stopped to rest. Nevertheless, the shrine would eventually expand, and within a decade, it was moved to its current location.

Construction on the Usa Grand Shrine was completed in stages, but work on the shrine started in the year 725, which (as I’m writing this) makes the shrine just short of 1300 years old. Constructed on the peak of Mount Usakame (宇佐亀山), which overlooks the divine pool, between 725 and 729, the shrines to Hachiman and Hime-no-Okami were constructed, with the third shrine dedicated to Empress Jingu completed in 823.

For those of you who are interested in the evolution of the modern Japanese state, you’re likely aware of how the ‘Meiji Restoration’ (明治維新) brought about enormous changes in Japan's political and social structure, but also acted as the first steps in the nation’s march toward becoming an imperialist state. Of the major changes that took place within Japan at the time was the forced separation of Buddhism from Shinto places of worship. Known in Japan as ‘Shinbutsu Bunri’ (神仏分離 / しんぶつぶんり), the separation policy ended the thousand year syncretic-relationship between the two, as Buddhism had become regarded as a foreign influence, whereas Shintoism would become a vehicle for the promotion of Japanese nationalism.

What you might not be aware of, though, is that the practice of ‘Shinbutsu-shugo’ (神仏習合 / しんぶつしゅうごう), or the ‘syncretic-relationship of Shintoism and Buddhism mentioned above, got its start shortly after the introduction of Buddhism to Japan in the 6th century. It is generally agreed upon that the model of the syncretic-relationship that would form between the two religions originated at the Usa Shrine, with the construction of the Miroku-ji Temple (弥勒寺) within the shrine’s precinct. As the first-known fusion of a Grand Shrine with a Buddhist Temple, the shrine was known as Usa Hachimangu-ji (宇佐八幡宮寺) for the next thousand years.

Keeping in mind that when Hachiman made his first appearance at the Divine Pool, he referred to himself as a ‘Great Bodhisattva’ (八幡大菩薩), this is something that could be interpreted as a sign of the times, given that Buddhism had at that point just started to have an influence on Japan. Nevertheless, as a kami that shared a special relationship with Buddhism, Usa Grand Shrine is also known for another ‘first’, in that it was the first shrine to make use of a ‘mikoshi’ (神輿 / みこし), essentially a ‘sacred palanquin’ that allows an enshrined kami to go on a road trip. In the thousand years since, these palanquins have become quite common across Japan, but when those in charge of overseeing the construction of the Grand Buddha (大仏) at the Todai Temple (東大寺) in Nara requested the presence of Japan’s protector deity, Hachiman made the trip from Usa to Nara in his mikoshi to help oversee the process.

As the centuries passed, the shrine continued to expand, and as the influence of Hachiman grew, the Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine (石清水八幡宮) was constructed in the capital of Kyoto in 823, and shortly after, Hakozaki Shrine (筥崎宮) was constructed at the site of the birthplace of Emperor Ojin in Hakata Bay in 923. Together, the shrines are today known as the ‘Three Most Important Hachiman Shrines in Japan’ (日本三大八幡宮). Obviously, the Usa Grand Shrine has played an important role throughout its history as the birthplace of Hachiman worship, but it’s important to note that Fukuoka’s Hakozaki Shrine is widely regarded as having played an instrumental role in the explosion of Hachiman worship in Japan.

Link: Hakozaki Shrine (筥崎宮)

Known as the ‘Great Protector Deity of the Japanese nation’, when the Mongols attempted an invasion of Japan, people prayed at the Hakozaki Shrine for Hachiman’s protection. Then, as the invasion forces approached Hakata Bay, a ‘Divine Wind’, better known as ‘Kamikaze’ (神風 / かみかぜ) suddenly appeared and swept away the vast majority of the invasion forces. This happened not only once, but on two separate attempts, ensuring that Japan would become one of the few countries of Asia that would resist the power of Kublai Khan. As you can imagine, as news of these ‘Divine Winds’ spread around 13th Century Japan like wildfire, and the popularity of Hachiman swelled, with every community wanting a Hachiman Shrine of their own.

As the head Hachiman shrine in the country, the responsibility of the Usa Grand Shrine grew over the centuries, yet as the shrine’s importance grew, it also found itself involved with the various struggles that took place in the country with people attempting to usurp the power of Hachiman for their own benefit. The shrine was partially destroyed on several occasions throughout its history falling victim to civil war, earthquakes and typhoons. However, two major changes took place during the Meiji and Showa eras that need to be mentioned.

I touched upon the first event earlier when the Meiji Restoration forced the separation of Buddhist influences from Shinto Shrines. Sadly, this meant that the more than a thousand year old Miroku-ji Temple, which was a major part of the shine was torn down, removing an important piece of the beating heart of the shrine. The empty space in the shrine caused by the removal of the temple forced a major remodeling project that took place in 1932-1941, known as the ‘Great Showa Reconstruction’ (昭和大營造) transforming the layout of the shrine, which is something that I’ll touch on a bit later.

Newly constructed Visiting Path dating back to the Showa Reconstruction.

Detailing the history of a 1300 year old place of worship is a difficult task, and even though I’ve just barely touched on some of the important events that have shaped this shrine, I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that the Usa Grand Shrine is one that has had a tremendous influence over the people of Japan. It has also for many reasons throughout its history been a trendsetter, and as it approaches its thirteenth century of existence, it would be an understatement to say that the shrine has a lot to celebrate.

Below, I’ve put together a timeline of important dates that took place over the thirteen centuries of the shrine’s history. This list is by no means complete, but I’ve done my best to include some of the key events that helped create the Usa Grand Shrine that we’re able to enjoy today:

Usa Shrine Timeline

  • 571 (欽明天皇32年) - Hachiman emerges from the Divine Pool (御霊水) in the land of Usa on the northern coast of Kyushu.

  • 712 (和銅5年) - The first Hachiman Shrine is constructed in the land of Usa, currently known as the Takai Hachiman Shrine (鷹居八幡神社).

  • 716 (霊亀2年) - The shrine is moved further into the mountains to a location that is currently known as the Oyamada Shrine (小山田神社).

  • 720 (養老4年) - Japan’s first Hojo-e festival (放生会), a ritual of releasing captive animals is held at the shrine. The festival would become a popular ritual among the major Hachiman shrines.

  • 725 (神亀2年) - The Ichinogoten (一之御殿), dedicated to Hachiman is constructed on Mount Usakame (宇佐亀山)

  • 729 (天平元年) - The Ni-no-goten (二之御殿) is constructed to enshrine Hime-no-Okami (比売大神).

  • 738 (天平10年) - The Miroku-ji Temple (弥勒寺) was constructed on the shrine’s grounds, creating what is considered to be the first instance of a ‘Jingu-ji’ (神宮寺), a fusion of Shinto Shrine and Buddhist Temple within one precinct. The shrine would be known as the Usa Hachimangu-ji (宇佐八幡宮寺) for the next thousand years.

  • 749 (天平勝宝元年) - The earliest recorded usage of a ‘mikoshi' (神輿 / みこし), or a sacred palanquin, takes place when the spirit of Hachiman makes the trip from Usa to Nara (奈良) to guard over the construction of the Daibutsu (大仏) at Todai-ji (東大寺).

  • 769 (神護景雲3年) - When Buddhist monk Dokyo (道镜) attempted to usurp the throne by manipulating Empress Shotoku (称徳天皇), Wake no Kiyomaro (和気清麻呂), a high-ranking court official was sent to the shrine to receive a ‘divine message’ that only the descendants of Amaterasu could become emperor, which prevented the monk from taking the throne.

  • 804 (延暦23) - Kukai (空海) and Saicho (最澄) visit the shrine to pray for safety prior to their voyage to China. The two would eventually return to found the Shingon (真言宗) and Tendai (天台宗) sects of Buddhism in Japan.

  • 810-824 (弘仁年中) - The Lower Shrine (下宮) is constructed.

  • 823 (弘仁14) - The San-no-goten (三之御 / さんのごてん) is completed and Empress Jingu (神功皇后) is enshrined next to Hachiman.

  • 859 (貞観元年) - The Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine (石清水八幡宮) is constructed in Kyoto as a branch of Usa Shrine, with the purpose of spreading Hachiman’s influence over the capital.

  • 923 (延喜21年) - Hakozaki Shrine (筥崎宮) is constructed near Hakata Bay, in what is thought to be the birthplace of Emperor Ojin. The shrine would ultimately become instrumental in the spread of Hachiman’s worship in Japan.

  • 1868 (明治元年) - The Meiji Restoration (明治維新) decrees that Shinto Shrines and Buddhist Temples must be separated in order to protect the state religion from foreign influences. Thus, the Buddhist temples located within the shrine were removed.

  • 1872 (明治5年) - The shrine is officially renamed Usa Grand Shrine (宇佐神宮).

  • 1952 (昭和27年) - The Main Hall is designated as a national treasure (国宝).

  • 1986 (昭和61年) - The shrine is designated as a national historic site (日本の史跡一覧).

  • 1991-1995 (平成3-7年) The main shrine, and other buildings within the precinct have their roofs re-done with fresh cypress bark (檜皮葺 / ひわだぶき).

  • 2012-2015 (平成24-27年) - The Main Hall undergoes a three-year period of restoration.

  • 2016 (平成28年) - The Kumamoto Earthquakes rock Kyushu, and parts of the shrine are damaged.

  • 2022-2025 (令和4年 - 7年) - The Upper Shrine’s Western Gate (上宮西大門) undergoes an expansive three-year restoration project

  • 2023 (令和5年年) - Repair work on the shrine’s famed Kure Bridge (呉橋 / くれはし) is completed.

Hachiman’s Crest, and the crest of the Usa Grand Shrine.

Kami Enshrined at the Usa Shrine

In addition to Hachiman, there are another two kami enshrined within the Main Hall of the Usa Shrine. That being said, there are a number of auxiliary shrines on-site that are home to a several other important figures, which I’ll cover a bit later. As mentioned in the timeline above, these three kami have been housed within their respective buildings since 725, 729, and 823, which means that it has been their home for almost thirteen centuries.

The three kami enshrined within are as follows:

  1. Hachiman (八幡神 / はちまんしん), otherwise known as Emperor Ojin (應神天皇 / おうじんてんのう), as mentioned earlier he serves a number of roles as the ‘Protector of Japan,’ the ‘Protector of the Imperial Family,’ and is the patron of seafarers and farmers, commerce, industry, scholarship, the arts, archers, martial arts, etc.

  2. Hime no Okami (比売大神 / ひめのおおかみ) - This one is a bit confusing as ‘Hime no Okami’ isn’t the name of a specific kami, but is the name that is often used for the ‘wife’ or the ‘daughter’ of the primary kami of a shrine. There is a bit of debate regarding this, but it is generally thought that the ‘Hime no Okami’ that appear at Hachiman Shrines are in fact the three Munakata Goddesses (宗像三女神 /むなかたさんじょじん), direct descendants of Amaterasu who are worshiped by travelers and seafarers alike.

  3. Empress Jingu (神功皇后 / じんぐうこうごう) - The mother of Emperor Ojin, who was an empress and shamaness. Stories of her life are told in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, and as a kami she is worshiped for good fortune, passing exams, health and wellness, martial arts, etc. Like her son, Ojin, she has also been syncretized with Buddhism where she is important for childbirth and child-rearing, household safety, etc.

Architectural Design

When you talk about this shrine, there are quite a few superlative facts that make it stand out among the hundreds of thousands of shrines across the country - as the ‘first’ shrine constructed for the worship of Hachiman, over the past thirteen centuries, it has taken on the role as the head shrine of the more than forty-thousand shrines that have been constructed across the country in his honor. Given that the shrine is widely regarded as second only in importance to the Ise Grand Shrine (伊勢神宮), it is on the short list of shrines that receive imperial patronage, and also finds itself on an even shorter list of shrines that receive imperial envoys

Note: In the modern system of ranking these places of worship, shrines are divided up into a hierarchical classification system that differentiates official governmental shrines from others. Of the imperial shrines, sixty-seven of them are classed as culturally or historically significant and receive regular visits from members of the royal family. Within this hierarchy of shrines, Usa Jingu finds itself on the list of first-rank shrines, as well as an even more exclusive list, both of which I’ll link to below if you’re interested in researching further.

Kanpei-sha (官幣大社 / かんぺいたいしゃ) - a list of sixty-seven shrines throughout the country that receive imperial patronage and visits. Known for their cultural and historic value.

Chokusaisha (勅祭社/ちょくさいしゃ) - a list of sixteen shrines around the country that receive imperial envoys who come to perform rituals at the shrines once every ten years. Notably, the shrines on this list are some of the most influential in Japan.

Obviously, the Usa Hachiman Shrine is significant for a number of reasons, but as the first shrine dedicated to Hachiman, one of the main reasons that the shrine stands out is because it has become a prototype of the Hachiman-style of architectural design. Hachiman-zukuri (八幡造 / はちまんづくり) as it is known in Japan, has become an style of architectural design that has been emulated across the country, and refined over the past thirteen centuries. Taking into consideration that there are nearly a hundred-thousand shrines spread throughout Japan, and just a little under half of them are dedicated to Hachiman, this style of architectural design, which got its start with the Usa Jingu, is one of the most significant in the country, and has a very well-established set of standards that dictates how certain buildings and objects are constructed to ensure that they are given Hachiman’s stamp of approval.

In my article about Fukuoka’s Sumiyoshi Shrine, one of the important points I made regarding its architectural design is that it serves as the archetype of one of the three ancient styles of architectural design that pre-dated the introduction of Buddhism to Japan. When you visit that particular shrine, what you’ll experience is purely ‘Japanese’ in design - However, in the case of the Usa Hachiman Shrine, and those that followed in its footsteps, the ‘hachiman-zukuri’ design was one that was heavily influenced by the introduction of Buddhism to Japan, and many of its design elements were borrowed from the architectural styles inspired by China and Korea. Nevertheless, one of the things we have to keep in mind is that the shrine that we see today isn’t the original that was constructed over a thousand years ago, so even though it serves as the prototype, people often also look to the Iwashimizu Hachimangu (石清水八幡宮 / いわしみずはちまんぐう) in Kyoto, and the Ima Hachimanguu (今八幡宮 / いまはちまんぐう) in Yamaguchi (山口縣) as the (current) oldest known examples of this style of architectural design.

As I move on below, I’m going to introduce the key parts of the shrine individually, and in each case I’ll do my best to offer information about their age, their architecture, and what defines the ‘Hachiman-style’ of design. Before I start though, it has to be said that this shrine is expansive, so I won’t be covering every single thing that you’ll see. If I could make a comparison, this shrine is a bit like a visit to Disneyland. Obviously when you visit a place like that, you want to see as much as possible, but due to time constraints, it’s just not possible to see and do everything. Similarly, a few of the buildings at the shrine were being restored during my visit, so I won’t be including much detail about them.

That being said, I realize that some of you may not be all that interested in all of this detailed information - So if you just want to know what each part of the shrine is in simple terms, click the collapsible button below. Within, I’ll provide the map of the shrine with translations as to what each section is so that you can better understand what you’ll see when you visit.

    1. The Visiting Path (參道 / さんどう) - a long walking path that features shrine gates (鳥居), stone lanterns (石燈籠), and stone guardians (狛犬), in addition to practical things like a car park, restaurants, etc.

    2. The Purification Fountain (手水舍 / ちょうずしゃ) - a fountain where visitors are expected to perform a purification ritual before entering the sacred space of the shrine.

    3. Talisman Hall (絵馬殿 / えまでん) - a building that is used to collect plaques and talismans that help to tell the story of the shrine’s history.

    4. Administration Offices (社務所 / しゃむしょ) - the shrine is home to two Administration Offices where visitors are able to purchase talismans.

    5. Western Gate (西大門) - the main entrance to the sacred space of the upper shrine.

    6. Tower Gate (樓門 / ろうもん) - one of the stand out architectural features of the shrine, the Tower Gate helps to form a perimeter around the Main Hall.

    7. Main Hall (上宮本殿 / ほんでん) - the most sacred space of the shrine, home to its three primary kami.

    8. Divine Tree (御神木·大楠) - an eight hundred year old tree next to the Hall of Worship.

    9. Lower Shrine (下宮)  - similar to the upper shrine, but is the location where the kami go to rest during the afternoon and nights.

    10. Divine Water Pool (御霊水 / ごれいすい) - a pool of water where it is claimed that Hachiman made his first appearance as a kami.

    11. Auxiliary Shrines (攝末社 / せつまつしゃ) - the shrine is home to a number of auxiliary shrines, each of which has its own dedicated building in different locations throughout the grounds.

The Visiting Path (參道 / さんどう)

The Visiting Path, otherwise known as the “sando” (さんどう) is an important aspect of the design of any Shinto Shrine. It is essentially just a long road that leads visitors to the shrine. While these paths serve a functional purpose, they are also quite symbolic in that the “road” is the path that one takes on the road to spiritual purification. Keeping in mind that ‘Shintoism’ itself is literally translated as the “Pathway to the Gods” (神道), having a literal path that leads the worshiper from the realm of the profane to that of the sacred is quite important. 

The average length of a Visiting Path at a shrine tends to vary based on the amount of space reserved for the shrine, but one thing that almost always remains true is that you’ll find stone lanterns (石燈籠 / しゃむしょ), shrine gates (鳥居 / とりい) and stone guardians (狛犬 / こまいぬ) on your journey.

In this case, the Visiting Path is a bit more complex than what you’ll find at other shrines as there are several entrances to the shrine, all of which eventually meet up with the main path. One thing that remains the same for each option is that you’ll have to cross one of the four ‘sacred bridges’ (神橋 / しんきょう) over the Yorimo River (寄藻川 / よりもがわ).

With regard to the complexity of the shrine’s Visiting Path, we have to go back to some points made earlier about the shrine’s history. Keeping in mind that for most of its history, it was also the home to the Miroku-ji Buddhist Temple, the original approach, known as the ‘Nishi Sando’ (西參道) would have crossed the river on the Kurehashi Bridge (吳橋) where visitors would be met with a number of restaurants, shops and inns prior to arriving at the temple.

When the temple was removed from the site during the Meiji Restoration in the late 1800s, the path remained the primary path for the next few decades, but a major remodeling project between 1932-1941, known as the ‘Great Showa Reconstruction’ (昭和大營造) altered the original Visiting Path, with all of the shops and restaurants relocated to their current location. Notably, one of the major aspects of the reconstruction project with regard to the Visiting Path was that the beautiful ‘Hishigata Pond’ (菱形池) within the shrine was also reshaped and expanded to make way for the path.

Note: Today, the famed Kurehashi Bridge is only accessible for members of the imperial family, and is typically only opened up once every decade for the general public.

For the average visitor, the path starts from the main entrance to the shrine, where there is a large parking lot for cars and tour buses. Next to where the path starts, you’ll find a number of restaurants and gift shops where you can get something to eat, or have a snack before you visit the shrine, or purchase some of the local specialties.

Starting from this area, you’ll pass through the first large shrine gate, then cross a bridge along the way to the shrine. Shortly after crossing the bridge, you’ll find a set of stone guardians (狛犬 / こまいぬ), followed by an even larger shrine gate as the Visiting Path opens up to a much wider road that leads to the sacred space of the shrine.

Of particular note, along the Visiting Path, you’ll encounter five shrine gates. Traditionally, in Japan, these gates are given numbers, for example, the first gate (一の鳥居), second gate (二の鳥居), third gate (三の鳥居), and so on. In this case, the naming of the gates is a bit confusing. The reason for the confusion is due to the fact that the gate that is located in front of the entrance to the Upper Shrine is referred to as either ‘the first gate’, the ‘Hachiman Gate’ (八幡鳥居) or the ‘Usa Gate’ (宇佐鳥居). In most cases, being the fifth gate within the shrine, it would be referred to simple as the ‘fifth gate’ (五の鳥居) in terms of numerical progression. The reason for the naming in this case is quite simple - as the oldest gate at the shrine, it is regarded as the first known example of the ‘Usa-style gate’ (宇佐鳥居), which is architecturally different in its design than many of the other styles of gate designs you’ll find across Japan.

In this style of design, you’ll notice that the top beam is curved upwards with two black circular rings below it. The horizontal beams are not connected with a central strut, and you won’t find a shrine name plate in the middle of the space between the top and lower beams. Following suit with the buildings that you’ll see at the shrine, the shrine gates are colored in a red vermilion lacquer, which has a symbolism of protecting the shrine from evil and misfortune. The ‘first’ shrine gate has a history dating back at least 1300 years, but the date of the construction of the current gate is unknown, however it is estimated that it is at least more than 150 years old.

Link: Usa Tori Gates (Usa City Tourist Navigation)

In another departure from the norm, once you cross the bridge, you’ll encounter what is the largest shrine gate at the shrine. Looking at the map of the shrine, it would normally be regarded as the ‘second shrine gate’, but instead, it is known simply as the ‘Ootori’ (大鳥居), or the ‘large shrine gate.’ Obviously, given its name, the scale of this gate is much larger than the others you’ll find within the shrine, and it’s absolutely beautiful. This particular gate originally dates back to the year 1111, but it was destroyed by a typhoon in the 1930s, and replaced with the current gate in 1937, making use of cement to ensure its longevity.

The original visiting path mentioned above still exists today, and you can go and check out the ruins where the Buddhist temple once existed, but the path today is tree-lined and meets a back road where you’ll have to cross another bridge to get back to the main road. Obviously all of the businesses, restaurants and inns that used to line the street have been torn down, with most of them moved close to the parking lot.

Administration Offices (社務所 / しゃむしょ)

Typically, within a Shinto Shrine, you’ll find space reserved for administrative purposes. Most often referred to in Japanese as the ‘shamusho’ (社務所 / しゃむしょ), within these buildings, the shrine’s priests, priestesses, and other personnel rest when they are not performing their duties. Similarly, within larger shrines like this, you’ll also find space allocated for holding lectures, or for anyone who has a special request for prayers or rites. Given the importance of the shrine, there is also a large building that is used primarily for holding wedding banquets and large events. For most visitors, though, the most popular section of a shrine’s administration space is it’s ‘Public Counter’ (授与所 / じゅよじょ), which is like a gift shop where visitors can ‘receive' (purchase) shrine branded tokens and amulets, or talismans to hang.

Located along the Visiting Path just beyond the main shrine gate, you’ll find several large buildings to the opposite of the Purification Fountain and the Talisman Hall. The main administrative offices of the shrine are located in this area, while the Wedding Hall (參集殿) is located within a beautiful building set upon a lake that is filled with lotus blossoms. Next to the lake you’ll find the administrative buildings, which are housed within large traditionally designed buildings that maintain the red lacquer color scheme that you’ll see with the other buildings within the shrine. The interior space of these buildings aren’t part of the tour, and (for the most part) aren’t accessible to visitors, so you can’t actually go inside. However, next to the main administrative building, you’ll find a smaller building, which acts as one of the shrine’s two gift shops, where you can purchase amulets from the shrine staff.

Given that there is a considerable distance between the lower ground-level section of the shrine, and the Upper Shrine space, you’ll discover that the administration space is divided into two sections. So when you reach the interior of the shrine after climbing up the mountain, there’s yet another Public Counter where you can purchase talismans, and another large traditionally designed administration building where the shrine’s staff are able to hang out.

I’m not making a commission from sales or anything, but if you’ve taken the time to visit the shrine, I highly recommend purchasing one of the small amulets while you’re there. They have a number of them, which serve different purposes, such as traffic safety, good luck, health, etc. They’re not expensive, and they help with the costs of running the shrine. They’re also great as souvenirs to bring back from a trip to Japan.

Talisman Hall (絵馬殿 / えまでん)

Located directly across from the shrine’s administration office, and next to a lake, you’ll find an open-style building known as the ‘Talisman Hall’, which is actually something that is relatively new to me. I’ve visited a few Shinto Shrines, but I only ever recall encountering these buildings at the Hakozaki Shrine as well as the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine (太宰府天満宮), both of which are located in Fukuoka.

For visitors to a Shinto Shrine, ‘talismans’ are the pieces of wood, known as ‘Ema’ (絵馬/えま) that you’re able to purchase from the shrine staff. The talismans act as both a donation to the shrine, but are also quite decorative as people write prayers or wishes on them and leave them hanging at the shrine. This building isn’t for those types of talismans, though. What you’ll find within are large wooden plaques that feature quite a bit of information on them. Given their age, though, many of them have faded over the years.

During my visit, the hall was empty, but it was an excellent refuge from a short spot of rain that was coming down. Following suit with the color scheme that you’ll find with most of the buildings at the shrine, the Talisman Hall has white walls with red lacquer. The space is mostly open, with large wooden pillars within the interior working together with a network of trusses in the ceiling to help support a large asymmetrical-gabled kirizuma (切妻屋根) roof. The interior of the building tends to be pretty dark, or at least it was on the day that I visited, due to it being rainy at the time. If you’re inside, take a few minutes to check out some of the plaques.

The Purification Fountain (手水舍 / ちょうずしゃ)

Located across from one of the shrine’s administration buildings along the Visiting Path, you’ll find what is known as the 'Purification Fountain’, another essential addition to any Shinto Shrine. These fountains are sure to appear in some shape or form at every shrine you visit as they mark another important philosophical aspect of Shintoism, referred to as “hare and ke” (ハレとケ), or the sacred-profane dichotomy. Similar to the Visiting Path, which marks the ‘journey’ from the sacred to the profane, it is important for anyone who enters the sacred space of a shrine to cross the barrier in the cleanliest possible manner.

To achieve this, visitors take part in a symbolic purification ceremony at the chozuya (ちょうずしゃ) or temizuya (てみずしゃ) provided prior to making their way toward the inner sanctum of the shrine. 

For the Japanese, this symbolic purification ceremony is something that comes naturally, as it is something that they have grown up with. For those of us international tourists, the process can be somewhat confusing, so the shrine has placed easy to understand step-by-step instructions next to the fountain that assists in the process. To save yourself from making a cultural faux-pas during your visit, you should follow these steps:

  1. Pick up a ladle with your right hand.

  2. Scoop some water from the fountain

  3. Purify the left hand.

  4. Purify the right hand.

  5. Pour some water in your left hand and put it in your mouth.

  6. Bend over and (cover your mouth as you) spit the water on the ground.

  7. Purify the handle of the ladle and then lay the dipper face down for the next person to use.

Link: How to Perform the “Temizu” Ritual (Youtube)

The fountain is rectangular in shape with fresh water constantly moving around. In the middle you’ll find a network of bamboo poles that are there to allow visitors to place their ladles on when they’ve completed the purification process. According to my research, the fountain was constructed using 24 tons of Japanese granite, which is quite impressive.

The fountain is contained within an open-structure that is supported by four thick wooden pillars, which help to support another beautiful asymmetrical-gabled kirizuma-zukuri style (切妻造 / きりづまづくり) roof. Like the Talisman Hall next door, the shape of the roof is likened to that of an ‘open book’ that is placed face down with a high arch and two sides that slope down. In terms of its craftsmanship, I absolutely love open buildings like this as the four pillars that hold up the roof allow you to see the network of trusses within that help support and distribute the weight of the roof, which is absolutely genius in its design.

Unlike other parts of the shrine, the Purification Fountain doesn’t really show signs of age, so its likely quite new, and was possibly replaced at some point in recent memory. The wooden pillars and trusses within are all painted with the red lacquer that you’ll find used on all of the other buildings. In a departure from the older buildings on site, the roof uses more modern copper tiles instead of cypress bark tiles, which make it much more seamless and flowing in its design.

Lower Shrine (下宮 / げぐう)

The Usa Grand Shrine is a rare example of a single place of worship that consists of two shrines dedicated the same deities. The Lower Shrine, which is known as the ‘Gegu’ (下宮 / げぐう), and the Upper Shrine, or ‘Jogu’ (上宮 / じょうぐう) both serve as the homes of Hachiman, Hime-no-Okami and Empress Jingu, with the only difference being that they serve ‘slightly’ different purposes. Within some of the information you’ll find about the two shrines, people have likened them to a situation similar to that of an ancient emperor, holding court in his palace during the day and then retiring to his personal cottage at night. Nevertheless, there are some pretty important things to keep in mind regarding the Upper and Lower Shrines.

While this isn’t the case today, the two shrines were once segregated, with the Upper Shrine only accessible to higher-ups in society. The lower shrine was thus a place of worship for the average visitor like you and me. This segregation created somewhat of a lasting variance between the way people worship at both of the shrines. In the case of the Upper Shrine, the kami were worshiped for their ‘national protection’ abilities whereas the lower shrine focused more on protecting people and the livelihoods, especially with regard to fishing and farming.

Interestingly, the lower shrine was once used as a space for the preparation of ‘sacred meals’ for the gods, and because of that it has often also been referred to as the ‘Sacred Kitchen’  (御炊殿 / みけでん). These days, it’s used primarily as a space for daily rituals by the shrine’s priests, and as both of the shrines are open to the general public, it is essential during any visit to the shrine to pay your respect at both.

The Lower Shrine was originally constructed during the ninth century, but the building we can see today is relatively new. Reconstructed in 1939 during the massive Showa-era reconstruction project mentioned earlier, the current buildings have maintained a similar architectural design to their predecessor, and are a celebration of the Hachiman-style of design. As Usa remains the birthplace of the Hachiman-style of architectural design, it should be no surprise that the Lower Shrine remains largely the same as what you’ll see in the Upper Shrine, save for some minor differences in its scale and design.

To reach the interior of the shrine space, you’ll have to pass through a gate where you’ll notice that the perimeter of the space is surrounded on all sides by a large fence. Once you’ve passed through the gate, you’ll enter a large courtyard along the eastern-edges of the building. As you approach the front of the building, you’ll note that there are three different doors where visitors can approach to announce their arrival to the kami housed within.

Similar to the architectural design of the Upper Shrine, you’ll be afforded a line of sight with each of the three buildings, but you won’t be able to approach them, or enter through the front of the building as it is fenced off.

The front part of the hall acts as a barrier, but also helps to form a perimeter around the interior of the shrine, with yet another courtyard inside. As you’ll see with my description of the Upper Shrine below, when it comes to Shinto Shrines, larger shrines like this rarely ever actually allow visitors to approach the interior of the main shrine, but the Hachiman-style of architectural design is expertly set up in such a way that anyone visiting has access to the kami, while also keeping them a safe distance away.

Essentially, in both cases, the center of the front hall of the shrines acts as a connecting piece for the walls that continue around the perimeter of the building. At the Lower Shrine, the middle section isn’t as grand in scale, but it features a two-sided kirizuma-style roof that is higher than the roof to the left and right of the main doors.

Upper Shrine (上宮拜殿 / はいでん)

The main attraction of the Usa Grand Shrine, the ‘Upper Shrine’ complex takes a while to reach, but once you get there, you get to experience something quite special. Enclosed within a gate that surrounds the peak of the mountain, the Upper Shrine is the inner-most sanctum of the shrine, and thus the most sacred part of the journey through the shrine.

Once you pass through the gate, you’ll notice that the atmosphere becomes a little more serious than the other areas along the route. There’s likely to be a flurry of activity within, with people praying, and the shrine staff going about their business. There is a public counter on the right with staff there ready to assist visitors with questions, in addition to selling amulets and talismans. At the far end of the courtyard, as mentioned earlier, you’ll find a large traditional building that acts as part of the shrine’s administration. The building itself is relatively new, and while it does look traditional, the interior is quite modern in its interior design.

Obviously, though, the main attraction is the iconic shrine, something that the people of Japan are probably all very familiar with. There is very little information available in English regarding the architectural design of the shrine, so I’ll spend a bit of time on this in an attempt to help people better understand what they’ll see when they visit.

One of the main issues when it comes to describing the interior space of the Usa Shrine, or any shrine that has since been constructed with the Hachiman-style of architectural design, is that you can’t actually enter the sacred space, nor are you able to really see very much of it from the outside. So, to better describe what is actually going on within the interior, I’m going to make use of some diagrams to illustrate how the Hachiman-style differentiates itself from other traditional styles of Japanese shrine design.

One of the first things people will notice about the shrine as the enter through the main gate is that there are several tall roofs protruding above the fence that surrounds the perimeter of the shrine. Given that visitors enter through the gate on the eastern side of the shrine, the angle of view is almost identical with that of the lower shrine. From this vantage point, when you look at the buildings from the side, it gives off the impression that there are at least six tall shrines within the interior, but if you’re looking at them from the front, you’ll only see three.

Within the interior of the Upper Shrine, there are only three of these buildings (excluding the auxiliary shrines that are also located within the space), which are used to house the kami. The three buildings, were reconstructed between 1859-1861, feature two-sided kirizuma-zukuri roofs (切妻屋根 / きりづまやね), which are split in two, to create something of an “M” like-shape. The reason for this is because each of these three buildings are split into two sections, known as the Inner Sanctum (前殿 / ぜんでん) and the Outer Sanctum (後殿 / こうでん).

The thought-process behind the separation between the front and the back sections are that the kami have a space to listen to people during the day, but then then also have a space to rest during the night. The odd thing about this is that people often claim that is actually what the Lower Shrine’s purpose is, but maybe it’s just their summer palace, instead?

The architectural design of these three buildings is quite interesting, because they feature the two separate roofs, but where they meet in the middle, you’ll find a flat space, with a specially-designed gutter that allows rain water to flow smoothly off the sides. There are also large doors on either side that allow shrine staff to enter. As is the case with these spaces that are home to the kami, they are all elevated off of the ground, with a set of stairs on the front, and a veranda that encircles the perimeter of the building. Taking into consideration that the Hachiman-style of architectural design originated during the Hei’an Period (平安時代), it is noticeable that the design of these buildings are reminiscent of what would have been considered quite aristocratic at the time.

As with the Lower Shrine, the perimeter of the interior space of the Upper Shrine is completely surrounded by a wall that prevents people from entering the interior. In this case, however, the scale is on a completely different level, and while the Lower Shrine is beautiful in its own right, what you see here is iconic, and regarded as a precious national treasure.

Taking inspiration from the architectural design of Buddhist temples, the facade features what is known as a ‘Tower Gate’ (樓門 / ろうもん). The inclusion of these style of gates is somewhat uncommon with Shinto architecture, but has become closely associated with Hachiman Shrines throughout the country, and absorbed into the Hachiman-style of design.

In this case, the gate is known as the Imperial Envoy Gate (勅使門 / ちょくしもん), or the ‘chokushimon’ and the current version dates back to 1742 (寬保2年). Keeping in mind that there are three kami enshrined within the interior, the front facade of the shrine has been specially designed to feature three entrances (三間一戸), each of which opens to the position where you’ll find the shrines within. Given that the gate’s name is translated as the ‘Imperial Envoy Gate’, the door to the gate is rarely ever opened, unless a representative from the emperor is visiting. Instead, there are two doors to the left of the tower, and one to the right where you can pray to each of the kami enshrined within.

On either side of the gate’s closed door, you’ll find statues of ceremonial guards known as ’Kadomori-no-kami’ (門守の神) and although they are somewhat obscured, you’ll notice that they’re both well-dressed figures who are holding weapons.

During my travels in Japan, whenever I’ve encountered these door gods at Shinto Shrines, the two figures who appear within these spaces are Yadaijin (矢大臣) and Sadajin (左大臣), but in this case we have Kora Tamatare no Mikoto (高良大明神 / こうらだいみょいうじん) and Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto (阿蘇大明神 / たけいわたつのみこと), two important historic figures who have their own shrines elsewhere in Kyushu (Kora Shrine in Kurume, and Aso Shrine in Aso, respectively).

The 10.5 meter high Tower Gate is constructed in the irimoya-zukuri (入母造 / いりもやづくり) style or architectural design, featuring a ‘moya’ (母屋), or a ‘base’ that is considerably smaller than the hip-and-gable roof on top. The roof is covered with Japanese cedar bark (檜皮葺) and as a traditional hip-and-gable roof (歇山頂) it features a combination of the two-sided kirizuma-zukuri (切妻造 / きりづまづくり), and the four-sided yosemune-zukuri (寄棟造 / よせむねづくり) styles of roof design, working together to create the curvy hip-and-gable design.

On either side of the tower, you’ll find a lower section where the three doors that open up to allow for a view of the interior. While the tower gate features a hip-and-gable roof, the flat section features a sloping two-sided kirizuma roof which covers the remainder of the front shrine’s facade.  Similar to the roof of the tower, the roof here is covered in cedar bark while the entire building has been coated with the red lacquer that has been used on almost all of the buildings at the shrine. The tower and the lower sections on either side have all been elevated off of the ground with sets of stairs that allow visitors to walk up and approach each of the doors.

The decorative elements on the front facade of the gate are quite liberal, but one of the things you’ll want to pay attention to are the complex network of wooden three-step brackets, known as ‘mitesaki’ (三手先 / みてさき). While these brackets are functional in that they help to support and distribute the weight of the roof, they are also quite beautiful in their decorative nature as they are joined together by a genius almost puzzle-like network of geometric shapes.

The architectural design of the Upper Shrine is complex, iconic, and beautiful in its simplicity, but one of the most important elements of the Upper Shrine, that isn’t part of the architectural design, is the ‘Divine Tree’ (御神木) that is located at the far end. The eight-century old tree is by far the oldest part of the shrine, and has offered shade to several iterations of the building next to it. When you visit the shrine, you’ll notice quite a few people standing next to three showing their appreciation.

Divine Water Pool (御霊水 / ごれいすい)

The Divine Water Pool, or ‘goreisui ‘ (ごれいすい) is the location where Hachiman is said to have made his first appearance as a kami. With this in mind, you’d think that the physical location where one of Japan’s most important religious figures made his first appearance would be a special spot within the shrine that receives a lot of attention and care. Surprisingly, when I arrived at the pool, I was quite surprised at its condition.

The pool is located just across from the lake at the base of the mountain where the main parts of the shrine were built. You’ll find it within a dark, yet lush alcove surrounded by trees. The space is damp, which is probably why its difficult to construct very much around the pool.

Surrounding the pool space, you’ll find a half-stone fence with red lacquered wood on the top. At the entrance, there is a small, but typical red Hachiman-style shrine gate and as you enter there is a donation box just in front of the first pool. To the left of the entrance, you’ll find a roof-covered shelf-like structure that has ladles and bowls to dip in the water, if you’d like.

Next to each of the pools, you’ll find a stone lantern, with a heavy bamboo cover placed over each of them. The covers can be lifted up to take a look inside, but the still-water inside appears murky, and to tell the truth, looks quite dirty. That being said, the spring water is apparently supposed to be ‘pure’ and ‘ever-flowing’, and visitors often use the ladles provided to scoop some of it into a container to bring home for use in religious offerings.

Suffice to say, anyone visiting the shrine should take the time to visit the pool, but just don’t expect too much as there really isn’t all that much to see, especially for a spot that holds so much importance to the Japanese nation.

Auxiliary Shrines

Given the age and the importance of the Usa Grand Shrine, you’re likely to notice that it is also home to a number of smaller shrines both in and around the precinct. These ‘auxiliary shrines’ are most commonly known as ‘setsumatsusha’ (攝末社 / せつまつしゃ), but it’s important in this case to note that the is a conjunction of ‘sessha’ (攝社 / せっしゃ) and ‘massha’ (末社 / まっしゃ), which refer to the miniature shrines you’ll often find within a larger shrine. Generally speaking, the kami who are enshrined within these spaces share a relationship with those enshrined within the larger shrine space, offering visitors a broader experience while visiting. This shrine plays host to nearly two dozen of these auxiliary shrines located in the inner area of the shrine’s precinct, as well as a number of others that are located just outside nearby. As a Grand Shrine, there are also a number of shrines that are located within Usa that share a historic relationship with the shrine that I’ll also include on the list.

Link: Setsumatsusha | 摂末社 (Wiki)

I’m going to list each of these auxiliary shrines below, starting with their names and following with the kami enshrined within each of them. There isn’t much information available about these auxiliary shrines in English, so I’ll do my best to provide a link to the kami enshrined within for those of you who are interested in learning more about them. In total, the Usa Grand Shrine is home to twenty-one of these auxiliary shrines.

In terms of their architectural design, in each case, they come in different shapes and sizes, and although most of them attempt to mimic the Hachiman-style of architectural design, they do so on a much smaller scale. Nevertheless, as each of these spaces is home to a kami, you’ll find that these miniature shrines feature all of the essential architectural elements that you’d find on a larger shrine, just on a much smaller scale.

This means you’ll find elaborately designed roofs, stairs, doors, and other decorative elements that make them worthy of being a home for a god. However, as mentioned earlier, due to time constraints, I wasn’t able to visit all of them, but I did take some time to visit some.

Unfortunately, I don’t have photos of all of them, so I’m just gong to be sharing a few photos in this section.

Interior Sessha Shrines (境内摂社)

  1. Wakamiya Shrine (若宮神社 / わかみやじんじゃ) - dedicated to the five children of Emperor Ojin, Osasagi no Mikoto (大鷦鷯命), Obae no Miko (大葉枝皇子), Kobae no Miko (小葉枝皇子), Hayabusawake no Miko (隼別皇子), and Metori no Himemiko (雌鳥皇女). The shrine was originally constructed in 852, but the current building dates back to 1843.

  2. Sumiyoshi Shrine (住吉神社 / すみよしじんじゃ) - dedicated to the Sumiyoshi Sanjin (住吉三神), who act as guardians of the shrine.

  3. Kuroo Shrine (黒男神社 / くろどんじんじゃ) - dedicated to Takenouchi no Sukune, a legendary Japanese statesman and hero (武内宿禰 / たけしうちのすくね).

  4. Togu Shrine (春宮神社 / とうぐうじんじゃ) - dedicated to the son of Emperor Ojin, Prince Uji no Wakiiratsuko (菟道稚郎子命 / うじのわきいらつこ)

  5. So Shrine (宇佐祖神社 / うさそじんじゃ) - Usatsuhiko no Mikoto (菟狭津彦命 / うさつひこのみこと)

Exterior Sessha Shrines (境外摂社)

  1. O'o Shrine (大尾神社 / おおじんじゃ) - dedicated to Hachiman (八幡大神)

  2. Oomoto Shrine (大元神社 / おおもとたいしゃ) - dedicated to Hime Okami (比売大神)

Boundary Shrines (行幸会八社)

Each of these shrines are located within or around Usa, and share historic links with the grand shrine, often holding ceremonies to offer tribute to the shrine. These eight shrines however aren’t really considered to be within walking distance of the grand shrine.

  1. Onegawa Shrine (大根川神社 / おおねがわじんじゃ)

  2. Otome Shrine (乙咩神社 / おとめじんじゃ)

  3. Izumi Shrine (泉神社 / いずみじんじゃ)

  4. Korisera Shrine (郡瀬神社 / ごうせじんじゃ)

  5. Takai Shrine (鷹居神社 / たかいじんじゃ)

  6. Tabue Shrine (田笛神社 / たふえじんじゃ)

  7. Tsumagaki Shrine (妻垣神社 / つまがきじんしゃ)

  8. Oyamada Shrine (小山田神社 / おやまだじんじゃ)

Interior Massha shrines (境內末社)

  1. Kasuga Shrine (春日神社 / かすがたいしゃ) - dedicated to Ame-no-Koyane, the son of the creation deities, and who is charged with overseeing divine affairs (天児屋根命 / あまのこや の みこと).

  2. Yako Shrine (八子神社 / やこたいしゃ) - dedicated to Emperor Nintoku, the sixteenth emperor of Japan, and the fourth son of Emperor Ojin (仁徳天皇/にんとくてんのう)

  3. Kameyama Shrine (亀山神社 / かめやまじんじゃ) - dedicated to Oyamatsumi, the god of the mountains, sea and war (大山津見神 / おおやまつみのかみ).

  4. Yasaka Shrine (八坂神社 / やさかじんじゃ) - God of the sea, storms and fields, Susanoo-no-Mikoto (須佐之男命 / たけはやすさのおのみこと).

  5. Mokushoso Shrine (木匠祖神社 / もくしょうそじんじゃ) - dedicated to the guardian deities of carpenters and craftsman Taokihooi-no-Mikoto (手置帆負命 / たおきほおいのみこと) and Hikosachi-no-Mikoto (彦狭知命 / ひこさちのみこと).

  6. Mikumari Shrine (水分神社) - dedicated to five kami who govern the water, Takaokami (高龗神 / たかおかみのかみ)、Ame-no-mikumari-no-kami (天水分神 / あめのみくまりのかみ)、Kuni-no-mikumari-no-kami (国水分神 / くにのみくまりのかみ), Ame-no-minakanushi (天汲匏持神 / あめのくひざもちのかみ) and Kuni-no-kuhizamochi-no-kami (国汲匏持神 / くにのくひざもちのかみ).

  7. Tenmangu Shrine (天満神社 / てんまんじんじゃ) - dedicated to the kami of learning, Sugawara no Michizane (菅原道真 / すがわらのみちざね).

  8. Go’o Shrine (護皇神社 / ごおうじんじゃ) - dedicated to Wake no Kiyomaro, the governmental official who was sent to the shrine to receive a divine message from the oracle (和気清麻呂 / わけのきよまろ).

  9. Hokushin Shrine (北辰神社 / ほくしんじんじゃ) - The three deities of creation, protector-guardians of Hachiman, known as the Kotoamatsukami (別天津神 /ことあまつかみ).

Getting There

 

Address: #2859 Minamiusa, Usa, Oita Prefecture

(大分県宇佐市大字南宇佐2859)

GPS: 33.527808,131.373130

MAPCODE: 459 360 376*30

Phone: 0978-37-0001

For most tourists who visit Kyushu, the port city of Fukuoka is likely to be their starting point on a trip to various destinations around the island. Kyushu, like most other areas of the country has an excellent network of public transportation, with the JR trains, the Shinkansen, and bus routes. Within the vicinity of the city, a lot of people will choose to visit Hakozaki Shrine, which is accessible by JR, bus, and the Fukuoka Subway. Similarly, the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, to the south of the city is another popular tourist attraction, both of which are a short commute.

Visiting the Usa Grand Shrine, on the other hand, requires considerably more time, and makes for a much longer day-trip if you’re visiting from Fukuoka, and returning on the same day. Nevertheless, if you plan to visit, you have the option of either driving a rental car, or make use of public transportation. Either way, the shrine is about 135 kilometers from Fukuoka, so the commute should take at least two hours.

If you’re taking the train out of Fukuoka, your quickest method of getting to Usa would be to take the Shinkansen from Hakata Station (博多駅 / はかたえき) to Kokura Station (小倉駅 / こくらえき), and from there switching to the JR’s Nippo Main Line (日豊本線 / にっぽうほんせん) where you’ll continue east until you reach the Usa Railway Station (宇佐駅/うさえき). Once you’re at the station, there is a bus stop outside that you’ll take until you reach the Usa Hachiman Bus Stop (宇佐八幡).

The Nippo Main Line that you’ll transfer to starts from Kokura Station in Kitakyushu City (北九州市), so you shouldn’t have too much trouble transferring from the Shinkansen to the JR. If you choose this method, the Shinkansen might be a little more expensive than the typical JR out of Hakata Station, but it takes the fastest and most direct route to the northern coast of the island, so it’ll save you a considerable amount of time.

If, on the other hand you’ve rented a car, I won’t spend too much time explaining the route to the shrine. The great thing about Japan is that every car has a navigation system where you’ll input the address, phone number, or MAPCODE provided above, and it’ll map out the most direct route based on whether you want to take the highway (more expensive) or normal roads.

If you’re driving a car, you’re in luck as there are several parking lots provided at the shrine, and they’re all relatively inexpensive, so you won’t have to worry too much about finding parking when you arrive, unless of course you decide to visit during one of the shrine’s festivals.

Obviously, I’m going off of the assumption that most people who visit the shrine would be doing do from a starting point in Fukuoka, but if you’re traveling from another area of Kyushu, you’ll be able to reach the shrine via the Kyushu Railway, so I recommend checking out their website to book your tickets, or you could simply visit the nearest station and purchase tickets there.

Link: Kyushu Railway Company

My visit to the Usa Grand Shrine was part of a several day trip where we drove around half of Kyushu from Fukuoka to Usa and then around Mount Aso to Kumamoto and back. Visiting the shrine obviously takes special effort, especially if you’re only in the area for a short time, but I can assure you that any visit to this shrine will be a special one.

As the first, and the head of all of the Hachiman Shrines in Japan, this shrine is often ranked only second to the Ise Grand Shrine. With well over a hundred thousand Shinto Shrines in Japan, being ranked number two means that this is a pretty special place, and once you visit, you’ll understand why. If you plan on visiting the shrine, I hope you’ll find the information in this article helpful in explaining what you’ll see when you’re there. Obviously, I highly recommend a visit, so if you’re visiting Kyushu and are looking to bring home some amazing memories of your trip, this shrine should be high on your list!

References

  1. Usa Jingu | 宇佐神宮 中文 | 宇佐神宮 日文 (Wiki)

  2. Oita Prefecture | 大分县 中文 | 大分県 日文 (Wiki)

  3. Hachiman | 八幡神 中文 | 八幡神 日文 (Wiki)

  4. Hachiman shrine | 八幡宮 (Wiki)

  5. Hachiman-zukuri | 八幡造 日文 (Wiki)

  6. Empress Jingu | 神功皇后 中文 | 神功皇后 日文 (Wiki)

  7. 大神比義 (Wiki)

  8. Site of Mirokuji Temple (Usa City)

  9. Hachiman-zukuri (JAANUS)

  10. Hachiman-zukuri style (Japanese Wiki Corpus)

  11. Japanese Mythology: Empress Jingu (Proanon)

  12. Usa Shrine (Japan Guide)

  13. 宇佐神宮 (九州神社)

  14. 宇佐神宮 (Official Site)

  15. 日本神社之探討 (王福順老師 / 修平科技大學)

  16. 宇佐神宮の御朱印~八幡神社の総本宮 (御朱印のじかん)

  17. 宇佐神宮.日本四萬四千間八幡神宮的總本社 (旅遊圖中)

  18. 【186日目】伊勢の神宮につぐ第二の宗廟、豊前一之宮『宇佐神宮』


Hakozaki Shrine (筥崎宮)

Prior to leaving Taiwan on our eight-day trip to Japan’s southern island of Kyushu, I had planned an ambitious itinerary of destinations within the city of Fukuoka, in addition other areas around the island - As a frequent traveler, you often learn the hard way that it’s difficult to predict what may happen while traveling abroad, so as usual, I made a special effort to ensure that a number of back up destinations were included on our list, so that we could make the most of our time. With only a few days in the city before hopping in a rental and taking off to other parts of Kyushu, we had to make sure to plan things well so we could enjoy as many of the sights, and probably more importantly, the food, of the city that we could.

Making things a little more difficult was that part of our itinerary included a couple of excursions out of the city, which would require hopping on the train, and would end up taking the better part of a day. Suffice to say, we had a lot to see and do, and even though it was unlikely that we’d be able to visit all the places we had planned to see, the great thing about Fukuoka is that it is a short flight from Taiwan, so its an easy place to visit!

A few days prior to our arrival in the country, we started becoming concerned that all of our meticulous planning was for naught as the forecast was less than ideal for almost the entire duration of our trip - With rain forecast for every day that we were there, when it came to the excursions out of town, we decided that we’d evaluate the situation prior to eating breakfast and making a decision from there.

Given that the Hakozaki (筥崎宮) and Dazaifu (太宰府天満宮) shrines were two of the largest, and most historically significant places of worship on the island, it was important that we were able to enjoy our experiences at both. but for my partner, the latter was one of the places that she wanted to visit the most. So, on a day when the weather looked like it wasn’t really going to cooperate, we decided to hop on Fukuoka’s subway, and ride out of the downtown area of the city to visit the historic Hakozaki Shrine. The next day, when we got on a train to head south to Dazaifu, we were delighted that the skies were bright blue.

In retrospect, even though we did end up getting a considerable amount of rain during one of the excursions, I think we ended up making the best decision. It rained heavily while we were visiting Hakozaki, which is the subject of today’s post, but I feel like the weather made the shrine even more beautiful, and if you look closely, you’ll notice the heavy rain in quite a few of the photos that I’m sharing today.

I’m not saying that I enjoyed walking around in the heavy rain, nor that I would have preferred visiting while it was raining, but taking into consideration that the the palette of colors that you experience at these shrines is completely different, I’d argue that Hakozaki has a special charm in the rain that we wouldn’t experienced if the situation were reversed.

While I’m sure both of these shrines look absolutely beautiful on a day when the weather is perfect, most of the buildings at Hakozaki date back to the sixteenth century, and the ancient wood and the dull cedar bark roofs of the buildings are brought to life in the rain. While everything is bright red at Dazaifu, the unpainted wood used on the buildings at Hakozaki blends in really well with the natural environment around it, which has been cultivated for well-over a thousand years.

Our visit to Hakozaki may have included rain, but it made for some beautiful photos, and we were also lucky enough to visit while a wedding was taking place. Not only did we get to enjoy the shrine, but we also got to do some people watching with all of the interesting things that take place when two families get together on a happy day - although I’m sure the happy couple probably hoped for better weather on such a special occasion!

Nevertheless, as one of Fukuoka’s largest, most historic, and most important places of worship, Hakozaki has also become an important tourist destination. Underscoring just how important this shrine is to the people of Fukuoka, visiting is made even more convenient in that there is a subway station that was constructed specifically for the shrine. If you’re visiting Fukuoka, even if you don’t really care about visiting shrines like this, both that I’ve mentioned here are pretty important tourist destinations, so if you’d like to better understand how the history of the area has shaped both the city and the country that we’re able to enjoy today, they should be at the top of your list of places to visit.

As I move on, I’ll start by introducing the history of the shrine, and then I’ll detail the layout of the shrine, what you’ll come across, and its architectural design, ending with an explanation of how to visit. Admittedly, this article is quite long, and includes quite a bit of detail. Sadly, as I’ve had to learn the hard way, there is very little in terms of information about the shrine available in English, so I hope the effort I’ve put in here helps anyone who visits better undrstand what’s going on!

Hakozaki Shrine (筥崎宮 / はこざきぐう)

One of the things you’re likely to learn on a trip to Japan is that the shrines you visit and the kami enshrined within them tend to act as a mirror into the history and culture of the local community. In the southern port city of Fukuoka, and by extension, the greater Kyushu region, you’ll find that the history of the land has been shaped very much by a few specific ‘kami', often historic or legendary figures. These local figures, whose spirits are thought to inhabit the natural world, do the things that typical kami do by providing blessings to the people of the area in areas such as health, wealth, good fortune, and so on, but they have also played an important role in local history.

In this case, Hakozaki Shrine is dedicated primarily to Hachiman (八幡神), who has become one of the most important kami in Japan - regarded as the divine protector of the Japanese nation, the Japanese people, and the Imperial House. With over 44,000 shrines dedicated to Hachiman in Japan, you might be wondering what specific relevance he has to the area, which is something I’m going to explain, as the legend of Hachiman, and the spread of his worship throughout the country are all things that started in the area we know as Fukuoka today.

In the English-language, Hachiman is often referred to as the ‘Japanese god of war’, but that is an over-simplification of the role he has played as the spiritual ‘protector’ of Japan. Has his worship been usurped for war-like purposes? Sure, but when your ‘official messenger’ is a dove, you probably aren’t the Japanese version of the Greek God Ares. Better known as a tutelary god of warriors, Hachiman is primarily regarded a protector deity, and is often most associated with archery, but he is also an important figure with regard to offering blessings to farmers, fishers, and travelers, as well as being a patron deity of commerce and industry, scholarship and the arts, among other roles.

Cementing his reputation and role as a ‘protector’ deity, Hachiman is regarded as the deity responsible for the ‘Divine Wind’, better known as ‘kamikaze’ (神風 / かみかぜ) that helped to stave off the invasion of Mongol forces on two separate occasions. It’s likely that during the attempted invasions that took place in 1274 and 1281, typhoons in the Sea of Japan, between China and Japan, dispatched a large portion of the invasion forces, ensuring that the Japanese would become one of the few countries of Asia that were able to resist the power of the Khans.

Nevertheless, the story of Hachiman goes back to the life of Emperor Ojin (應神天皇 / おうじんてんのう), the fifteenth emperor of Japan, thought to have ruled between 370 and 410AD. Given that the emperor’s life took place before written record became common in Japan, much of what we know about him is told in the Kojiki (古事記), and the Nihon Shoki (日本書紀),  known in English as the ‘Records of Ancient Matters’ and the ‘Chronicles of Japan,’ respectively. Part historical record, part myths and legends, the two books are essentially a historical account of the origin of the Japanese nation, the imperial line of succession and the deities worshipped in the country. However, if we take into consideration that both of these chronicles were authored several hundred years after the emperor’s death, it is difficult to separate fact and fiction.

The story of Emperor Ojin’s starts with his parents, Emperor Chuai (仲哀天皇 / ちゅうあいてんの), the fourteenth Emperor of Japan, thought to have ruled between 192 and 200AD, and his mother, Empress Jingu (神功皇后 / じんぐうこうごう). Part of the reason why Hachiman worship, and by extension, the worship of the Sumiyoshi Sanjin (住吉三神) are so common in Kyushu is in part due to Ojin’s father setting up his capital in Kyushu (九州), rather than Yamato (大和国), as well as the legends that resulted in Ojin’s birth.

Ojin’s mother, Empress Jingu was a shamaness, who is said to have been possessed by ‘supernatural force’ on the eve of a battle with a clan to the south of Fukuoka. That ‘supernatural force’ insisted that the Emperor abandon his battle with the clan, and instead take to the water to conquer the ancient Korean kingdoms of Silla, Goguryeo, and Baekje.

Scorning the idea, the emperor continued with his battle plans, and ended up being killed in the process. Having warned her husband to pay homage to the gods, the emperor’s refusal to adhere to their will was considered to be the reason for his untimely demise. Thus, the Empress Consort, who was pregnant with their son at the time, ascended the throne as empress regent, and carried out the gods request to invade the Korean kingdoms.

According to the legends in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, she prayed to the ‘Sumiyoshi Sanjin’ prior to setting sail, and with the blessing of the gods, the military expedition went quite smoothly. The legends of Jingu’s ascension to the throne, her status as a shaman, and the conquest of the Korean kingdoms is explained quite well in the article below, as are the questions to whether they are actually based on historic fact.

Link: Jingu c. 201–269 (Encyclopedia) | Empress Jingū (Wiki)

Note: The life of Empress Jingu, and the birth of her son are regarded as somewhat controversial today as it involves the invasion of the Korean peninsula.

Prince Ojin was born in 201AD in Tsukushi Province (筑紫国) a region that would later become known as Chikuzen Province (筑前国), and most recently Fukuoka Prefecture (福岡縣). When the prince was born, eight banners were raised on top of a mountain on an island that celebrated his birth (and in some accounts) celebrating the victory over the Korean kingdoms. According to records, he was crowned prince at the age of four, but for some reason his mother clung onto power until he was seventy years old. His reign would last for the next four decades, which means he lived until he was 110 years old, but some accounts suggest he died at 130.

During his reign, it is said that he encouraged farming and the construction of irrigation networks. He also invited craftsman, artists and scholars from both China and Korea, who came to Japan, bringing with them knowledge of spinning, sewing and weaving as well as the introduction of literature, which helped to further develop scholarship in the country.

As things go, one day on the northern coast of Kyushu, in the land of Usa (宇佐の地), a kami named ‘Hachiman’ emerged from a freshwater pool, and in 571AD, Emperor Kinmei (欽明天皇 / きんめいてんのう) decreed that the kami who appeared in the pool in Usa was indeed a manifestation of his ancestor, Emperor Ojin.

Known either as ‘Yahata-no-kami’, or Hachiman (八幡神 / やはたのかみ/はちまんしん), the name refers to the ‘eight banners’ mentioned above that celebrated the birth of Emperor Ojin, which is one of the reasons why the kami ended up being identified as the manifestation of Emperor Ojin.

The first shrine dedicated to Hachiman was constructed near the pool where the kami first appeared in the land of Usa in the north of Kyushu. The shrine, known as ‘Usa Jingu’ (宇佐神宮) or ‘Usa Hachimangu’ (宇佐八幡宮) was constructed in the eighth century, and today continues to be the most important of the nation’s more than forty-thousand Hachiman shrines.

That being said, large shrines like this one often take part in a ‘sharing’ ceremony where a shrine ‘divides’ the power of a kami allowing for another shrine to be constructed. For those of you unfamiliar with how Shinto Shrines partition, or ‘divide’ a kami’s power, I recommend checking out the explanations linked below. The process from which larger shrines share divinity with smaller shrines is something that is common in Japan, but is also a practice that you’ll find takes place throughout Asia.

Link: Kanjo (分靈) | English / Japanese (Wiki)

As Chikuzen Province (筑前国) was the birthplace of Emperor Ojin, it only made sense that a major shrine in his honor was constructed in his homeland. Hakozaki Shrine was established in 923AD on a large plot of land close to the Sea of Japan where the emperor was born, and along with the Usa Shrine is one of the most important sites dedicated to the worship of Hachiman.

In fact, the shrine is regarded as one of the ‘Three Most Important Hachiman Shrines in Japan’ (日本三大八幡宮). While Usa Shrine boasts its status as the birthplace of Hachiman worship as the head of all Hachiman shrines, Hakozaki, on the other hand, is the protector of Emperor Ojin’s umbilical cord, which is kind of weird, but is also the shrine that is arguably most responsible for the spread of the Hachiman cult throughout the country. Thus, being the ‘first' doesn’t always mean ‘the best’ as Hakozaki holds an especially important position in the growth and spread of Hachiman worship throughout the rest of the country, spurred on by events that took place in the area.

Before we get into the events that took place after the founding of the shrine, and the spread of Hachiman worship throughout the country, it’s probably a good idea to take a look at the name of the shrine to explain it’s meaning, because it’s something that is actually a little confusing.

The first Hachiman Shrine is known simply as the Usa Shrine (宇佐神宮), named simply after the land where the shrine is located - The origin of Hakozaki’s name however is a bit more complicated, and has something to do with that ‘umbilical cord’ mentioned above - The word ‘Hako’ (筥 / はこ) refers to something ‘cylindrical’ in shape. What may confuse a lot of people however is that you’ll often see the Kanji characters “筥” and “箱” used interchangeably when referring to the shrine, and the neighborhood around it.

Essentially both characters have the same meaning and the same pronunciation, but the latter is more commonly used in contemporary Japanese to refer to a ‘box.’ In this case, the ‘cylindrical box’ being referred to is a bit convoluted in its meaning - Some suggest that the robes that Empress Jingu wore while giving birth were placed in a box, and buried on site while others suggest that the box not only contained Jingu’s robes, but the afterbirth as well (including the umbilical cord). Finally, others suggest that the ‘cylindrical’ shape being referred to is simply the pine tree that was planted by Empress Jingu on the site where the shrine would later be constructed. Whatever your interpretation, in each explanation, there are only minor differences, but what we do know is that within the shrine’s grounds, you’ll find the pine tree where there may or may not be a sacred box buried beneath.

The second character in the name of the shrine is a bit less confusing as the word ‘saki’ or ‘zaki’ (崎 / さき), depending on how you romanize the word, simply translates as a peninsula, referring to the location where the shrine was constructed. For keen observers, you’re likely to note that the subway station next to the shrine is named: Hakozakigu-mae Station (箱崎宮前駅), which in English doesn’t really make much difference. Similarly, you’ll find the Hakozaki JR Station (箱崎駅), Hakozaki Park (箱崎公園), etc.

Each of these places makes use of the character “Hako” (箱) instead of the “Hako” (筥) used for the shrine - One of the better explanations for the usage of the two different characters is simply that is meant to show respect to the shrine, which predates the neighborhood that has grown around it.

The official date of the shrine’s establishment likewise is one of those things that tends to be a bit confusing, with rather unreliable explanations on the subject. Some accounts point to Emperor Daigo (醍醐天皇 / だいごてんのう) in 921 (延喜21年) gifting a ‘plaque’ to the site where a shrine was planned to be established, while others argue that 923 is a more exact date as it is when the shrine was officially consecrated. With the latter, you could argue that the process of bringing the ‘power' of Hachiman from the Usa Grand Shrine to Hakozaki finalized things, but sometimes these things are counted differently. Whatever your opinion on the subject, the shrine is more than 1100 years old, so the two year difference probably doesn’t matter all that much.

Hakozaki was constructed in a location that purposely had it facing eastward toward the Asian mainland, in a spot that was near the birthplace of Emperor Ojin. The location was considered a strategic one in that it occupied a space that was an optimal location within Hakata Bay for defense purposes. Hakata Bay as we know it today is and has been an important international port of trade for quite a while, so even in the tenth century when the shrine was constructed, the port would have been a hot-spot with regard to any planned invasion of the country.

Back to a point I made earlier, Hakozaki has been uniquely important with regard to the spread of Hachiman’s popularity over the years, but it has also seen its fair share of misery, as well. During the two attempted Mongol invasions of Japan, people prayed at the shrine for Hachiman’s protection, resulting in the ‘divine’ typhoons that swept away most of the invasion forces. That being said, in both cases, the point of landing would have been in the Hakata Bay area, and even though a fraction of the Mongol forces ended up coming ashore, they were only barely defeated by the Japanese.

News of the Mongol’s defeat and the so-called ‘Divine Wind’ that helped protect the country from invasion quickly spread across the country, and worship of Hachiman thus became synonymous with protection.

Helping to increase the popularity of Hachiman, the powerful Minamoto Clan (源氏 / みなもとうじ) of Samurai, who (were said to be) descended from Emperor Ojin, at some point claimed the deity as their patron. The clan was one of four that dominated the country between the Heian, Kamakura, Muromachi and Edo periods of history (basically 794 - 1868). During each of these eras, powerful political figures from Daimyo’s (大名 / だいみょう) to the Shogun (大将軍 / だいしょうぐん) made pilgrimages to Hakozaki to pay their respect to the ‘kami of the divine wind’ who protected the country.

When the ‘Divine Wind’ story is told, what the storyteller most often fails to mention is that the Mongols who did make it ashore were able to cause a considerable amount of mayhem, and Hakozaki Shrine was razed and destroyed. It was later rebuilt, but over the centuries it has fallen victim to the various civil wars that have plagued Japan throughout its history - with some warlords even making the shrine their base of operation on several occasions. With this in mind, even though the shrine was established well-over a thousand years ago, what we see today only dates back to the mid-sixteenth century, but as you look at the scrolls of the original shrine (like the one above), you can see that it has expanded quite a bit over the years with several new buildings, auxiliary shrines, and modern facilities.

Kami Enshrined at Hakozaki Shrine

In addition to Hachiman, there are another two kami enshrined within the Main Hall of the Hakozaki Shrine. There are of course a number of auxiliary shrines on-site that are home to a number of other kami, which I’ll cover a bit later. The three kami enshrined within the Main Hall are as follows:

  1. Hachiman (八幡神 / はちまんしん), otherwise known as Emperor Ojin (應神天皇 / おうじんてんのう), as mentioned earlier he serves a number of roles as the ‘Protector of Japan,’ the ‘Protector of the Imperial Family,’ and is the patron of seafarers and farmers, commerce, industry, scholarship, the arts, archers, martial arts, etc.

  2. Empress Jingu (神功皇后 / じんぐうこうごう) - the mother of Emperor Ojin, who was an empress and shamaness. Stories of her life are told in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, and as a kami she is worshipped for good fortune, passing exams, health and wellness, martial arts, etc. Like her son, Ojin, she has also been syncretized with Buddhism where she is important for childbirth and child-rearing, household safety, etc.

  3. Tamayori-hime (玉依姫命 / タマヨリビメ) - the mother of Emperor Jimmu (Japan’s first emperor), the daughter of Watatsumi, the sea-dragon god, and a direct descendent of Amaterasu Omikami. Similar to Jinggu, she is a divine-mother as well as being regarded as the goddess of the sea and a patron of seafarers.

Before I move onto introducing the layout and architectural design of the shrine, it’s probably a good idea to give readers a bit of context with regard to the three kami mentioned above, and the reason why they appear specifically at this shrine (for which there are a number of reasons), some of which aren’t often mentioned. Starting with Hachiman, obviously as I’ve mentioned earlier, given that the area where the shrine is located is regarded as his birthplace, it makes sense to have a shrine in his honor here.

The Fukuoka region, though, has played an important role in the legends of Emperor Ojin’s family. Going back as far as his father’s ill-fated war against the Kumaso Clan (熊襲 / くまそ), and his mother’s expedition to the Korean kingdoms, the family’s actions have played an important role in the development of Hakata into the international port as we know it today.

Even though worship of these figures has spread throughout Japan, it’s important to note that they are especially important in Kyushu - If you find yourself visiting Fukuoka, you might notice that Empress Jingu is enshrined as the primary deity within Kashii-gu (香椎宮), in addition to Japan’s first Sumiyoshi Shrine (住吉神社) - another large Shinto sect for which Empress Jingu played an instrumental role in it’s growth.

Finally, it makes sense that a shrine located so close to Hakata Bay would pay homage to Tamayori-hime, a goddess of the sea - but there is a relationship here that likewise doesn’t often get mentioned - In this case, Tamayori-hime isn’t exactly a ‘regional’ figure, as she is a kami straight out of Japan’s creation myths (although it could be argued that she hailed from southern Kyushu). The granddaughter of the sun-goddess Amaterasu, Tamayori-hime is regarded as the mother of Jimmu (神武天皇), the legendary first emperor of Japan, and the figure for which the Imperial Household has long drawn both its legitimacy and its divinity. Emperor Chuai and Emperor Ojin, the 14th and 15th emperors of Japan were thus related to Tamayori through the Imperial line.

With Empress Jinggu, we have a figure who is regarded as a ‘divine mother,’ as the mother of the man who would become Hachiman - Tamayori-Hime on the other hand plays a similar role in that she’s the mother of what has become the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world.

Suffice to say, for most visitors to Japan, a stop at a Shinto Shrine is an excellent opportunity to experience the culture of the Japanese people, and even though these places tend to come across as rather simplistic, they are in fact, very complex, and require a considerable amount of research to actually understand what is going on, and how all of these things are interconnected. Hakozaki Shrine is a prime example of how historic events two-thousand years in the making helped to shape Japan and its culture and beliefs.

Architectural Design

As one of the most popular sects of Shintoism, there are well-over forty-thousand shrines dedicated to the worship of Hachiman in Japan. Obviously, with so many shrines, there is a considerable variety with regard to the architectural design, but for many, if not most, the first Hachiman Shrine, Usa Jingu (宇佐神宮) serves as the prototype for most offering up very specific architectural design traits that have been utilized since the 8th century. Shinto Shrines in Japan come in all shapes, sizes, and architectrual styles, but when it comes to these Hachiman shrines, they are so important that they have their own unique style of architectural design, known as ‘hachiman-zukuri’ (八幡造 / はちまんづくり).

One of the points I made in my introduction to the architectural design of Fukuoka’s Sumiyoshi Shrine was that it was constructed in one of the three ancient styles of architectural design that pre-dated the introduction of Buddhism to Japan. In the case of the Usa Hachiman Shrine, and those that followed, the ‘hachiman-zukuri’ design was one that came after Buddhism started to influence the architectural designs of shrines and temples in Japan. Thus, you’ll find that even though there are some variations with regard to the Hachiman-style at the Hakozaki Shrine, it contains elements that you’ll only find at the largest Hachiman shrines.

However, as I mentioned earlier, Hakozaki was established during the early 10th century, but over the past thousand years, it has been destroyed on several different occasions - Much of what we see at the shrine today was constructed during the mid-sixteenth century, which is still quite incredible as the most important structures within the shrine have been there for nearly five-hundred years. That being said, the ‘latest’ incarnation of the shrine differs quite a bit from what you’d typically see at a shrine constructed in the Hachiman-style.

As I move on, I’m going to introduce each of the key parts of the shrine individually, and in each case I’ll do my best to offer information about their age and their architectural design. I realize that some of you may not be interested in all of this detailed information, so if you just want to know what each part of the shrine is in simple terms, click the collapsible button below. Within, I’ll provide the map of the shrine, courtesy of Hakozaki’s official website, with translations as to what each section is so that you can better understand what you’ll see when you visit.

    1. The Visiting Path (參道 / さんどう) - a long walking path that features shrine gates (鳥居), stone lanterns (石燈籠), and stone guardians (狛犬), in addition to practical things like the subway station, car park, etc.

    2. The Purification Fountain (手水舍 / ちょうずしゃ) - as you pass through the main shrine gate, you’ll notice a roof-covered fountain on the right, which is used for a purification ceremony that anyone entering the shrine should take part in.

    3. Administration Office (社務所 / しゃむしょ) - the building where the administration of the shrine takes place, amulets can be purchased there, and ceremonies are often held within.

    4. Talisman Hall (絵馬殿 / えまでん) - an open, roof-covered hall that is home to several plaques that have been gifted to the shrine, most often from emperors and other important figures.

    5. Divine Tree (神木 / 筥松) - A fenced in pine tree where it is said that Emperor Ojin’s afterbirth is buried in a box beneath. The fence is where visitors place the charms that they purchase at the shrine, given that it is an important spiritual part of the shrine.

    6. Emperor Kameyama Memorial Hall (龜山上皇尊像) - A hall constructed to the memory of Emperor Kameyama, the 90th emperor of Japan, and the person who donated the plaque on the Tower Gate.

    7. Tower Gate (樓門 / ろうもん) - Regarded as a Japanese National Treasure, the Tower Gate is one of the most architecturally distinct sections of the shrine.

    8. Main Hall (本殿 / ほんでん) - An open structure just beyond the Tower Gate where worshippers approach to announce their arrival, offer donations, and pray.

    9. Hall of Worship (拜殿 / はいでん) - the most sacred section of the shrine, which is off-limits to ordinary members of the public.

    10. Auxiliary Shrines (攝末社 / せつまつしゃ) - smaller shrines, located to the rear of the main shrine, which are home to kami that share a relationship with the shrine

The Visiting Path (參道 / さんどう)

The Visiting Path, otherwise known as the “sando” (さんどう) is an important aspect of the design of any Shinto Shrine - the path is essentially just a road that leads visitors to the shrine. While these paths serve a functional purpose, they are also quite symbolic in that the “road” is the path that one takes on the road to spiritual purification. Keeping in mind that ‘Shintoism’ itself is literally translated as the “Pathway to the Gods” (神道), having a literal path that leads from the realm of the profane to that of the sacred is quite important. 

In this case, the path starts at Hakata Bay and ends about a kilometer away at the main entrance to the shrine. Functionally speaking, the Visiting Path today is home to several parking lots, a subway station, bus stops, etc. Visitors to the shrine are likely to start their journey to the shrine about halfway through where they emerge from the subway station.

The average length of a Visiting Path at a shrine tends to vary based on the amount of space reserved for the shrine, but one thing that almost always remains true is that you’ll find stone lanterns (石燈籠 / しゃむしょ), shrine gates (鳥居 / とりい) and stone guardians (狛犬 / こまいぬ) along your journey.

Starting at Hakata Bay, you’ll find the Hama Shrine Gate (箱崎浜), and then about halfway up the Visiting Path, you’ll find the massive Second Shrine Gate (二之鳥居) donated in 1930, and as you approach the entrance, you’ll find the First Shrine Gate (一之鳥居). The shrine gate located at the entrance to the shrine is regarded as a National Treasure (国指定重要文化財), and was presented to the shrine by Feudal Lord Kuroda Nagamasa (黒田 長政 / くろだ ながまさ) in 1609. This style of shrine gate is unique to this shrine, and has been dubbed the ‘Hakozaki Style Torii’ (筥崎鳥居), a nod to its importance.

Finally, on either side of the First Shrine Gate, you’ll find the shrine’s primary stone-guardians. Known in Japan as ‘komainu’ (狛犬 / こまいぬ), they were designed in a bulky and fearsome fashion, and appear quite similar to the stone guardians you’ll find at other important shrines in the Greater-Fukuoka region. The guardians date back to 1930 (昭和5年), making them somewhat recent additions.

Link: Komainu Lion Dogs (Japan Visitor)

The Purification Fountain (手水舍 / ちょうずしゃ)

Located to the right of the shrine gate as you enter the shrine, you’ll find what is known as the 'Purification Fountain’, another essential addition to any Shinto Shrine. Like the Visiting Path, a fountain is sure to appear in some shape or form at every shrine you visit as it marks another important philosophical aspect to Shintoism, referred to as “hare and ke” (ハレとケ), or the "sacred-profane dichotomy."

Similar to the Visiting Path, which marks the ‘journey’ from the sacred to the profane, it is important for visitors to one of these sacred spaces to cross the barrier in the cleanliest possible manner. To do this, visitors symbolically take part in a purification ceremony at the chozuya (ちょうずしゃ) or temizuya (てみずしゃ) provided. For international tourists, the process can be somewhat confusing, so the shrine has set up a easy to understand illustration next to the fountain that assists in the process.

To purify yourself you should follow these steps: 

  1. Pick up a ladle with your right hand.

  2. Scoop some water from the fountain

  3. Purify the left hand.

  4. Purify the right hand.

  5. Pour some water in your left hand and put it in your mouth.

  6. Bend over and (cover your mouth as you) spit the water on the ground.

  7. Purify the handle of the ladle and then lay the dipper face down for the next person to use.

Link: How to Perform the “Temizu” Ritual (Youtube)

The fountain is contained within a structure that is supported by four thick wooden pillars that support a beautiful hip-and-gable roof. The fountain itself has been carved out of stone with the words “洗心” (cleanse your heart) carved into the base. You’ll find the fountain is full of water and there are wooden ladles on all sides for visitors to make use of during the cleansing process.

Administration Office (社務所 / しゃむしょ)

As you enter the gate to the shrine, you’ll see the Tower Gate directly in front of you, the Purification Fountain on your right, and on your left, you’ll find the Shrine’s Administration Office, known in Japanese as a ‘shamusho’ (社務所 / しゃむしょ). Within the building, the shrine’s priests, priestesses, and other shrine personnel rest when they are not performing their sacred duties. Given that it is a large building, it is also used as a space to hold lectures, or for anyone who has a special request for prayers or rites. The Administration Office also features a ‘Public Counter’ (授与所 / じゅよじょ), which is like a gift shop where visitors can ‘receive' (purchase) shrine branded tokens and amulets, or talismans to hang near the sacred pine tree.

Obviously, given that this building is an administration area and resting space, it’s not a building where tourists are permitted to randomly enter. The shrine doesn’t offer much information about the date of the building’s construction, but it appears to be quite new. When you look at the building directly, it gives the impression that it is a long-rectangular structure that is mostly made of wood, and features a high sloping roof. Looks can be a bit deceiving in this case, however, as the building is ‘L-shaped’ and connects to buildings to the rear that are completely out of sight. While much of the space is used for administrative purposes, there is a building located within a courtyard that is used for marriage ceremonies, which is a pretty popular thing to do at the shrine.

Talisman Hall (絵馬殿 / えまでん)

Directly across from the shrine’s administration office, you’ll find a structure known as the ‘Talisman Hall’, which is actually something that is relatively new to me. I haven’t seen many of these within a shrine during my travels. Talismans are the pieces of wood, known as ‘Ema’ (絵馬/えま) that visitors purchase to write prayers or wishes on and leave at the shrine.

This building isn’t for those types, though.

What you’ll find while inside are large wooden plaques that offer quite a bit of information about the shrine’s history while others feature faded murals of historic events. Again, there isn’t much information about the plaques, but they all appear to be quite old, so it would be nice to have a little information about their origin.

During my visit, the hall was empty, but it was an excellent refuge from the rain that was coming down as well as giving us the opportunity to continue taking photos of the shrine. Covered with a massive hip-and-gable roof, the lower part of the building is completely open to the elements with everything being held up by twelve large wooden pillars and a network of trusses within.

Like the Administration Hall, there isn’t much information about the age of the building, but taking a look at the wood that was used to construct the building, it does show signs of age.

Tower Gate (樓門 / ろうもん)

Tower Gates, otherwise known as ‘romon' (樓門 / ろうもん) can be considered a common addition to Hachiman Shrines, but generally speaking, gates like this are more associated with the architectural layout of Buddhist temples in Japan than they are with Shinto Shrines. While there are, of course, exceptions to the rule, when you find a gate like this at a Shinto Shrine, it is somewhat of a special occasion.

In this case, the Tower Gate has been designated an ‘Important National Treasure’ (国指定重要文化財) by the Japanese government. Officially named “The Gate of Prostrating Enemies” (伏敵門) thanks to the plaque that rests within the mid-section. The plaque, which is thought to have been inscribed by Emperor Kameyama (1249-1305) reads “May the enemy nations prostrate themselves [in defeat]” (敵国降伏), referring to the Mongol’s failed invasions of the country.

Constructed in 1594 (文禄3年) with funds donated from Kobayakawa Takakage (小早川隆景), the feudal lord of Chikuzen, the gate features three entrances (三間一戸) with statues of ceremonial guards known as ’Kadomori-no-kami’ (門守の神) on either side of the middle door. Although they are somewhat obscured, you’ll notice that they’re both well-dressed figures who are holding bows and arrows with the god on the left known as Yadaijin (矢大臣) while the one on the right is Sadajin (左大臣).

Constructed in the irimoya-zukuri (入母造 / いりもやづくり) style or architectural design, the gate features a ‘moya’ (母屋) or a base that is considerably smaller than the massive hip-and-gable roof above. Similar to the Talisman Hall mentioned earlier, there is a genius network of trusses within the gate that help to support and distribute the wright of the roof. In this case, you can’t actually see that network at work as it is covered up.

The roof is covered with Japanese cedar bark (檜皮葺) and as traditional hip-and-gable roof (歇山頂) it features a combination of the two-sided kirizuma-zukuri (切妻造 / きりづまづくり), and the four-sided yosemune-zukuri (寄棟造 / よせむねづくり) styles of roof design that work together to create the curvy hip-and-gable design.

The roof is even more impressive when you realize after entering the gate that it connects directly to the roof of the ‘Hall of Worship,’ which is facing in a different direction, creating an interesting geometric shape.

Hall of Worship (拜殿 / はいでん)

The Main Hall and the Hall of Worship of the shrine were reconstructed together in 1546 (天文15年), with funds donated by Ouchi Yoshitaka (大内 義隆 / おおうち よしたか), who was the lord of Suo Province (周防国), an area that today encompasses much of western Honshu’s Yamaguchi Prefecture (山口県). As is the case with the Tower Gate, both the Main Hall and the Hall of Worship have been designated as protected national heritage buildings.

As you enter the worship area, you’ll notice that there really isn’t all that much room for visitors beyond the doors. There is an altar space where visitors are able to approach to announce their arrival to the kami inside, but the passageways on the sides of the altar are blocked for the average visitor.

Suffice to say, you aren’t able to see much of what’s going on from the front of the altar as there is an elevated stage in the middle of the open-building, which is used for kagura performances (神楽/かぐら) for the kami. Interestingly, these performances are a type of Shinto ritual dance that are performed solely for the entertainment of the gods.

The Main Hall, which is known in Japan as the “haiden” (拜殿 /はいでん) was constructed in the irimoya-style, and is architecturally similar to the Talisman Hall that I introduced earlier in that it is constructed almost entirely of wood, with a network of pillars along its perimeter, and trusses in the ceiling space that help support and distribute the weight of the roof.

Where the building differs is that much of its floor space is elevated off of the ground for the performance stage, and in the design of its roof, which is a two-sided kirizuma-zukuri (切妻造 / きりづまづくり). The sloping two-sided roof is designed to appear similar to the word “入”, but can also be described as appearing like a open book that is placed with its cover up. Similar to the tower in front, the roof is covered with layers of Japanese cedar bark (檜皮葺) instead of the copper tiles that you’ll often see at modern shrines.

One thing that you’ll want to pay attention to when visiting are the small piles of sand that are placed on the altar. The sand is from the beach that is located at the start of the Visiting Path to the shrine. Considered sacred, the sand is often carried by worshippers from the beach to the shrine as a method of preventing accidents and for good fortune. One of the shrine’s major festivals is focused entirely on bringing large amounts of sand from the beach to the shrine, attracting thousands of people several times a year.

Main Hall (本殿 / ほんでん)

The Main Hall is located directly behind the Hall of Worship, otherwise known as the “honden” (本殿/ほんでん), it is the most sacred part of any Shinto Shrine, and the home of the gods. 

Connected to the roof of the Hall of Worship, the buildings within the sacred space of the shrine more or less form the shape of a ’T’ with the front hall connecting to the building directly in the center.

Originally, I had assumed that the architectural design of the Main Hall followed that of the Usa Hachiman Shrine in Northern Kyushu with its iconic ‘Hachiman-style’ (八幡造) design, but I later discovered that when the buildings were reconstructed in the 16th century, variations were made to the architectural design. Suffice to say, the building was constructed with a rare style of design known as ‘Kukkensha Nagare-zukuri’ (九間社流造). In this style of design, the word ‘flowing’ is key as it features a streamlined gable-style roof. The core of the building, known as the ‘moya’ (母屋) is elevated off of the ground with a set of stairs that brings you to the entrance. Surrounding the core along the perimeter, you’ll find a veranda, known as a ‘hisashi’ (廂 / ひさし) that opens up to entrances and another two sets of stairs on the eastern and western sides.

What makes the design of this building special is its length, which can be from one to eleven ‘bays’ (間) wide. In most cases, buildings like this are one or three bays wide (you’ll never find one that is six or eight bays wide), but this one is nine bays wide, which is where the ‘kukkensha’ (九間社) part of its name comes from, and means that the building is eighteen meters in length.

Note: A ‘bay’, known as a ‘ken’ () is essentially the space between columns within a building. Given that interior spaces in Japan weren’t traditionally partitioned in the same way we separate spaces in the west, they originally measured space in ‘bays’, which was of uniform length, usually just under two meters. These days, you’ll find the size of interior spaces in Japan measured by the uniform size of a Tatami mat (1.8mx0.9m).

The roof of the building, like the Hall of Worship in front of it, features an asymmetrical-gabled roof (kirizuma-yane / 切妻屋根) where it projects outward from the front of the building and connects to the roof of the Hall of Worship. The two-sided sloping roof, however, is made much more complex in that it is dual-layered on the non-gabled sides in the ‘ryonagare-zukuri’ (両流造) style that forms somewhat of an extension on either side, increasing the length of the building. Following with the roofs of the other buildings, it is covered in cedar bark, instead of copper tiles.

One of the most obvious things that sets the Main Hall apart from the other buildings within the shine is that it has been painted with a red lacquer, which makes the building shrine in the sun. The color scheme is a mixture of the red lacquer with plain white walls, and some decorative elements.

Like I said earlier, though, it’s not easy to see much of what is going on with the building given that you can’t approach it. If you plan on visiting the shrine, I recommend entering the sacred space through the tower gate, checking out the interior of that area, and then when you’re done, you can walk around the wooden fence that surrounds that space to check out the design of the roof and try to get some different views of the building.

Auxiliary Shrines (攝末社 / せつまつしゃ)

Hakozaki is home to two auxiliary shrines, known as ‘Massha shrines’ (末社 / まっしゃ), located to the rear of the main shrine. Translated literally as ‘minor’ shrines or a ‘under’ shrines, to the naked eye, they might seem considerably smaller than the main shrine, but don’t let that fool you, they’re still home to kami, which makes them quite important. As the home of kami, these miniature shrines feature all of the essential architectural elements that you’d find at a larger shrine, just on a much smaller scale. You’ll find elaborately designed roofs, stairs, doors, and other decorative elements.

In most cases, the kami who are enshrined within these spaces share a relationship with those enshrined within the larger shrine space, and their inclusion offers visitors a broader experience when visiting.

In this case, the two auxiliary shrines are known simply as the ‘Eastern Massha’ (東末社) and ‘Western Massha’ (西末社). Each of the shrines features its own shrine gate (鳥居), a set of stone guardians (狛犬), and a single building that is covered by a hip-and-gable roof, and is surrounded by a fence. Both of the buildings are split into five sections with pillars on either side of each of the shrines that help to support the weight of the roof.

Starting with the ‘Western Massha’, the building is split into the five following sections:

  1. Ryu’o-sha Shrine (龍王社) - the Dragon King (龍王), a Chinese deity of the sea and sky is enshrined within. Influenced through the spread of Buddhism in Japan from China, the Dragon King is often prayed to during periods of drought.

  2. Wakamiya Shrine (若宮殿) - the kami of performing arts is enshrined within.

  3. Emperor Chuai Shrine (仲哀殿) - a shrine dedicated to the father of Emperor Ojin.

  4. Itukushima Shrine (厳島殿) - a shrine dedicated to travel safety.

  5. Minjun Shrine (民潤社) - a shrine dedicated to the prevention of fire.

Note: The set of Stone Guardians at the Western Shrine were dedicated in 1916 (大正5年)

The ‘Eastern Massha’ is split into the five following sections:

  1. Ikeshima Shrine (池島殿) - as confusing as this might sound, this shrine is dedicated to the patrons of ‘hands’ and ‘feet’. The deities enshrined here are Kagutsuchi no Mikoto (賀具土命), Okutsuhiko no Mikoto (奥津彦命), and Okutsuhime no Mikoto (奥津姫命). Parents of young children often visit the shrine to pray for ‘strong legs’ for their child, fastening a straw sandal talisman near the altar as an offering to the three kami.

  2. Takenouchi Shrine (竹内社) - a shrine dedicated to health and longevity.

  3. Otsutsu Shrine (乙子宮) - a shrine dedicated to the kami of child birth.

  4. Sumiyoshi Shrine (住吉殿) - a shrine dedicated to the Sumiyoshi Sanjin focusing on safety while traveling at sea.

  5. Inari Shrine (稲荷神社) - a shrine dedicated to the accumulation of wealth, and the guardian deity of fields.

Note: The date that the set of Stone Guardians at the Eastern Shrine were dedicated is unknown, but what is interesting about them is that they are ‘Taiwanese’-style Stone Guardians, so it’s likely they were dedicated during the island’s Japanese Colonial Period between 1895 - 1945. I’ve tried to find information about them, but didn’t have much luck. One guess could be that they were gifted to the shrine after a ‘power-sharing’ ceremony with a Hachiman shrine that was being constructed in Taiwan.

Getting There

 

Address: 1 Chome-22-1 Hakozaki, Higashi Ward, Fukuoka 812-0053

(〒812-0053 福岡市東区箱崎1-22-1)

GPS: 24.338380, 120.590850

MAPCODE: 13 411 330*17

Telephone: 092-641-7431

While it does depend on where you’re staying when you’re in town, getting to Hakozaki shouldn’t be too much of an issue for most travelers as it is conveniently accessible via several methods of public transportation.

If you’ve rented a car, never fear, the shrine offers a considerable amount of parking spaces for visitors, so you shouldn’t have too much difficulty finding a spot, unless of course, there’s a special event taking place on the day of your visit. For the purpose of this article though, I won’t spend too much time explaining how to get there in a car. If you’re driving, simply input the MAPCODE or the telephone number provided above into your vehicle’s navigation system, and your route will be mapped out for you.

For those of you making use of Kyushu’s excellent public transportation network, as I mentioned above, you’re in luck - The shrine is accessible and within walking distance from the Fukuoka subway (福岡市営地下鉄), Japan Railway’s Kagoshima Main Line (JR鹿児島本線), JR Kyushubus (JR九州バス) and the Nishitetsu Bus (西鉄バス).

  1. Fukuoka Subway - The the Hakozaki Blue Line (箱崎線) to Hakozakimiya-Mae Station (箱崎宮前駅) and from Exit 1, you’ll find yourself emerging on the shrine’s Visiting Path, about a three minute walk from the main gate.

  2. Japan Railway’s Kagoshima Line - Getting off at Hakozaki Station (箱崎駅下車), the shrine is about an eight minute walk south of the station. You’ll find a number of signs along the streets pointing you in the direction of the shrine, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting there.

  3. JR Kyushubus - From Hakata Station, you’ll get on the Nogata Route (直方線) and ride the bus until you arrival at the Hakozaki Chome 1 (箱崎1丁目) stop, which is only the second stop away from the railway station.

  4. Nishitetsu Bus - Fukuoka’s largest public bus company, you’ll find a number of routes that service the shrine, so I recommend going directly to the website (linked above) and using their English-language route search to map out your route. The bus stop is located next to exit for the subway station, and is named Hakozaki (箱崎). According to Google Maps, the following routes are serviced at the stop: #1, #9, #29, #59, #61, #161

How you get to the shrine is up to you, but I can’t underscore how convenient it is getting there on the subway. The shrine is only a few stops away from the downtown core of the city, so no matter where you’re staying, finding a subway station shouldn’t be too difficult.

During our visit, like a lot of tourists, we stayed in the Tenjin (天神) area of town, so we just hopped on the subway, transferred at Nakasu-Kawabata (中洲川端駅) onto the blue line and enjoyed the ride for about five more stops before arriving at the shrine.

On the way back into town, we planned to visit the Hakata Railway Shrine (博多鐵路神社), have some ramen in the railway station, and then head over to the Sumiyoshi Shrine (住吉神社). The walk from the shrine to the JR station was about ten minutes, but it was raining, so we weren’t walking very quickly. No matter what method of public transportation you choose to take, getting to the shrine is pretty straight-forward.


References

  1. 筥崎宮 (Official Website)

  2. The Hakozaki Hachiman Shrine (Official Website English PDF)

  3. Hakozaki Shrine | 筥崎宮 中文 | 筥崎宮 日文 (Wiki)

  4. 筥崎宮の御朱印 (御朱印のじかん)

  5. Hachiman | 八幡神 中文 | 八幡神 日文 (Wiki)

  6. Hachiman shrine | 八幡宮 (Wiki)

  7. Empress Jingu | 神功皇后 中文 | 神功皇后 日文 (Wiki)

  8. Tamayori-hime | 玉依姬 中文 | 玉依毘売 日文 (Wiki)

  9. Tamayori-hime (Yokai)

  10. Fukuoka | 福岡市 中文 | 福岡市 日文 (Wiki)

  11. Mongol invasions of Japan (Wiki)

  12. Japanese Mythology: Empress Jingu (Proanon)