Okami-jinja, Shinto shrine in Japan
Okami-jinja is a Shinto shrine in Hirakata, Japan, built in the traditional nagare-zukuri style where the roof extends forward over the main entrance. The structure sits on a former mountain location and is surrounded by roughly 110 plum trees that blossom in spring.
The shrine was built by sailors who prayed to the guardian deity for safe travel and protection from floods. Its exact founding date is unknown, but it appears in an ancient document called the Engishiki from many centuries ago, showing the long connection of this site to the local community.
The shrine's name refers to the deity enshrined here, believed to protect the local area and the Yodo River. Visitors come today to pray for safety and good fortune, and many return each spring when the plum blossoms fill the grounds with delicate flowers.
The grounds require sturdy shoes since there are many steps and slopes, especially because the shrine sits on a hilltop. Early morning or weekday visits tend to be more peaceful, allowing you time to explore the area without crowds.
The grounds hold special votive tablets called Sangaku inscribed with mathematical problems that scholars left to ask for divine help with their studies. A notable mathematician named Iwata Seiyo even came to the area to recover from illness and made a dedication in 1861 as thanks for his healing.
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