Umi-jinja

Historical Footprints

This shrine is closely associated with Omura Washiro Shigeyoshi, a resident of Hirata village who played an important role in preserving the woodblock prints of the Forty-Two Bay Pilgrimage “Koritoriuta” (song collection), now owned by Mr. Kashiwagi of Daikonshima in Matsue City.

The shrine appears under slightly different names in the Izumo Fudoki and the Engishiki (official shrine records). Historically, the Omura clan—who contributed to the development of Hirata—enshrined both Umi-jinja as a guardian shrine and Kumano Gongen as an object of worship.

According to the mid-Edo period “Unyōshi,” Umi-jinja in Hirata was enshrined within Kumano Shrine together with several other deities, including Sekodaimyōjin, Daimyōjin, and Tenjin, forming a complex multi-shrine arrangement.

During the Meiji Period, under the State Shinto system, Kumano Shrine was compelled to change its name to Umi-jinja, reflecting the government’s policy of shrine consolidation and reorganization.

With the cooperation of the shrine priest Kawase and the scholar Izumi Rinichirō—who argued that Ishigami-jinja in Shiotsu corresponded to the original Umi-jinja—Omura Washiro submitted a petition in 1881 to designate the Hirata shrine as Kumano-jinja and the Shiotsu shrine as Umi-jinja. However, this request was ultimately rejected by the Shimane Prefectural Government.

Today, the shrine is officially known as Umi-jinja. Nevertheless, inside the hall of worship, two plaques hang side by side—one reading “Kumano Shrine” and the other “Umi Shrine”—quietly reflecting its layered history.

At the entrance to the shrine grounds, a former granite torii gate bears an inscription connected to Senge Toshizane of Izumo Taisha, further emphasizing the shrine’s historical ties.

Pilgrimage Route Guide

Inside the shrine’s worship hall, visitors can admire artwork painted on cedar boards, commissioned by a parishioner and created by a Kyoto artist. These works depict the “Sanjūrokkasen” (Thirty-Six Immortal Poets), including figures such as Ono no Komachi, offering a glimpse into the refined cultural world of classical poetry.

The deities Izanagi and Izanami are also enshrined here, and in recent years, the number of visitors praying for success in marriage has been increasing.

Within the shrine grounds stands Hirata Tenmangū Shrine. During the Edo Period, prayers were offered here for protection against epidemics. Today, a summer festival is held in which children parade portable shrines (mikoshi), continuing a tradition of giving thanks for divine protection.

Local culture in Hirata also reflects its rich storytelling traditions. A complete set of pottery depicting the legend of “Ushiwakamaru and Benkei” is preserved at the National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka.

The grave of the Omura family—whose member Washiro documented his pilgrimages to the Fudoki shrines—is located at Gokurakuji Temple at the foot of Mount Atago.

Hirata is also known for its traditional confectionery, “ginger sugar,” made using ginger from nearby Hikawa. Just to the left of Umi Shrine is the shop Fūgetsudō, where both traditional Japanese sweets and Western-style confections are available—an ideal stop after visiting the shrine.