Traditions and customs

Mitsuishi Shrine

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

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In the center of Morioka city, if you head north from the intersection in front of the courthouse where the Ishiwari Sakura tree is located on Chuo-dori, you will see Tokenji Temple along the road. Behind this temple is a shrine called Mitsuishi Shrine

"Mitsuishi-sama," features three huge granite rocks with sacred ropes strung around them within its grounds. It is said that these rocks are the origin of the name "Iwate."

The legend of Mitsuishi-sama who punished the demon

Long ago, when this area was not yet called Iwate or Morioka, there was a demon called "Rakshas Oni"

demon

The people were so troubled by this evil deed that they prayed to Mitsuishi-sama,

The astonished Rakshasa demon resigned himself to the situation and promised and never to set foot on this land again As proof of this, he left his handprint on a large rock and fled in the direction of Mount Nansho (a mountain on the border between Shizukuishi Town, Iwate County, and Yahaba Town, Shiwa County, Iwate Prefecture).

The residents gathered around the huge rock "Come on, dance!" , and danced to celebrate the ogre's flight.

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

the handprints left by the demon on the rock at this time became the origin of the name "Iwate."

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"

It is said that one of the promises made by the demon, "Never to set foot in this land again," is name "Kuzukata."

It means won't this way anymore

Japanese castles

Kozukata is a term that has been used for the past 570 years to refer to the area around present-day Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture. The castle that originally stood in this area was called "Kozukata Castle," it is said that built " Morioka Castle"

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

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

After the demon has gone away, the happy residents start dancing, shouting, "Come on, dance

Sansa Dance

this "Saa saa odore" evolved into "Sansa odore," and this is the Morioka Sansa Odori, a summer tradition in Morioka and one of the six major festivals in the Tohoku region, was born.

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...
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Mitsuishi Shrine <Information>

Google Map

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

Around 1592, when the 27th head of the Nanbu clan, Toshinao moved to this area, he disliked the name "Furakata" and changed it to "Morigaoka." Later, "Morigaoka" became corrupted and became known as "Morioka."

Two generations after Nanbu Toshinao, Nanbu Shigenobu , the 29th head of the Nanbu composed the following linked verse with Seisan Hoin, the 42nd abbot of Eifuku-ji Temple (Shimoyonai, Morioka City), a Shingon Esoteric Buddhist temple, during the Genroku period of the Edo period (around 1680-1709) :

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

"Morioka" by substituting "Morioka" for "Morioka in this renga poem , and later the domain name itself was changed from "Nambu" 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

Mitsuishi Shrine the origin of Iwate, Furukata and Sansa Odori, is close to the center of Morioka city and is easily accessible, so it might be worth considering as one of your options when planning a trip to Morioka!

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