Sugoisobe Shrine

Sugoisobe Shrine, in Shikichi, Daishoji, Kaga, is an ancient shrine regarded as the second-ranked shrine (ninomiya) of Kaga Province, and it has long been known by the name "Shikichi Tenjin." The Bamboo-Splitting Festival held each February is known as a vigorous ritual in which green bamboo is smashed.

The deity is a collective name for three kami: Yamasachihiko (Hikohohodemi no Mikoto), famous from the myth of the sea-catch and mountain-catch brothers, is the principal deity, with his consort Toyotamahime and their child Ugayafukiaezu enshrined alongside. According to shrine tradition, it began when, during an epidemic in Kaga in the year 585 in the Asuka period, deities worshipped at the imperial court were invited here. It is a shikinaisha listed in the Engishiki Jinmyocho of the Heian period, and it received a court rank in 940. The Tale of the Heike records that Kiso Yoshinaka donated the Nomi estate to it. In the medieval period it became an estate of Kitano Tenmangu, which fostered Tenjin worship, and a Sugawara shrine is also enshrined in the grounds. It was ranked a Kokuhei Shosha (small national shrine) in 1896 and is now a Beppyo shrine of the Association of Shinto Shrines.

The Ogan Shinji, popularly called the Bamboo-Splitting Festival, takes place at the annual festival on February 10. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m., and just before the priest finishes the prayers, wooden clappers are struck as the signal for the bamboo splitting. About 40 people, mainly young men from the Shikichi and Oka districts, then smash about 400 green bamboo poles, each over two meters long, in the grounds. Next, a great rope more than 20 meters long and over 25 centimeters thick is dragged around, and finally thrown into the Daishoji River from Shikichi Bridge. It is often explained as the slaying of a giant serpent, represented by the rope, and is a rite praying for abundant harvests and safety. In 1987 it was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Ishikawa Prefecture.

The shrine also has rich cultural properties: a nationally designated lacquered red box with maki-e decoration, said to have been donated by Tentokuin, wife of Maeda Toshitsune, and a handwritten poem collection by Emperor Ogimachi. Many works of art and old documents, including the shrine gate, are designated by Kaga City, and a donation record from the Ashikaga clan is also preserved. In the grounds are the main hall, the worship hall, a kagura stage and the shrine office, as well as sub-shrines such as the Hakusan and Inari shrines.

Allow about 30 minutes to an hour to walk the grounds at a relaxed pace. The festival day draws crowds of spectators, so it is wise to leave extra time. The Shikichi Tenjin-ko festival is also held from July 24 to 26. Nearby sights include Natadera Temple, the Kaga Traditional Crafts Village Yunokuni no Mori and Shibamasa World, making the shrine easy to combine with a trip around the Kaga Onsen area.