Mishima Ōkami (三島大神)

Mishima Okami

Shrine building (left) and bell tower (right)

Mishima Okami (三島大神) is a Shinto shrine located in the Hagisono district of Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. It is currently a kenmu-sha (jointly administered shrine) of Tsurumine Hachimangu. While the exact founding date is unclear, some accounts attribute its establishment to Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147–1199), who is said to have enshrined the kami (deities) of Mishima Taisha in Izu. According to the official website of Tsurumine Hachimangu, the enshrined kami at Mishima Okami is Oyama-tsumi-no-mikoto (大山祇命). However, the official website of Kanagawa Jinjacho (the Kanagawa Prefectural branch of Jinja Honcho) also lists Homudawake-no-mikoto (誉田別命) and Sugawara no Michizane (菅原道真) as enshrined kami.

There are several stone monuments on the shrine's premises, including the Robun Monument (仮名垣魯文の碑), which is inscribed with a poem by Kanagaki Robun (1829-1894), a writer and journalist from the late Edo to early Meiji periods.

Robun Monument

Minamoto no Tametomo Zu (源為朝図)

Minamoto no Tametomo Zu

The Minamoto no Tametomo Zu (源為朝図), drawn by Tosensai Keizan (東川斎桂山), is a large ema (wooden plaque written with prayers or wishes) preserved inside the shrine's haiden (worship hall). This ema, donated to the shrine in 1836, illustrates a scene from the Tale of Hogen (保元物語), in which Minamoto no Tametomo (1139-1170) journeys to Onigashima. Although the exact reason for the ema's donation is unknown, Tametomo was often associated with warding off diseases like smallpox. This suggests that the ema may have served as a talisman against evil, especially given the instability of the Tenpo era (1830-1844), which was marked by famine and flooding.

In 2021, the ema was designated an Important Cultural Property by Chigasaki, as it offers valuable insights into the everyday culture of the local people during the late Edo period. The drawing is open to the public only on January 1 and 2, and during the Hamaori Festival, held on Marine Day.

References:

• Chigasaki City. (2023, March 31). 重要文化財「東川斎桂山筆　源為朝図（とうせんさいけいざんひつみなもとのためともず）」. 茅ヶ崎市 Chigasaki City. https://www.city.chigasaki.kanagawa.jp/bunka_rekishi/shiteibunkazai/1042059.html
• Okado, Hidehito. (n.d.). 三島大神. 中世歴史めぐり ～鎌倉・伊豆・奈良・京都・平泉など～. https://www.yoritomo-japan.com/misima-tigasaki.html
• Tsurumine Hachimangu. (n.d.). 歴史. 鶴嶺八幡宮 Tsurumine Hachimangu. https://www.tsuruminehachimangu.com/history/
• 神奈川県神社庁. (n.d.). 茅ヶ崎市 三島大神. 神奈川県神社庁. https://www.kanagawa-jinja.or.jp/shrine/1206085-000/
• 萩園自治会. (2021, February 22). 三島大神奉納絵馬「源為朝図」の市指定重要文化財の指定について. 萩園自治会. https://萩園自治会.com/2021/02/22/202102hounouema/