Ōyamazumi Shrine
Japan has two main religions, Buddhism and Shinto. The Shikoku pilgrimage takes one on a tour of some 88 Buddhist temples. But Shikoku also has many wonderful Shinto shrines, like the Ōyamazumi Shrine.
It also has the extraordinary Kotohira shrine which I visited in 2010. I don’t know if I would be fit enough to do it today. Kotohira has a total of 1,368 steps to the inner shrine (Okusha). The main shrine (Honkū) is reached after 785 steps. The climb takes you through a charming town, with cafes, souvenir shops, and restaurants, offering a rewarding, scenic, and historical experience.
Now back to the Ōyamazumi Shrine. It is located on the island of Omishima in the middle of the Seto Inland Sea between Honshu and Shikoku, Oyamazumi Shrine was once one of the most important shrines for samurai and today is a mecca for people interested in samurai weaponry and martial arts.
It is not so much the shrine itself that is of interest, rather the shrine’s collection of armor and weaponry, as a full 80% of such that are registered as National Treasures are located here.
Omishima is located on what was in pre-modern Japan a major transportation route, the sea route between the capital in Kyoto and Kyushu and western Japan and mainland Asia.
It is not known exactly when, but samurai used to stop here and pray for success in battle, and if successful would return and make offerings of their weapons and armour to the shrine, and these offerings are what now constitute the shrine’s historic collection.
Oyamazumi Shrine itself is set in a grove of about 200 massive, towering Camphor trees, with the two specimens within the shrine compound itself estimated to be 3,000 and 2,600 years old.
Wrapped with shimenawa, sacred ropes, these venerable trees are worshiped as is evident by the many coins left around their bases. Approaching the recently rebuilt main gate, you will notice the guardian statues on either side are unusual. Temples will usually have Nio, those fierce giants with threatening visages, but shrines, if they have guardians in their gates, will have a pair of figures called Zuijin, dressed in Heian Period costume and seated. Here at Oyamazumi Shrine the martial aspect is highlighted by the guardians being standing figures dressed in armour.