A giant doll Jizo statue is enshrined within the grounds! Iwasaki Hachiman Shrine in Yuzawa City (Akita Prefecture)

Yuzawa City in Akita Prefecturethe birthplace of Ono no Komachiandthe origin of Inaniwa udon noodlesis a region famous asthe Iwasaki Hachiman Shrineat"Ningyo Dosojin,"calledthe creation and worship of guardian deities made from natural materials, you can see a unique custom

---

The history of Iwasaki Hachiman Shrine

Iwasaki Hachiman Shrine is a shrine located within Millennium Park (the site of Iwasaki Castle) in the Iwasaki district of Yuzawa City

According to the shrine's legend, in 1087,Later Three Years' Warwho was struggling against the forces of Kiyohara Iehira and Takehira in the Battle of Kanazawa during theYoshiie, also known as Hachiman Taro,, is said to have visited this place to pray for victory. He invited a divided spirit of Hachiman, the tutelary deity of the Minamoto clan, and dedicated his armor to the shrine.

Later, in 1803,Satake Yoshimasa, the ninth lord of the Akita domain,ordered that the stirrups donated by Minamotono Yoshiie be placed in the domain's treasury, and they were subsequently presented to the shrine. In its place, it is said that a scroll painting of stirrups by Kano Shusui,with the three characters "Abumi Hachiman" written in Yoshimasa's own handwriting, was donated to the shrine.

The main hall, which has been designated a tangible cultural property of Yuzawa City, is decorated with many magnificent carvings, including dragons, lions, and sumo wrestler statues supporting the roof on all four sides. However, there is currently a protective fence in place, presumably to prevent deterioration, making it impossible to see the details

The annual festival is held on September 10th every year, and there are two shrines within the grounds, Mizujinja Shrine and Takatsujijinja Shrine, and the four enshrined deities are Homutawake no Mikoto, Takirihime no Mikoto, Takitsuhime no Mikoto, and Emperor Ojin

---

A giant doll Jizo statue enshrined at the back of the shrine "Mizujinja"

"Dōsojin"are a type of folk belief where deities are mainly placed at the boundaries of villages and settlements and worshipped as "guardian deities" or "protective barriers" that ward off "evil things" such as plagues and evil spirits.

Because of its role of "protecting and prospering the village" and the fact that it is "often seen on the roadside," it is also said to be the "god of matchmaking" and the "guardian deity of travelers."

While Dōsojin are commonly found throughout Japan, typically marked with the inscription "Dōsojin" on stone monuments, in Akita Prefecture,"dojin figures" (dojin dolls)remains deeply rooted in many areas.

In the grounds of Iwasaki Hachiman Shrine, there are two giant doll Jizo statues, each around 3-4m tall

From the worship hall of Iwasaki Hachiman Shrine, go left..

After walking a little further, you will see the shrine within the grounds, "Mizujinja Shrine." Continue further to the left of this shrine..

Then, in the back, there was a huge straw doll..

This is"Kashima-sama of Suehiro-cho,"and inside the hut visible on the left side of the photo,"Kashima-sama of Sakae-cho."there is another doll-shaped Dōsojin of almost the same size, known as

*Kashima-sama can be written as "Kashima-sama" or "Kashima-sama" depending on the region, so for now we will stick to the katakana spelling "Kashima-sama."

Kashima-sama in Suehirocho

"Kashima-sama of Suehiro-cho"is the guardian deity of Suehiro-cho in the Iwasaki district of Yuzawa City, and was originally enshrined at the border between Suehiro-cho and other towns.

Its huge and impressive appearance makes it a representative example of Akita's doll Jizo statues, and it was even exhibited at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival held at the National Mall in Washington, USA in 1986

However, it was not brought directly from this area; three men from Akita traveled to the United States and created and exhibited a straw doll modeled after Kashima-sama in Suehirocho

When you get closer, you'll see that it's cuter than you'd think, but its tightly closed mouth gives it a brave, valiant look. Just as you'd expect from a guardian deity

Kashima-sama of Sakaemachi

Inside the small hut in front of the Kashima-sama in Suehiro-cho,"Kashima-sama of Sakae-cho." Both statues are roughly the same size, but this Kashima-sama has a rather frightening face with its mouth wide open and fangs protruding from it.

In fact, Kashima-sama is said to have a male and female gender, with the Kashima-sama in Sakae-cho being a male god and the Kashima-sama in Suehiro-cho being a female god. This may be one of the reasons why the Kashima-sama in Suehiro-cho appears to have a gentle expression

Bonus: Kashima-sama in Midori-cho along National Route 13

This is a slight digression from Iwasaki Hachiman Shrine, but along National Route 13, a short distance north from Shimoyuzawa Station on the Ou Main Line,"Midori-cho's Kashima-sama."sits

This is also the male god Kashima-sama, with a magnificent penis and bushy armpit hair, making his gender the most clearly expressed of the three

---

summary

During the Meiji period, many customs were eliminated as "outdated customs" due to the government's modernization policies. The "Doll Jizo Statue" in the Iwasaki district was also influenced by this, and it is said to have been moved from its original location at the "entrance to the town/village" to the very back of Iwasaki Hachiman Shrine, where it was hidden

The "Doll Dosojin" custom is a unique local custom that has been passed down to the present day, overcoming such adversity. I hope it will continue to be passed down for many years to come

[Reference materials]

• Yuzawa City Official Website – Iwasaki Hachiman Shrine Main Hall
• Akita Doll Jizo Shrine

Iwasaki Hachiman Shrine <Information>

• Name: Iwasaki Hachiman Shrine
• Address: 283 Iwasaki Sennen, Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture, 012-0801
• Phone number: 0183-62-4825
• Official URL:Akita Prefecture Shrine Association – Iwasaki Hachiman Shrine

Google Map

---