We went to the Oga penninsula this week on a field excursion, and decided to climb the 999 steps of the famous Akagami Shrine Goshado. The shrine is built into a mountain, with three large shrine buildings at the peak, along with a holy well and a small building where you can buy good luck charms and fortunes. The main feature of the shrine is the long stone path carved into the mountain. It is nearly vertical in places, but has a couple forgiving slopes. It was used for ascetic training when it was founded as a Buddhist temple in 860, and was converted into a Shinto Shrine in 1860.
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| There a five identical shrine buildings at the top, with the center one being larger because it houses the head god of the shrine. |
The shrine also holds interest for those looking to learn about the possible origins of the Namahage, the ever present spirits that are a mascot of the peninsula. According to legend, a Chinese emperor in search on immortality brought ogres to Oga, where they terrorized the local populace. The locals made a deal where if the ogres could build a thousand stairs to climb the mountain up to the shrine in a single night, they would be given a maiden every year as tribute. If they failed, they must never descend upon the village again. The villagers trick the ogres into thinking sunrise has come by making a rooster sound and the steps remained unfinished. This is just one of the many theories as to where the Namahage ritual comes from.
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| It was quite a trip to the top! |
The experience of climbing to Goshado was interesting due to many factors. At the bottom of the mountain there was a basket full of bamboo and wood walking sticks that had clearly seen some use, so our party each decided to take one, yet none of the Japanese climbers had one. It also struck me as strange that there was a whole party of men in dress shoes going up what was very rough terrain without the assistance of a walking stick.
As is typical of most shrines, there was a small building to buy good luck charms that was closed when we arrived. It was very different to the high traffic shrines I had been to in Kyoto and Tokyo and provided valuable perspective on what these historical sites look like in more isolated regions such as Oga.
3 comments:
It was a great experience going with you and Furukawa Sensei. I know we visited several other places, but if you go back to Oga where would you want to go? I think there is still so much more to discover there.
I think that if I went back to Oga I would want to explore more of the geological sites of interest. We only got a little time at Godzilla rock so I’d like to see and know more about the origins of the rugged and beautiful landscape.
I find it humorous that the explanation behind the 999 steps is from a folk tale with ogres trying to make 1000. The area must be quite fascinating if it is old enough for its physical features to be explained through stories such as these.
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