Iwafune Jinja (Iwafune Shrine)

Overview

The enshrined deity (kami) is Nigihayahi-no-Mikoto. The Goshintai is a massive boat-shaped boulder, approximately 12 meters high and 12 meters long, known as 'Ten-Iwafune,' which lies as if spanning the Ayanokawa River. According to the 'Sendai-Kuji Honki' (an ancient chronicle), Nigihayahi-no-Mikoto descended into the Kawachi Province riding the celestial boat (Ten-Iwafune) and was revered as the tutelary deity of the Katano-Mononobe clan. From the medieval period onward, the site flourished as a training ground for Shugendo (ascetic mountain worship). The 'Iwakutsu-meguri' (cave exploration), which involves circling the rock cave of the Goshintai, is a unique ascetic experience where visitors can feel the power of megalithic worship (participation in groups is required for safety).

Highlights

• ・Goshintai: Ten-Iwafune (a boat-shaped boulder approximately 12 meters high)
• ・The site of Nigihayahi-no-Mikoto's descent
• ・Iwakutsu-meguri (a Shugendo ascetic training ground)
• ・A massive boulder spanning the Ayanokawa River