Izanagi Jingu Shrine （伊弉諾神宮）

As I described in the previous posting (Onokoro Jinja Shrine）, Izanagi (the father god) and Izanami (the mother god) created the land of Japan. After that, they gave a birth to various gods and goddess such as water-deities, wind-deities, stone-deities to protect the land they created. However, unfortunately Izanami got burnt when she gave a birth to a fire-god and passed away with the injury.

Izanagi mourned his wife's death and decided to go to the land of dead people and bring her back. Inside the dead land, he could hear Izanami's voice asking him to wait until she convinces the god of dead land to let her back to the normal land where she used to live with her husband. She also asked Izanagi to never look back in search of her existence and Izanagi agreed. However, he finally broke the promise since he was kept waiting for a long, long time. He lit the torch and looked back to see her and what he found there was the rotten body of his wife.

Izanagi got scared and ran from the land; Izanagi and Izanami, the divine couple got separated eternally at this point. Izanagi thought he got uncleanness from the dead land and decided to purify himself in the ocean. He took off all of his outfits and soaked into the ocean, and then washed his body. During his purification, he created the three great deities; Amaterasu-the supreme goddess, Tsukuyomi-the moon god, and Susano-o-the brave god. As a father of the three deities, Izanagi asked Amaterasu to govern the heaven, Tsukuyomi to govern the night and Susano-o to govern the ocean.

A roof of the main building (alter) in between trees

After he entrusted the three children to govern the world he and his wife had created, he built his own palace to spend his last days in the land. Izanagi Jingu Shrine in Awajishima island is said to be the Izanagi's last palace called "Kakuri-no-miya（幽宮)". More preciously, the main building (alter) in the shrine is said to be the palace. There have been some academic controversies to determine the location of his last palace. There is the other shrine saying its origin is also the Izanagi's last palace in Shiga but this Izanagi Jingu Shrine has been seen the best candidate for this.

Onokoro Jinja Shrine is the beginning place of the Japan's origin in the myth and Izanagi Jingu shrine is the end place of the myth. It's said that the Izanagi's spirit is still in the palace where we see now the shrine. Izanagi may still see what's going on in the nation he had created from the shrine, as Japan's father.

A turtle sculpture

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