Yaegaki jinja 八重垣神社

Love will win

The Yaegaki shrine is dedicated to a mythical couple of kami: Susanoo, the son of the god Izanagi with a strong character, and the princess Kushinada. Their union is famous in Japanese mythology for being Japan's first marriage. Legend has it that by battling the octocephalous dragon, Yamata no Orochi, Susanoo conquered the hand of his future wife in the former province of Izumo. The latter had promised the king of Izumo to get rid of the monster in exchange for the hand of his youngest.

The sovereign could only accept this proposal; he had already consented to sacrifice his first seven daughters to satisfy the dragon's appetite over the years. To do this, Susanoo set up a clever stratagem. He had a palisade pierced with eight holes built around the village. In front of each of them, he placed a jar full of sake. Attracted by the smell of alcohol, Yamata no Orochi slipped his head into the holes to drink. Drunk the dragon could no longer fight, and Susanoo managed to cut off his eight heads.

See also: 5 famous Japanese legends.

Under the protection of the divine couple

The Yaegaki jinja is said to have been erected on the very spot where Susanoo and Kushinada's marriage was celebrated. Its name, Yaegaki, originates from the waka composed by Susanoo following this epic battle: "Country of Izumo. Where the clouds pile up. Like a barrier. A shelter for my beloved. O splendidly eightfold enclosure". An engraved stele reminds visitors of these few words within the temple grounds.

To read: Japanese poetry

The Treasures room retains a fresco illustrating the two spouses. Originally in the honden, these portraits of Susanoo and Kushinada are thought to be by Koseno Kanaoka (c.802-897), a court painter.

Holy Land of Marriage

For centuries, the shrine has been revered as the sacred ground of marriage or enmusubi. An immeasurable number of young women and young couples come here to pray to Susanoo and Kushinada, hoping for a happy marriage. In this revered place, the enmusubi is everywhere.

The union of beings is found even in the vegetation of the place. You can admire several "couples of trees" called fufu-tsubaki; fûfu means couple, and tsubaki designating the Japanese camellia. At the Yaegaki jinja, there is true love in the air! The faithful also prays for fertility and family happiness in the logical sequence of things. There is a statue of a giant phallus, the symbol of fertility, in front of a small sanctuary.

The time it takes for the leaf to fall to the bottom of the pond tells you how soon you will find your soul mate. And if it stays close to you, it means that your other half is already around you. So are you ready for your romantic destiny?