Once you leave the Ikuta no Mori (Ikuta Forest) at Ikuta Shrine in Tokyo, you begin to make your way towards nearly two dozen vermilion gates that take you to another shrine protected by two kitsune (foxes).
This area is known as Kusunoki Shrine at Ikuta Shrine. It symbolizes a sacred tree over 500 years old that continues to survive/restore itself long after the air raid and being burned during World War II. The trunk on its side shows the rings indicating it was over 500 years old. The trunk symbolizes the rebuild of Kobe.
A smaller temizu to the side of the Ikuta no Mori entrance and right near the Ugano Mitama no Mikoto:
This is a kitchen mound and built by a cooking official in Kobe City. A memorial which symbolizes where a kitchen knife or a notch on the kitchen knife and a mound filled with the souls of the people involved in cooking and built to improve food culture. Quite contemporary for the location but an attraction. The top of the mound looks like an outline of a kitchen knife.
Nearby is the Kagi no Moto no Hitomaru:
And the messages of many:
And as I leave Ikuta Shrine, I can’t help but feel the peace and serenity of being at one of the oldest shrines in Japan.
Ikuta Shrine is a symbol of Kobe’s strength of surviving disasters, the ability to resurrect/restore itself and just the positive things about the region and the people.
It’s hard to believe that this location, which was a big part of the Genpei War but it was a war to settle which clan would rule Japan. Because of many descendants with royal blood, the only way to have things settled back then was through war.
And direct descendants were given one of two family names: Minamoto or Taira and both were powerful and disliked each other with a passion.
And when Emperor Toba passed, these two clans battled to see who would take control.
Despite the Taira clan winning twice against the rebellions, the third time was on Minamoto Clans side and this would lead to Yoritomo forming a military government in Kamakura and becoming the shogun, it would lead to the Kamakura Shogunate, leading Japan to be led by a military government for seven centuries.
For those planning to visit Hyogo, Kobe, Ikuta Shrine should no doubt be on your bucket list!
The One about Ikuta Shrine in Kobe Part 1 – One of the Oldest Shrines in Japan/The First Torii
The One about Ikuta Shrine in Kobe Part 2 – The Second Torii
The One about Ikuta Shrine in Kobe Part 3 – One last gate before reaching Ikuta Shrine
The One about Ikuta Shrine in Kobe Part 4 – Ikuta Shrine
The One about Ikuta Shrine in Kobe Part 5 – Ikuta pond and multiple shrines
The One about Ikuta Shrine in Kobe Part 6 – Ikuta no Mori
The One about Ikuta Shrine in Kobe Part 7 (FINAL) – Ugano Mitama no Mikoto
