[Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture] A mysterious forest with a thousand-year history and faith in the warding off evil spirits | Kaminuma Hachiman Shrine

Fitzroy
2023.09.07
Last updated: 2025.01.28

table of contents

1 The history of Kaminuma Hachiman Shrine
2 The grounds of Kaminuma Hachiman Shrine
3 Annual event
4 Kamo-ryu Hoin Kagura
- 4.1 Kaminuma Hachiman Shrine <Information>

Located in Tome City in northern Miyagi Prefecture,Kaminuma Hachiman Shrineis a venerable shrine with a thousand-year history, exuding a sense of tranquility. Its serene and mystical grounds truly make it a worthy power spot.

This time, we will take a deeper look into the charm of Kaminuma Hachiman Shrine and introduce it to you

The history of Kaminuma Hachiman Shrine

Kaminuma Hachiman Shrine is a shrine that was established in the mid-Heian period by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and his son Yoshiie, who enshrined Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine in Kyoto

During the Battle of Zenkunen, the emperor set up camp here twice, and in gratitude for his victories, he chose this place, donated the temple grounds, enshrined the "Hachimanmori Honzon" (principal image of Hachiman), and stored his weapons there, and the temple was founded

In ancient timesthe Hachiman of Bows and Arrows, and in modern times it is worshipped as the Hachiman who wards off evil. Due to its belief in mother and child deities, it is visited by many people as a god of safe childbirth and child-rearing.

The grounds of Kaminuma Hachiman Shrine

The vast grounds are meticulously maintained by the chief priest, creating a divine space befitting a sacred area exuding tranquility and mystery

Sacred tree "Ubasugi"

On the left side of the worship hall, across the corridor connecting the worship hall and the sacred food offering area, stand two large trees, a male cedar and a female cedar. These are the primary sacred objects of Kaminuma Hachiman Shrine

Because it was an old tree, its branches and tops had begun to show signs of wilting, but thanks to subsidies from the town andthe "Association to Protect the Old Cedar Tree," it was treated and its vitality was wonderfully restored.

Great Torii Gate

When you visit Kaminuma Hachiman Shrine, the first thing that catches your eye is the magnificent torii gate that stands at the entrance to the shrine grounds

This large iron torii gate is 12 meters high, 7.7 meters wide, and has a 16-meter-long top beam, and was erected in 1991 to commemorate the 950th anniversary of the shrine. Many donations were collected for its construction, not only from parishioners but also from outside the town

Its shape"Myojin Torii,"and it is one of the largest in the Tohoku region.

Old Tree Grove (Tome City Nakatacho Cultural Property)

The temple grounds, which cover an area of approximately 33,000 square meters, are all designated as a wildlife sanctuary and are home to a large number of ancient, giant trees, including pines, cedars, and firs, some of which are hundreds of years old

These ancient, giant trees have been considered sacred since ancient times, forming a sacred forest. Such sacred areas are extremely rare even within the prefecture, and their presence exudes a solemn and refreshing atmosphere

On October 31, 1986, it was designated as a Nakata Town Cultural Property along with the "Ubasugi" tree

Annual event

date	Event name	Details/Notes
January 1st	New Year's Festival (New Year's prayer festival)	Lion dance offering
January 14th	Donto Festival	Bamboo, old sacred talismans, sacred ropes, New Year's decorations, and other New Year's decorations are burned. This ritual has been held since 1981
February 11	Kigensai Festival
February 17	Niinamesai (prayer for a good harvest)
First Sunday of March	Hatsuuma Fire Prevention Prayer Ceremony
April 15	Spring Festival
September 15	Autumn Festival	Eve of the festival, Kamo-ryu Hoin Kagura performance, dedication kendo tournament
september	Kyodanmori Shinmeisha Atago Shrine Annual Festival
October	Shokonsha Festival
november	Shichi-Go-San Prayer Ceremony
November 23	Niiname-sai (New Rice Thanksgiving Festival)
December 31	Great Purification Ceremony

Kamo-ryu Hoin Kagura

Kamo-ryu Hoin Kagura developed from Hoin Kagura, which originated in the northern part of the Sendai domain, when Shungaku, the head of the Toeizan school, imparted various new Kagura styles to Yoshinao and Jika during his stay at Myokaku-in Temple in Kaminuma Village

This Kagura dance"Nagare Kagura,"and it was once widespread in southern Iwate Prefecture and northern Miyagi Prefecture, but it almost completely died out during the Edo period. Currently, it is only preserved by two groups in Nakada-cho, Tome City:"Kaminuma Kamo-ryu Hoin Kagura"and"Hidaka-mi-ryu Asabe Hoin Kagura."

Hoin Kagura has many extremely complex styles based on the incantations of mountain ascetics, such as the foot stomping forms and hand seals that are the foundation of the dance, and requires rigorous training. The basic dance form is called Kagura Sanken, and has been passed down orally through Kagura books containing special names. On March 28, 1986, it was designated a cultural property of Nakata Town (present-day Nakata Town, Tome City)

According to the chief priest, there is a shortage of people to carry out the ritual, so they are recruiting widely. As long as you can practice, you don't have to live nearby, so if you're interested, why not consider joining?