castle town

An ancient shrine noted Yamamori Great Myojin is enshrined near the Akashi River. Old people called their local god the Great Myojin. The word Sho-ichi-i , the formal highest rank of the Order, written on the nameplate is generally seen at most inari shrines. It is said that the court in the Heian wasn’t the original TeJapanese god.

The Taikan-bashi bridge has newel posts which look like upside-down octpus pot trap. The bridge wasn’t installed in case enemies could invade Akashi Castle by crossing the river easily in the Edo period. Afterward they built the bridge and named it Taikan-bashi, the Great Pleasure Bridge, then changed the meaning of kan, a port of the name to view. In a word Taikan-bashi, the Great View Bridge. The newel post of the Great Pleasure Bridge can be seen at the west of the bridge as a memorial.

An old wooden Japanese house has a small Japanese-style garden at the front and the toilet outside outside, The Sanko-yu  bathhouse has such a building and people usually go bathing there. There is an oval bathtub which looks like a childish lunchbox at the middle of the bathroom. They sit on the low step that is the limb of the bathtub while washing their bodies. They can draw hot water from the bathtub. That is often seen in the area from Akashi to Himeji.

Ten Gods mean ten judges each of who decides the soul of the dea, Notorious Emma Great King known as the master of Hell is one of them. Juo Street was the route where they carried the dead to the other world. Ten Gods hall and Ten Gods town were pointed in the Edo period.

The mouth of the Akashi River has been improved to prevent floods. A large-scale outdoor stage was installed and people can enjoy their recreations for free there. The area had the name of Tozu Village Shinhama but also named shuku-mura Village, and people there worked for sea rescue or funerals.

Izanagi Shrine was named Ga Shrine once, and it is said to be built after the middle of the Edo period. The God of Izanagi Shrine is Izamagi-no-mikoto, on the other hand they have enshrined Konohanasakuya-hime that is the Goddess of water in Ga Shrine, namely they enshrine the both.

Wakamiya Shrine was built at the place where Zenraku-ji temple Kannondo hall had been. It was the shrine for people who lived in Tozu Village Shinhama and worked for sea rescue, and it was recorded as “Nishinomiya Myojin.” The main approach goes straight to the beach and you can view the sea well from the shrine.

Muryoko-ji temple is a temple of Jodo sect. It was moved from Eigashima at the beginning of the Edo period. It appeared in the chapter of Akashi of The Tale of Genji. Juo Street was in the area around Muryoko-ji temple where funeral processions used to pass.

Zenraku-ji temple is a Tendai sect temple and one of the oldeset temples in Akashi. It was in Tozu, one of the most important points of sea route, so Taira-no-Kiyomori strongly provided financial support. They erected some stone monuments and held a memorial service at the temple for him.

The five-part grave stone at Zenraku-ji temple is said to be the memorial tower erected for the repose of Taira-no-Kiyomori’s soul. It is one of Japanese-style medieval tombstone. In those days, they believed that after they erected the five-part grave stone the dead would become Buddha and go to Paradise. Its upper two parts which mean sky and wind and water, the latter were excellent works made from the second half of the Kamakura period on.

Izanami means the Goddess Izanami-no-mikoto in the Japanese myth. Sanagi Myojin is the common name for Sanagi-san and fishermen have held firm faith. Izanami Shrine is near the sea and they enshrine it as the shrine for putting the spirits to rest.

Hoon-ji temple belongs to Ji sect. Many stone works including a five-part gathered in the garden. Higiri Jizo, especially, is famous. They say that after a person prays this statue of Jizo to ask for the completion specifying a date anything will come true.