Awa Shrine

Awa Shrine stands at the foot of Mt. Azuchi, at the very southern end of the Boso Peninsula, and is the ichinomiya (premier shrine) of the old Awa Province. Locally it is called "Daijingu," and that name survives in the address of this part of Tateyama. It is a Myojin Taisha listed in the Engishiki, a former Kanpei Taisha, and today a Beppyo shrine of the Association of Shinto Shrines.

According to the shrine's tradition, its origin goes back to the age of Emperor Jimmu. Ame-no-Tomi-no-Mikoto led the Imbe clan from Awa (present-day Tokushima), rode the Kuroshio Current to the southern tip of Boso, cleared the land by growing hemp and paper mulberry, and enshrined his ancestral deity, Ame-no-Futodama-no-Mikoto. The shrine is said to have moved to its present site in 717, but there is no firm historical record of the Imbe settlement, so this remains a tradition.

The chief deity, Ame-no-Futodama, is said to have served Amaterasu and played a role at the Heavenly Rock Cave; he is regarded as the ancestor of the gods who passed on craftsmanship, and is known as a deity of industry. The Upper Shrine (main shrine) also enshrines Ame-no-Hiritome and the five Imbe deities, while the Lower Shrine (a subsidiary shrine) in the precincts enshrines the pioneer Ame-no-Tomi-no-Mikoto and Ame-no-Oshihi-no-Mikoto. There are also the Itsukushima and Kotohira auxiliary shrines.

The first thing to see is the cypress-bark-roofed main hall, built in 1881 in the Shinmei style, the same form as the Ise Shrines. The worship hall dates from 1977, and both halls were extensively restored in 2009. The sacred tree is described as about 500 years old. A sea-cave site found in 1932 while a well was being dug is a Chiba Prefecture Historic Site (designated in 1967); the excavation recorded 22 skeletons, 15 of which showed the custom of tooth extraction. The cave has since been backfilled.

In terms of history, a major earthquake in 1499 brought down all the buildings, which were later rebuilt by the Satomi clan; the shrine's land was confirmed with a vermilion-seal grant in the Edo period, and in 1871 it was ranked as a Kanpei Taisha.

Rites continue throughout the year, including the Okisumi ritual on January 14, the Kayu-ura porridge divination on January 15, the cherry blossom festival in early April, the annual festival on August 10, and the Kamikari-sai on December 26. In early April the Somei-Yoshino cherry trees along the approach are at their best and are described as forming a tunnel of blossoms.

You can reach the shrine on foot from the "Awa Jinja-mae" stop, about 20 minutes by JR Bus from Tateyama Station. Allow about an hour to walk the precincts. Nojimazaki Lighthouse (about 5 km), Sunosaki Lighthouse (about 9 km) and Nago-dera Temple (about 12 km) are nearby, so the shrine combines well with a trip along the southern Boso coast.