Omiwa (also Miwa Shrine) is one of Japan’s oldest and most respected. It is unusual in having no honden, for its goshintai (spirit body) is the mountain itself.
Omiwa Shrine entrance
There is a special atmosphere as one enters into the woods where the shrine is situated, and this has been a place of spirituality for some two thousand years. It is said that hereabouts was the earliest Yamato capital, and it may have been close to where the legendary founder Jimmu himself lived (if indeed he lived at all). (in this respect Jimmu bears similarities with Arthur, I think. Both legendary figures and both associated with spiritual places and sacred objects – the Holy Grail on the one hand, and the sacred regalia on the other).
My friend and I were fortunate to strike up conversation with one of the priests, who took us round the back of the offertory and showed us the unusual feature of three torii lined up in front of the holy mount. He told us that the shrine was special for a maker of saké and other alcohol, namely Santory…. san torii! (for non-Japanese speakers san torii is three torii).
Omiwa haiden (behind which is the three-legged torii)
We also made friends with a young couple who had come all the way from Tokyo to the Yamato area because they are keen on Shinto. They read out a norito prayer in front of the shrine, performed purification on each other
with the haraigushi wands that were left out for people to use, and invited us to join their Shinto study circle in Tokyo. They were a young intellectual couple, so this may be a sign of a rising interest in the religion as Japanese rediscover their roots.
Amongst the items of special interest is the legend attaching to the kami turning into a snake, in token of which eggs are placed as offerings at various places, including in front of a sacred tree. Rumour has it a white snake actually lived on the mountain. There is a pilgrimage up the holy hill behind the shrine apparently, with some special sacred rocks, and on a future outing I hope to investigate. For the time being I enjoyed watching the miko while keeping an eye open for snakes!
Miko caught in action
Handing out gohei
Snake temizuya
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