Ushimado jinja 牛窓神社

Prayer after the beach?

In the case of Ushimado Shrine, speaking of a torii with its feet in the sand is no exaggeration. From the white sands of Ushimado Beach, you only need to walk a few meters to reach the huge torii of the shrine and its stone staircase.

Climbing the 363 steps is not an obstacle in itself; the shady path is so pleasant. All the more appreciable after a few hours on the beach!

• Read also: Pirates and fighters of the Seto Inland Sea

From the fight are born the islands

Halfway between the beach and the honden of the sanctuary perched at the top of the hill, a stopover is essential. Perhaps the opportunity to catch their breath for some but above all the opportunity for all to appreciate an exceptional landscape. From this observation platform, you can take in Ushimado Bay and the nearby island of Maejima at a glance.

A landscape imbued with serenity born of a mythological battle between the imperial couple and a monstrous beast at the beginning of the 3rd century. During the conquest of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, Emperor Chûai and his wife, Empress Jingû are stopped in their journey in the waters of the Seto Inland Sea, not far from Ushimado, by a violent storm. The spouses and their fleet are then attacked by eight frightening monsters emerging from dark clouds. The Emperor manages to defeat these demonic beasts with his archery skills. The force of the arrows is such that the monsters split into several pieces which fall back into the sea.

Legend has it that from these monsters were born the surrounding islands of Ushimado: a neck formed the island of Kijima, a torso became the island of Maejima and a tail formed the island of Aojima. But mortally wounded, the emperor ends up collapsing in the arms of the tearful Empress Jingu. Gathering her strength and courage, she then took the lead in the Korean campaign.

On the way back - the creation of the Ushimado

After the conquest of Korea, on her way back, Empress Jingû is again attacked not far from where the first incident had occurred. A large ox whose appearance is as strange as it is sudden tries to capsize the imperial ship. It was then that the deity Sumiyoshi sanjin intervened to rescue the Empress. Materialized in the form of an old man, the deity seizes the animal by grabbing it by the horns and throwing it away.

Thus thrown, the animal disintegrates into various parts which eventually form the islands of Kuroshima, Nakanokojima, and Hatanokojima. As for the place of attack, it was called Ushimarobi (ox throwing); a name that evolved into Ushimado.

Who would have thought to discover so many legends while going for a leisurely swim?

• Also to be discovered: The myths of the islands of the Seto Inland Sea