Virtual Old Akita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #18 Karamatsu Shrine

 

     Amatsuhi-no-miya Shrine was founded by the Mononobe Family.  The family arrived at Sakaai, which was later pronounced Sakai, along Omono River in 982, and enshrined Oginagatarashi there.  In 996, they enshrined Kagutsuchi.

     According to Shoku Nihon Koki, the sirname Kimiko was given to the leaders of northern foreigners.  Some of them were even given the surname Mononobe.  The Mononobe Family might have no blood relationship with the Mononobe Clan, who once had hegemony in the Imperial Court in Yamato Province.

     In Ancient Japan, 6 National Histories were compiled: Nihon Shoki, which covered the mythological period through 697, and whose compilation was completed in 720; Shoku Nihongi, which covered the years 697-791, and whose compilation was completed in 797; Nihon Koki, which covered the years 792-833, and whose compilation was completed in 840; Shoku Nihon Koki, whose compilation was finished in 869, and which covered the years 833–850; Nihon Montoku Tenno Jitsuroku, which covered the years 850-858, and whose compilation was completed in 879; and Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku, which covered the years 858-887, and whose compilation was completed in 901.

     In legendary times, Okinagatarashi (170?-269?), a legendary empress, was said to have made a military expedition to Silla in the Korean Peninsula. A historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla) recorded 14 organized piracies by Wa, the Japanese kingdom, by the end of the 4th century, and Okinagatarashi’s expedition to Silla might have been one of those piracies. For her expedition, Okinagatarashi counted on the arts of shipbuilding and those of navigation of the people living along the north coast of today’s Osaka Bay. When she was going to leave Japan, she followed the suggestion of the local people living around today’s Amagasaki City and built warships with Japanese cedars in the upper reaches of today’s Ina River.

     Some people in Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture, believe Okinagatarashi left Japan from Jogu Shrine, which enshrines her as well as its original local goddess, Amenoyaorozuhime.  In ancient times, Tsuruga belonged to Koshi Province, from which Ideha Province became independent in 712.

     The Mononobe Family of Dewa Province could have migrated from Koshi Province.  As they named the shrine Karamatsu, suggesting Kara implied Korea or the continent.

Kagutsuchi, also known as Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, is the god of fire in classical Japanese mythology.  The family could have amalgamated a local faith in fire.  Or vice versa, the family's god was Kagutsuchi and they employed Okinagatarashi as they immigrated to Japan.

     The Silla Kingdom had unified and ruled Korea from 668.  After about 2 centuries, it slowly began to decline and several rebellious states rose up, taking on the old historical names of Korea's ancient kingdoms: Later Baekje and Later Goguryeo.  Including Silla, the civil war times were called the Later Three Kingdoms period (889–936).  Refugees could have poured into Japan.  The Mononobe Family might have been involved in  or pushed by the wave of international migration.

     In the 10th century, syncretism between Shinto and Buddhism went on and Koun-ji Temple was founded as a shrine temple.  After the Meiji Restoration Government issued the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868, the temple was abolished.

Address: Shitadai−94 Kyowasakai, Daisen, Akita 019-2411

Phone: 018-892-3002

Jogu Shrine

Address: 13-16 Jogu, Tsuruga, Fukui 914-0832

Phone: 0770-26-1040