If you are passionate about hiking and historical and cultural spots, you might want to have the Iimori Shrine (飯盛神社), south of Hakata, on your itinerary. The shrine has three sub-shrines scattered in Mt. Iimori. There are things to do and see across the precinct, so you surely won’t be bored during your hike. In fact, you will be busy checking out different things along the way!
Iimori Shrine’s History
In the good old days, the shrine’s precinct covered the entire Mt. Iimori, where each of the three sub-shrines was scattered (Jougū (上宮), Chūgū (中宮), and Gegū (下宮).
The shrine was erected in 859. In the Kamakura period (1192 – 1333), Iimori Shrine was the head shrine of as many as 73 shrines. But after the civil wars in the 14th century, most of the Iimori Shrine was desecrated. The Chūgū was restored in 2002, whereas the Gegū at the bottom of Mt. Iimori was reconstructed in 1650.
In Gegū’s Precinct
The main god here, Izanami no Mikoto (伊弉冉尊), looks after people’s relationships. Next to Gegū’s worship hall, there is a moraine sweetgum tree. As the leaves of the tree are hard to tear, pilgrims treat the tree leaves of the more than 350 years old tree as charms.
Previously, a Buddhist temple was in the south of Gegū’s worship hall. Currently, only the Monju-dō (文殊堂) that enshrines Manjushri (文殊菩薩) remains standing. Because Manjushri is known as the wisest Bodhisattva, the shrine is a popular place for students to pray for academic success. The stream flowing from the side of Monju-dō is known as the Water of Wisdom (Chie no Mizu, 知恵の水). It is the water that the pilgrims bring home, hoping they will become smarter after drinking it.
At the back of the main worship hall, there is a unique torii gate that is white and red in color. It marks the ground of the sacred tree called Meoto-sugi cedar (夫婦杉). Apparently, the seemingly two separate cedar trees share the same root, resembling the idea of marriage. So locals call it couple cedar (Meoto-sugi) and pray to it for a happy marriage.
Next to the cedar trees, there is a simple hut with a demon statue inside. Throwing balls at it is a simple ritual that you can perform to chase away bad luck!
On the 9th of October each year, a horseback archery event is held in the precinct. The event is part of a ritual to show appreciation for a good year of harvest.
The Chūgū Shrine and Jougū Shrine
Speaking of hiking, the Chūgū Shrine is around a 15-minute hike from the Gegū Shrine. While you can also drive up, the parking spaces there are limited.
There are three mountain trails from the car park which lead to the summit of Mt. Iimori at an altitude of 382.4 meters. Although the scenery along the trails is awesome, come prepared. The 20 to 30-minute hike isn’t for everyone. Depending on which route you choose, you might need to do some rock climbing!
Please refer to HERE for Mt. Iimori’s English map.
For more information about the shrine, please refer to the official website HERE.
Iimori Shrine’s Opening Hours and Access Information
- Iimori Shrine’s office is open from 9 am to 5 pm.
- From JR Hakata Station, take Nishitetsu’s bus and get off at Iimori Jinja-mae (飯盛神社前). The shrine is then a 5-minute walk away. As there are a couple of bus routes that you can board to get to the Iimori Shrine, please use Google Maps to plan.
Discover Other Amazing Destinations in Fukuoka City
Wondering where else near Iimori Shrine is worth your time? Check out our article on Fukuoka City!
In the article, we have included various attractions that may suit your interests. There is also information available on Fukuoka’s famous Yatai street stalls (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ.
