Traditions and customs

Mitsuishi Shrine

A rock with a demon's hand in it? Mitsuishi Shrine, where Iwate's roots are woven. (Iwate Prefecture)

  • Aoiwa Aoiwa
  • Last updated:

If you head north from the intersection in front of the courthouse where the Ishiwari-zakura cherry tree is located on Chuo-dori in the center of Morioka City, you will see Tokenji Temple along the road. Behind this templeMitsuishi Jinjais a shrine called

"Mitsuiwa-sama,"there are three gigantic granite rocks adorned with sacred ropes. Believe it or not, these massive rocks are said to be the origin of the name "Iwate."

The legend of Mitsuishi-sama who punished the demon

Long ago, before this area was known as Iwate or Morioka,"Rasetsu-ki"there was a demon called

demon

The people, utterly exasperated by the evil deeds,Mitsuishi-sama,prayed to

The astonished demon resigned itself to its fate and"never to set foot in this land again."promisedAs proof, it left its handprint on a large rockand fled in the direction of Mount Nansho (a mountain on the border between Shizukuishi Town in Iwate District and Yahaba Town in Shiwa District, Iwate Prefecture).

around the large rock"Come on, let's dance!"and danced in celebration of the demons' departure.

The legend of Mitsuishi-sama, where the roots of many things lie

Did you know that this legend is filled with the roots of many things that represent Iwate?

Below we will break down and explain each legend!

The demon's promissory note is "Iwate"

In the legend, the Rakshasa demon, who was punished by Mitsuishi-sama, promised never to do any mischief again and never to set foot on this land again, and left his handprint on the rock as proof of this

The large rock at Mitsuishi Shrine
The large rock at Mitsuishi Shrine

at that timehandprint of the demon left on the rockthe"Iwate."became the origin of the name

Apparently, you can still see what appears to be an oni's handprint, but I don't know if that's true

The promise to never set foot on this land again is "Furakata"

one of the promises made by the demon,"never to set foot on this land again,"isname "Kozukata."It is said that

anymoreI won't behereoverIt means,

Japanese castles

Kozukatais a term that refers to the area around present-day Morioka City in Iwate Prefecture, and it has been used for the past 570 years. The castle that originally stood in this area was"Kozukata Castle,the Nanbu clanMorioka Castle on the foundation of that castlebuilt"it is believed that

Even today, the name "Kozukata" is often used as an elegant name for Morioka

Come on, let's dance the "Sansa Dance"

, after the ogre has left, the residents, overjoyed,"Come on, let's dancestart dancing, saying,

Sansa Dance

the phrase"Come on, let's dance!"theorigintransformed into "Sansa dance," which becamesummer tradition in Moriokaandof the six major festivals in the Tohoku regiononethe Morioka Sansa Dance, aof

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT
[Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture] What is the history and types of Morioka Sansa Odori? The impressive Guinness World Record-holding Taiko Parade!
https://jp.neft.asia/archives/14812
Morioka Sansa Odori, synonymous with summer in Iwate, is the earliest of the "Six Great Tohoku Festivals," taking place from August 1st to 4th, and is the first festival to liven up the Tohoku summer. This time, we'll take a closer look at the history and varieties of Morioka Sansa Odori. The origins of Sansa Odori: Sansa Odori Dedication at Mitsuishi Shrine. Source: Iwate Prefecture's official tourism website, "Iwate no Tabi." It's said that the roots of Sansa Odori lie in demon-slaying. Long ago, a demon called "Rasetsu" was committing evil deeds in this area, and the troubled people prayed to the gods of Mitsuishi Shrine to slay the demon. The gods granted their prayers, captured the demon, and placed it within the shrine grounds...
read more

Mitsuishi Shrine <Information>

Google Map

By the way, what is the origin of the name "Morioka"?

Around 1592, when Nanbu Toshinao, the 27th head of the Nanbu clan, who was originally based at Sannohe Castle (present-day Sannohe-cho, Sannohe-gun, Aomori Prefecture),南部利直moved to this area, he disliked the name "Furaigata" and changed it to "Morigaoka." Later, "Morigaoka" became corrupted and came to be called "Morioka."

Then, two generations after Nanbu Toshinao, Nanbu Shigenobu南部重信, the 29th head of the Nanbu1680-1709composed the following linked verse with Seisan Hoin, the 42nd head priest of Eifuku-ji Temple (Shimoyonai, Morioka City), a Shingon Esoteric Buddhism temple, during the Genroku period of Edo (around

The dew of the flowers that bloom for so many springs is like a treasure trove of jewels in Okayama

in this linked versephrase "Morioka"was translated as "Morioka," and"Morioka"became established. Later, the name of the domain itself was also changed from "Nanbu" to "Morioka," and the "Morioka Domain" was born.

During the Meiji period, the feudal domains were abolished and prefectures were established, and Morioka Domain became Morioka Prefecture. In 1889, the city ordinance was enacted, and the current Morioka City was born

By the way, Eifuku-ji Temple, which gave birth to Morioka, still exists today under the mountain name "Hoju Morioka-san."

Eifukuji <Information>

  • Name: Hojumori Okayama Eifukuji Temple
  • Address: 2-1-1 Shimoyona, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, 020-0003
  • Phone number: 019-662-4424
  • Official URL:

Google Map

summary

The origins of place names are something we don't usually pay much attention to, but if you get curious and look into it, you'll find that they're quite interesting

I don't think anything gets a name for no reason, so if you're curious about something, do some research and you might discover something new

, the root of "Iwate," "Furukata," and "Sansa Odori,"Mitsuishi Shrineis located close to the center of Morioka City and is easily accessible, so you might want to consider it as one of your options when planning a trip to Morioka!

Articles that may be related to this article

Other articles