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Vegetarian's Japan Guide

Izumo-Daijingū: An Ancient But Beautiful Shrine in Kameoka

If you are after a spiritual place in Kameoka, consider visiting Izumo-Daijingū Shrine (出雲大神宮). The shrine that is tucked in Kyoto‘s beautiful nature has a serene atmosphere. When the weather starts getting colder, the precinct becomes more splendid with different colors in the background.

Izumo-Daijingū Shrine’s Profile

Izumo-Daijingū Shrine, established more than 1,300 years ago, is one of the oldest shrines in the region. The gods enshrined here also have storied titles.

Ookuninushi no Mikoto (大国主命) is the head of all the gods in Japan’s Shintoism. He is currently the main god of Izumo Ooyashiro Shrine (出雲大社) in Neshima Prefecture (島根県). According to the local historical documents, Izumo-Daijingū Shrine, built in 709, is actually the origin of the great Izumo Ooyashiro Shrine!

Up until today, the shrine still houses Ookuninushi no Mikoto (大国主命) and his wife, Mihotsuhime no Mikoto (三穂津姫命). Ookuninoshi no Mikoto is known as the god that connects one another. This includes not only marital ties but also relationships with those that come across our lives.

Note that currently, Izumo-Daijingū and Izumo Ooyashiro Shrine aren’t related to each other.

Tie a Five Yen Coin to the Meotoiwa Rock at Izumo-Daijingū Shrine for Great Relationships

So, if you want to establish fine relationships with those you care about, remember to head to the shrine’s office and get a Go-en Mamori charm (ご縁守).

Remove the red thread attached to the charm and tie the thread together with a five yen coin on the red rope in front of the Meotoiwa (夫婦岩). Remember to say your prayer as you do so (=゚ω゚)ノ.

Why five yen coins? This has to do with the pronunciation of five yen in Japanese. Five yen, pronounced as “go en”, can also mean “fate, destiny, and ties”. This is also why the Japanese toss a five yen coin into the donation box when visiting shrines and temples.

Other Parts of Izumo-Daijingū Shrine

The shrine is more than just the main worship hall and the Meotoiwa rock. The precinct is actually huge! HERE is the map of the shrine. If you don’t read Japanese, open it with Google Chrome and translate it with the Google Translate function.

Since time immemorial, Mt. Mikage (御蔭山), located at the back of the shrine, has been regarded as an object of worship. Nowadays, a couple of giant rocks close to the shrine are treated as the dwelling places of the gods.

As sacred as they are, visitors are usually prohibited from seeing these “Iwakura” (磐座) rocks. If you really want to pay them your respects, please ask for permission from the shrine’s office first.

Chinkasai Festival (鎮花祭)

Ⓒ 亀岡市観光協会

One of the most amazing festivals at Izumo-Daijingū is the Chinkasai, held on the 18th of April each year.

A long time ago, plagues were believed to spread as flowers scattered. So, to appease the plagues, the shrine started performing a ritual when the cherry blossoms’ petals began to fall from the trees.

After the ritual in the worship hall, some gorgeous dancing is performed to pray for good rainfall as the area used to suffer from drought.

How to Get to Izumo-Daijingū Shrine

From JR Kameoka Station (亀岡駅), take Kameoka City’s Furusato Bus (亀岡市ふるさとバス) route F11 – Kawahigashi Course (川東コース), and get off at Izumo Jinja-mae (出雲神社前).

  • Refer to HERE and click “ふるさとバス時刻表” for this service’s timetable. Please refer to the second timetable from the right.
  • The services marked with ● won’t be operating on weekends and public holidays.
  • The services marked with ▲ won’t be operating during school holidays.
  • You can also use one of Japan’s Transport Apps to plan your visit.

Discover Other Parts of Kameoka City

Sakura-Park-Kameoka-Kyoto-Japan
Click the photo to find out more about this stunning spot!

Arashiyama in Kyoto is one of the most popular destinations in the prefecture. But Kameoka City’s scenery is as amazing as what you can get in Arashiyama, if not better. And the best thing is, it is only half as crowded!

If you want to visit Izumo-Daijingū, how about discovering a couple of attractions in Kameoka before taking the Hozugawa River Boat or the Sagano Romantic Train back to Arashiyama?

For more information about the city, please refer to our Kameoka City article (=゚ω゚)ノ.

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