Udo Jingū
| Udo-jingū 鵜戸神宮 | |
|---|---|
 The honden, or main shrine | |
| Website | |
| http://www.udojingu.com/ |
Udo-jingū (鵜戸神宮) is a Shinto shrine located in Nichinan, Miyazaki prefecture, Japan, south of Aoshima. It is the mythical birthplace of Emperor Jimmu's father Yamasachihiko, dedicated to Ugayafukiaezu, Amaterasu, Amenooshihomimi, Ninigi-no-Mikoto, Hoori and Emperor Jimmu. The shrine is popular with young couples hoping for easy childbirth and a happy marriage.
Shrine legend
Udo shrine is located in a cave in the side of the cliff, near the Nichinan coast of Miyazaki. The honden, or main shrine, is found inside a cavern with a view of the ocean. Within the cave is the ochichi iwa, or "breast stone," a dripping stone which is said to have fed the kami Ugayafukiaezu, father of the first emperor of Japan, when his mother returned to the sea. The shrine sells a candy made from the water of this stone, mizuame, a kind of taffy.[1]
In the slight distance of the cavern is a rocky island with two peaks. Attendees can purchase small clay balls and attempt to toss them between the peaks for good luck.[1]
31°39′01″N 131°28′00″E / 31.65028°N 131.46667°E
References
- ^ a b Dougill, John; Cali, Joseph (2013). Shinto shrines : a guide to the sacred sites of Japan's ancient religion. Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press. ISBN 9780824837136. – via Project MUSE (subscription required)