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In Zaō-machi, Katta-gun, Miyagi Prefecture, there is a shrine called Karita-mine Shrine (Shiratori Daimyōjin) located between National Route 4 and the Tohoku Expressway, near the border with Shiroishi City.
It is one of three shrines in Zao Town that bear the name of Karita-mine , and is also the center of the swan worship tradition that has been passed down in the southern part of the prefecture since ancient times
The origins of Kattamine Shrine (Shiratori Daimyojin)
The name of Kattamine Shrine first appeared during the Nara period (around the early 700s), when there is a record that "the Imperial Court bestowed Kobe on the god of Kattamine."
At that time, Kattamine Shrine was said to have been located on the summit of Mt. Aoso, located in the eastern part of the Zao mountain range, but there are various theories about its origins
It was built on the summit of Aosoyama, which offers a panoramic view of Kattadake, a sacred mountain
Mount Aoma itself is called Mount Ogatta, and Mount Ogatta itself is considered a sacred mountain, with a shrine built on its summit
According to theory 1, Mount Katta was a dangerous active volcano that frequently exhibited divine power through eruptions, and it was also believed that setting foot in the sacred area of Mount Katta was blasphemous. Therefore, the shrine was built on the summit of Mount Aomayama, which is located east of Mount Katta , the sacred mountain, and offers a panoramic view of the entire area
According to theory 2, at the time, Aoyama itself was called Okaritayama , and it is said that Okaritayama itself was considered a sacred mountain, and a shrine was built on its summit
The Swan Legend of Yamato Takeru, handed down in Katta and Shibata counties, and the Swan Shrine in Nishinomiya
Prince Yamato Takeru and Kawakami Fukuro-sui - Painting by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Source:Wikipedia)
Legend has it that Yamato Takeru visited this area around the 4th century, even before the founding of Karita-mine Shrine
Swan Legend Sign
In ancient times, Prince Yamato Takeru visited this land on an expedition. During his expedition, he stayed at the mansion of a wealthy man in the area, and became intimate with the man's daughter, who attended to him, and they had a son. Eventually, Prince Yamato Takeru left his wife and son behind and returned to the capital. The son born to Prince Yamato Takeru and the daughter was extraordinary even at a young age. The villagers feared that he would surely become strong enough to conquer this land when he grew up, so they plotted to throw the boy into the river. However, the boy transformed into a white swan and flew away to the west. After that, disasters began to befall the village. The villagers feared that they had been punished by the gods, and built a shrine at the foot of the mountain to the west from which the white swan had flown, and begged for forgiveness. After that, peace returned to the village. This region retains many place names related to the legend of the white swan, such as "Uchikata," where the daughter of a wealthy man lived; "Kodomogawa," where a boy was thrown away; and "Nishinomiya," where a shrine was built to enshrine the boy who was transformed into a white swan.
May 24, 2008 Zao Town Board of Education
The Shiratori Shrine in Nishinomiya , which appears in this legend , is said to be the origin of the Shiratori legend that has been passed down in this area for a long time. In fact, there is a place name called Nishinomiya to the west of the current Karita-mine Shrine, and it seems that the shrine was moved from there to its current location in the 1500s.
It is enshrined together with the Shiratori Shrine in Nishinomiya, which enshrines Yamato Takeru
In 801, during the Heian period , when the Shogun Sakanoue no Tamuramaro was campaigning against the Emishi, he prayed for victory at the aforementioned Shiratori Shrine in Nishinomiya, and it is said that he subsequently won against the armies of Aterui and Iwagumore .
Later, Sakanoue no Tamuramaro merged the Karita-mine Shrine on the summit of Aomayama Mountain with the Shiratori Shrine in Nishinomiya. This can be seen from the current Karita-mine Shrine, where a plaque reading "Mine Shrine" can be found on the gate and a plaque reading "Shiratori Daimyojin" on the main hall
The plaque on the Zuishinmon Gate reads "Mine Shrine"
The plaque on the worship hall reads "Shiratori Daimyojin"
As time passed, in December 869, Karitamine-no-kami was awarded the rank of Junior Fourth Rank
From this , it can be seen that in the "Engishiki Jinmyocho," a list compiled in 927 of shrines throughout Japan at the time, the shrine is listed as a "Myojin Taisha," a title given to deities who have been considered to have particularly remarkable spiritual power since ancient times, and that it attracted the faith of many people as the guardian shrine of Katta County.
Although it fell into ruin with the downfall of the Oshu Fujiwara clan, it was enshrined as the guardian deity of the Katakura clan during the Warring States period
During the late Heian period, it was under the patronage of the Oshu Fujiwara clan , but it fell into ruin after the downfall of the Oshu Fujiwara clan. Later, Minamoto no Yoritomo recorded that "rubble was scattered on both sides, and there was no place to put your feet."
In the 1500s, a man named Sato Masanori started a restoration plan, and at that time the shrine was moved from Nishinomiya, which was inconveniently located on an old road, to its current location, which was easier for visitors to reach
After that, the site repeatedly fell into ruin and was rebuilt. In the 1600s, under the rule of the Date clanKatakura Kagetunabecame the lord of Shiroishi Castle, the Katakura family carried out a large-scale reconstruction over two generations, under the first Kagetuna and the second Shigenaga, completely clearing away the old shrine buildings and renovating all the halls.
After that, it received protection for a long period of time as the guardian shrine of Katta County and the chief guardian deity of the Katakura family, vassals of the Date family
At the end of the Edo period, when the Tohoku forces were defeated in the Boshin War and the Katakura family left Shiroishi and settled in Hokkaido to develop the area, they enshrined a divided spirit of Yamato Takeru from Karita-mine Shrine in a local shrine in Noboribetsu, Hokkaido, which"Karita Shrine"and worshipped as the guardian deity of the pioneers.
The large torii gate at the entrance to Kattamine Shrine
The large torii gate of Kattamine Shrine
Zuishinmon
Zuishinmon Gate is a designated cultural property of Zao Town. It has a plaque bearing the name "Mine Shrine" hanging on it
Zuishinmon Gate of Kattamine Shrine
worship hall
Like the Zuishinmon Gate, the worship hall is a designated cultural property of Zao Town. It bears a plaque reading "Shiratori Daimyojin."
Kattamine Shrine's worship hall
The offering box is decorated with the Date family crest, "Maru no uchi ni tate mitsu hiki crest" (three vertical lines within a circle)
The official crest of the Date clan, "Marunouchi with three vertical lines"
Main shrine
in 1718Murayasu, the fifth head of the ShiraishiKatakura family. It is registered as a designated cultural property of Miyagi Prefecture.
The main hall of Kattamine Shrine
Shiratori Monuments
The Shiratori ancient stone monuments are located behind the main shrine building .
The Shiratori Monuments at Kattamine Shrine
All the stone monuments are carved with images of birds that appear to be swans."Swan Burial Ground"suggests that the remains of swans may be buried there. (The term "burial ground" refers to a cemetery or graveyard.)
Shiratori Monument with the inscription of 1661
The oldest stone monument is inscribed with the date 1673 (Kanbun 13)
summary
Although there are slight differences in the descriptions in both the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki, they both feature a swan worship tradition that enshrines Yamato Takeru, who is said to have died in the Ise region and transformed into a white swan .
Furthermore, the mountain worship of the Zao mountain range has its roots in Shugendo (Japanese mountain asceticism ). Wouldn't you say that Karita-mine Shrine , where these two elements are fused together, is a truly rare existence?
If you have the opportunity to visit the southern part of Miyagi Prefecture, be sure to visit this shrine
Traveling around the Tohoku region, I enjoy drinking delicious sake and exploring the local history, traditions, and customs. I write articles based on my interests. I'm currently interested in folk performing arts, local toys, and folk beliefs
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