Itakiso Jinja Shrine （伊太祁曽神社）

70% of Japan's land is forests and this fact allows Japan to be the second biggest nation in the world in the area-square of forestland (the first nation is Norway for your reference). . In fact, there are some forests registered as UNESCO's world heritage such as Shiragami Mountains, Yakushima-Island and Kumano-Kodo. Being the country with rich forestland, Japan's myth clarifies how come Japan has become such a forest nationThe key is the deity in Itakiso Jinja Shrine （伊太祁曽神社）.

Itakiso Jinja Shrine is located in Wakayama and the god called Itakeru is enshrined in the main building together with the god's sisters, Oo-kayatsu-hime and tsumatsu-hime. Itakeru came down from the heaven to the world where humans live with his father Susano-o (one of the three great deities who Izanagi, the Japan's father god, created; see Izanagi Jingu Shrine ). Susano-o actually brought seeds of various plants and he asked Itakeru to sow the seeds throughout Japan.

Itakeru and his two sisters traveled throughout Japan and sowed seeds in various places and those seeds grew up and now it became the forest. After their travel, they came and stayed in Wakayama. Because they stayed in Wakayama, it used to be called "Ki-no-kuni" which means "the land of trees".

As Itakeru is the tree god, forestry industries support the shrine. In addition, a boat/ship used to be made only of trees, this shrine has attracted attentions of people who use boats/ships in their life (like fisherman) for the god's protection.

There's a rule that Wakayama people visit the three different big shrines at once as a "set". The three shrines are Nihizen-Gu shrine, Kamayama Jinja shrine and this Itakiso Jinja shrine. Traditionally, it is said that the number three has a power to generate something ("three" is pronounced "san" in Japanese and a childbirth (delivery) is called "o-san" or "Shussan". Those childbirth words have the same pronunciation "san" as the number three. Therefore, the number three (san) is said to have a power of generation or creation), and it's been believed by people that visiting the three shrines a day give them a huge bless from god. On the other hand, the huge bless is believed to emerge only upon a completion of the three shrine visit.

The main building (alter)

The three shrines are connected by a local train called "Wakayama Dentetsu-Kishigawa line （和歌山電鉄　貴志川線）". The train looks nostalgic; the train goes through rural areas with green firms, mountains. You'll realize on the train that Wakayama was "Ki-no-kuni "(the land of trees) and this comes from Itakeru in Itakisho Jinja shrine.

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