5.Toda Tenmangu Shrine
A promise to the deities
lasting 200 years
Toda-jinja Shrine in the Sashiu district is synonymous with the famous lion dance (shishimai), which has been performed here since 200 years ago. In those times, fires frequently broke out in Toda (a village at that time), so the villagers offered up the lion dance in the hope that the deities would quell the fire outbreaks, therein lying the dance’s origin. Ever since, the community has kept its promise to the deities to “carry on until the village gets down to three households.” Even now, despite the declining population, the local people perform this sacred dance with music on the last Sunday of July. On this day, the normally tranquil shrine is adorned with offertory curtains and bustles with large numbers of visitors. Toda-jinja Shrine vividly conveys the difficulties as well as the superb character of communities home to cultural traditions. We recommend visiting the shrine on the day of the lion dance if you can.
In this traditional lion dance “Tengu the long-nosed goblin makes fun of the lion in a chrysanthemum-field setting to the sound of flutes and drums.”
Bricks have been used to repair part of a stone wall at the shrine. While the repairs are quite old, they offer a fascinating sign of those times.
- Address
- Sashiu, Usuki City, Oita Prefecture
- TEL
- None
- Parking
- Use the parking lot at Hama Park
- Stamp location
- Inside the sacred dance hall
- Restrooms
- None (Use the public restrooms at Hama Park.)
- *
- Stamps are stored in the back of the hall on the right or left side. If you can't find it, you can also get a stamp at Usuki City Tourism Exchange Plaza.