
Suga-jinja Shrine
shrine
須賀神社
Since the late nineteenth century, Shinto rituals to venerate the sacred island of Okinoshima have been held at Suga-jinja.
Suga-jinja has observed a tradition of venerating the sacred island of Okinoshima every May since the late nineteenth century, when local people climbed nearby Mt. Araji to pray toward the island before rice planting. The custom is said to have started after a community prayer during an 1890 dysentery outbreak, after which people began recovering. Over time, the practice moved from the mountain to the shrine grounds. A stone altar beside two steps still faces Mt. Araji and the direction of Okinoshima. In response to that same outbreak, the village introduced a collective medical fund, with households contributing a share of their rice harvest to employ a community doctor.
Purify your hands at the temizuya before approaching the main hall. Left hand first, then right, then pour water into your left hand to rinse your mouth.
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