Kanamine Jinja Shrine

Kanamine Jinja sits on a hilltop on Kuchinoerabujima, a volcanic island in the Tokara archipelago south of Kyushu, with views over the sea and surrounding mountains. The shrine worships deities believed to have the power to halt volcanic eruptions, an active concern on an island with a history of significant eruptions. During the peak of sulfur mining in the 1860s through 1940s, the deities were also prayed to as protectors of miners. The shrine's sanctuary features carved elephant heads and lotus flower motifs introduced by mountain monks, likely influenced by practices at Kinpusenji Temple in Nara. The annual summer festival includes the bo-odori pole dance and the hinomoto-odori fan dance.