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Kashima-Jingu: Where Gods, Deer, and Catfish Meet
The highlight of any visit to Kashima, a large port city on the Pacific located in Southeastern Ibaraki prefecture, is a visit to its reknowned shrine. Nestled on a wooded hill, an oasis of green, overlooking the city's train station, the expansive precincts beckon many tourists from across Japan. The elegant red and brown buildings are surrounded by magnificent trees. Trees of this size and grandure are relatively rare in Japan, and it is usually only in remote mountain regions or in the precincts of Shinto shrines that they are preserved. The trees are reason enough to visit the shrine -- towering, moss-covered, and magestic, they encircle you and drown out the city noises surrounding the shrine.
Kashima-Jingu's origins go back quite a long ways in Japanese history. According to history, after the enthronement of Japan's frist Emperor, Jimmu, the shrine was dedicated to Takemikazuchi-no-Okami, a god of martial valor and unity. He was rewarded for helping the Emperor ascend the throne. This supposedly happened about 2650 years ago. Since then, Kashima-Jingu has gained special noteriety for being worshipped by the Japanese Imperial family and for its inclusion in the Chokusai-sha, a special designation given to 18 out of Japan's 80,000 shrines because they receive prayer visits from a special envoy dispatched personally by the Emperor or Empress.
In the Nara and Heian periods,
Kashima-Jingu's buildings were razed and reconstructed on
adjacent lots every 20 years. Imperial messengers were sent from
Kyoto to attend these ceremonies, and this was the origin of the
famed Tokaido road from Kyoto to Edo (Tokyo). The present
buildings are all old and valued structures. The main shrine,
donated in 1619 by Tokugawa Hidetada, the second Tokugawa Shogun,
as well as the inner shrine, donated in 1605 by Tokugawa Ieyasu,
the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and the main gate, donated
in 1634 by Tokugawa Yorifusa, the first feudal lord of the Mito
domain, are all designated as 'Important Cultural Properties'.
At 2.71 meters in length and 1300 years in age, the
'Futsu-no-Mitama-no-Tsurugi' is the oldest and longest iron sword
ever forged in Japan, and Ibaraki Prefecture's sole 'National
Treasure'. It is housed in Kashima-Jingu's museum along with over
200 other precious treasures. Another of these treasures is the
Hitachi-obi, an elaborate belt worn by the Empress Jingu when she
was expecting a child. After she gave birth to a healthy baby
boy, the future Emporer Ojin, she donated the belt to the shrine
in gratitude to the gods. It is still looked upon as a symbol of
faith for easy delivery and a happy marriage.
The Shrine's annual festival falls on September 1, and is attended by Imperial messengers. The grand Mifune Matsuri occurs once every 12 years and centers strongly around the presence of members of the Imperial household.
Kashima does mean 'deer island', so I bet you're wondering how it got that name. Kashima-Jingu has the answer. Tucked away in a big ugly pen in the trees behind the temple are the sacred deer. Like Nara and other parts of Japan, the shika, or Japanese deer, are 'revered' here. Why? I'm not exactly sure. In Nara, the deer are a symbol of the gods housed in Kasuga-Jingu, so I imagine the Kashima deer are revered as symbols of Kashima-Jingu's own Takemikazuchi-no-Okami. Of course, being penned as tourist attractions, the deer are completely domesticated, are hand-fed snacks and crackers from vending machines, bleet at passersby, and generally look bored and morose. Sacred deer across Japan seem to have fallen into this plight -- human-dependent and over-protected, they've become mangy, bothersome, and quite a sad sight for nature lovers. At least in Nara, the deer run free...
Kashima-Jingu has two other spots of interest. Down the hill from the main shrine, tucked away under some trees, is a very nice spring. The cyrstal-clear water comes bubbling up, and there is usually a line of local people there to fill their jugs to take home with them. The water looks pristine, but it's good to see that the people tend to use filters when they collect the water. The other site is a small rock surrounded by a small fence and various sacred shinto objects -- ropes, white paper, and a small torii gate. Under this stone rests the giant catfish that shakes Japan whenever it stirs. It's the origin of all earthquakes in Japan. An interesting idea, isn't it?
Here are a few photos from the day trip I took with my supervisors (see photo; from ltor -- Matsumoto-san, Numata-san, and Kajiyama-san) on 09/18/99.
