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Shane_Currie

Minatogawa Shrine

Minatogawa Shrine

The Shintô religion is different to most other religions in that instead of a central deity it has a myriad gods which reside in natural phenomena such as trees, mountains, rocks and waterfalls. It has no moral code, no sacred scriptures, nor particular philosophy.

All Japanese are Shintô by default, but the majority also consider themselves Buddhist. When Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the sixth century, the Buddha was accepted as another of Shintô’s many gods. The two religions have, nevertheless, retained their differences. The most obvious sign of this is in their distinct architectural styles.

Minatogawa Shrine Torii

A shrine is immediately recognisable from the torii, a gate of two upright poles topped by two cross-pieces, often painted a bright vermilion, which marks the entrance to the sacred enclosure. Other features to look out for are the water troughs near the entrance (the water is for purification – using the ladle, pour a little over your fingers, then into your cupped hand to rinse your mouth) and twisted straw ropes. These ropes also denote the presence of a god, or gods, and you’ll see them tied round a tree or rock or strung across the front of the shrine building. Another rope, this time attached to a bell or gong, hangs from the eaves. After throwing a few coins into the slatted box beneath (5 yen coins are supposed to be luckiest), petitioners wake the gods by giving a sharp pull on the bell-rope. They then bow three times, pray, bow twice more, clap twice and finish off with two final bows.

The Minatogawa Shrine was build by order of the Meiji Emperor in 1868 to enshrine the spirit of the warlord Kusunoki Masanari (1294-1336) who died in battle in 1336. He is revered as a demi-god, having the three virtues of intelligence, justice and courage, and commands a great following even to this day. An annual memorial service running from May 24 to 26 attracts a lot of visitors.

Access:
1 min walk from Kosoku Kobe Sta. on Kobe Fast Line
3 mins walk from Okurayama Sta. on Subway Yamate Line
3 mins walk from Kobe Sta. on JR
Open Hours: 9:30-16:30 Closed on Thursday