Oki-Jinja

I ended my Friday afternoon off, with a trip to the Oki Shrine, or Oki-Jinja, a few blocks west of my house. The shrine is relatively new, but by far the largest on the island, and the only one where I have seen signs of worship, that is people actually praying or making donations, or selling souvenirs. Although the time to see it apparently is in the spring, when the cherry blossoms are in bloom, it was still a nice trip. The site doubles as a nature preserve, and the long gravel trail to the shrine was absolutely beautiful, not to mention peaceful.

Above: Walkway to the main shrine area.

The shrine is dedicated to the Emperor Go-Toba and was built sixty-five years ago to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the emperor's death. Go-Toba ruled toward the end of the 12th century, and was exiled to my island by the Kamakura Shogunate in the early 13th century, following the Jōkyū War. This shrine was built next to his house and burial ground.

Above: The main shrine. Below, Go-Toba's cremation/burial mound

It was a fun place to visit, and I look forward to many return visits. It's a very calm and peaceful place, and made all the more beautiful in the spring by its blooming cherry blossoms.

Across the street from the shrine, was the Ama Museum of history, which contained several interesting artifacts, many of which predated the Emperor's arrival on the island, including some 3,000 year old pottery. Unlike my previous visits to Japanese museums, this one, while not having any English brochures, did allow pictures. The best ones come from the 2nd floor exhibit dedicated to the late emperor.

Above: Emperor Go-Toba

Go-Toba was a man of many, many talents, including poetry and swordsmanship. The museum had many documents from his time, including some he wrote himself, as well as many blades he either crafted on his own, or had made by master sword-smiths.

Above: This document is over 700 years old and was written by the emperor himself. Those are his hand prints on the scroll.

Below: Katana blades crafted for or by Go-Toba

As always, you can see all of my pics on Facebook. On that note, it may be a while before I can update this blog. I leave for Matsue, the prefectural capital, tomorrow morning, and I'll be there for eleven days. I'm taking a 5 day long intensive Japanese course as well as 3 days of JET orientation. I'm kind of disapointed, I'll be missing a dance festival in Ama, but Matsue has some amazing sites, including one of the oldest castles in Japan, dating back to the early Edo Period. So those sites, plus being able meet up with friends for fun and karaoke should make up for it.