Cultural Properties of the Munakata Region
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The Evolution of Nakatsu-miya |
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Nakatsu-miya on Oshima is one of the three shrines of Munakata Taisha and is dedicated to Tagitsuhime-no-kami, one of the Three Female Deities of Munakata. Its precincts include a mountaintop ritual site and the main shrine buildings located at the foot of the mountain. Votive objects dating from the latter half of the seventh century to the ninth century have been discovered at the summit site, suggesting that worship began at the peak. Nakatsu-miya is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region.”
From mountain worship to Munakata shrine
Mt. Mitake is the highest point on Oshima (224 m). Archaeological finds from the ritual site on the summit date from between the latter half of the seventh century and the ninth century. These are similar to artifacts uncovered on the sacred island of Okinoshima and the grounds of Hetsu-miya, the Munakata Taisha shrine on the mainland. They indicate that rituals were conducted at all three sites during the same period. The discoveries at the summit support the long-standing local belief that the three Munakata shrines enshrine the three female deities described in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) and Nihon shoki (The Chronicles of Japan), Japan’s oldest written texts compiled in the early eighth century.
Historical development of Nakatsu-miya
Over time, it became more common for worship rituals to be held at the base of the mountain. A shrine complex existed by the late Kamakura period (1185–1333), as recorded in a fifteenth-century text. The record identifies the upper shrine as Mitake Shrine and the lower shrine, Nakatsu-miya, as the main shrine, attesting to the coexistence of summit and base worship sites. During restoration work on the main shrine in 1997, ink inscriptions dated 1655 were discovered, implying that the present main hall was constructed around that time.
Layout and features
The two shrines are linked by a 970-meter path uniting them in a single sacred precinct. The main shrine is said to be the origin of the Tanabata (Star Festival) legend celebrated across Japan. Its grounds include shrines dedicated to the tragic lovers of the story, Shokujo (Orihime) and Kengyu (Hikoboshi), separated by a stream called Amanogawa (the Milky Way). On Oshima, the associated festival is observed on August 7, in accordance with the lunar calendar, a month later than most places in Japan.
Also on the grounds is the Amanomanai Well, which is associated with the origin legend of the Three Female Deities of Munakata. Two torii gates stand along the approach to the main shrine from the coast; the inner one is the oldest surviving torii of Munakata Taisha, built in 1673. |
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