Tada-ura

Historical Footprints

Unfortunately, ‘Tada-ura’ does not appear in the coastal records of Tatenui Province in the Fudoki. However, there is mention of ‘Tata Yashiro’ in the section on shrines. The present-day ‘Tata-jinja’ is likely connected to the former shrine known as ‘Miho Daimyojin’.

In the early Edo-period publication ‘Izumo Fudoki Sho’ by Kishizaki Tokiteru, there is a reference to ‘Tatenui-gun Tada-ura Daimyojin’, suggesting that the name ‘Tada’ may be a remnant from ancient times.

However, the mid-Edo-period publication ‘Unyoushi’ appears to confuse the name ‘Tata’ in its entry, describing ‘Miho Myojin, enshrined deity Mihotsu-hime-no-mikoto. No main shrine, heihaku (Shinto offerings) present’. This is the only account indicating that the main shrine had already disappeared. Another late Edo-period text, the ‘Izumo Sanpai-ki’, also notes that ‘no shrine remains’. It seems that religious practices at the time continued under very austere conditions. Omura Washiro, who visited the site in 1866, recorded that there was a ‘stone fence around the shrine and a sacred tree present’.

Pilgrimage Route Guide

On the morning of December 27, 1912, under calm seas, a group of 26 fishing boats set out early from Shiotsu Bay. However, at around 10 a.m., a sudden massive wave rose up, reducing visibility to zero. Nine of the boats were unable to return to harbor, prompting Shiotsu-ura to request assistance from Tada-ura.

At first, the rescue appeared successful, but when it became known that three boats were still missing, a group of 15 young men set out once again from Tada Bay at 2:40 p.m. to continue the search and rescue. Tragically, they never returned.

At the time, Ichiro Izumi Hayashi, a teacher who had been instructing these youths in sea rescue techniques at night school, felt a deep sense of responsibility. He took the initiative to organize a large memorial, which was unveiled in August of the 4th year of the Taisho era. A large rock face in Tada Bay was engraved with the characters for ‘Heroism’.

On the 100th anniversary of the disaster, in October 2011 (Heisei 23), an additional plaque detailing the tragic events was unveiled during a commemorative ceremony attended by numerous local and prefectural officials.

The loss of 15 young lives at once is truly heartbreaking. Yet through this tragedy, we can also sense the spirit of selflessness shown by people of the Meiji and Taisho eras, who remained committed to their responsibilities even in the face of great adversity.