folk beliefs

Torii gate of Osaki Hachiman Shrine

Osaki Hachiman Shrine, the main shrine of Sendai and a national treasure, famous for the naked pilgrimage at the Donto Festival (Miyagi Prefecture)

Osaki Hachiman Shrine is a shrine located on the western side of Aoba Ward, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, along Prefectural Route 31 (Sendai Murata Line) in Hachiman, Aoba Ward, Sendai City, a designated city

It was formerly a village shrine, and its enshrined deities are Emperor Ōjin, Emperor Chūai, and Empress Jingū. It is also a shrine famous for the Matsutaki Festival (Donto Festival) of Ōsaki Hachiman Shrine

A Momoyama-style shrine building designated as a national treasure

Although the exact date of Osaki Hachiman Shrine's founding is unknown, it is believed to have originated when Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, who was entrusted by the Imperial Court with the task of conquering the Emishi in the Tohoku region during the Heian period, enshrined the war god Hachiman from Usa Jingu Shrine in what is now Oita Prefecture and enshrined him within Isawa Castle (present-day Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture), which was the site of the naval base that served as the frontline base for the Emishi political party

For this reason, its original name was Chinjufu Hachimangu Shrine

The shrine was enshrined by Minamoto no Yoshiie, also known as Hachiman Taro, and was rebuilt by the Osaki clan as Osaki Hachiman

Later, during the Former Nine Years' War,Minamoto no Yoshiie,also known as Hachiman Taro, together with his father Minamoto no Yoriyoshi, quelled the Abe clan's rebellion. At that time, he invited Iwashimizu Hachiman to the site of the former Komatsu Shrine (present-day Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture), which had been the guardian deity of the old Nitta fort, and stored his weapons there.

During the Muromachi period, the Osaki clan , a branch of the Ashikaga shogunate family and a dominant force in the Tohoku region as the governor of Oshu, learned that "this shrine was established by their distant ancestor, Minamoto no Yoshiie." In 1361, they rebuilt the shrine buildings and restored the rituals, renaming it Osaki Hachiman as the guardian shrine of the five Osaki districts (Shida, Tamatsukuri, Kami, Toda, and Kurihara)

It is believed that the relocation of Chinjufu Hachiman Shrine, which is the origin of Osaki Hachiman Shrine, took place at this time

During the Sengoku period, the Osaki clan gradually lost power as they competed for supremacy with local feudal lords, and when Toyotomi Hideyoshi came to rule the country, they were ordered to abolish their domain in the Oshu Shioki in 1590 for not taking part in the attack on the Hojo clan at Odawara

From Osaki to Sendai by Date Masamune

Subsequently, Date Masamune, who came to rule this region, moved his base from Iwadeyama Castle in present-day Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, to Sendai Castle (commonly known as Aoba Castle) in Sendai City. At that time, he constructed a new shrine for Osaki Hachimangu Shrine at the present location, which is in the northwest direction from Sendai Castle, and enshrined both Osaki Hachimangu Shrine and Narushima Hachimangu Shrine in Yonezawa, which had been his long-time base, at this location

The shrine donated by Date Masamune at this time was built in the Gongen-zukuri style, entirely covered in black lacquer, and adorned with glittering gold decorative metal fittings. It is considered the epitome of Momoyama architecture and is now designated a National Treasure

Osaki Hachiman Shrine Main Hall
The main hall of Osaki Hachiman Shrine during the annual festival

Guardian deity for those born in the years of the dog and boar

Various festivals are held at Osaki Hachiman Shrine, but the annual festival in September is particularly lively, with performances such as Noh Kagura, which has been designated an intangible folk cultural property of Miyagi Prefecture, and Yabusame, a horseback archery tradition that has been passed down since the days of the Sendai domain

Also, because it is located in the dry direction of Sendai Castle, it has been widely worshipped by people born in the years of the dog and pig, a belief that continues to this day

Osaki Hachiman Shrine <Information>

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