Muroran Hachimangu Shrine, Shinto shrine in Japan
Muroran Hachimangu Shrine is a Shinto shrine built in the nagare-zukuri style, featuring a flowing roof with wide eaves that slope gently from front to back. The grounds cover less than 900 square meters and include gravel paths, small stone lanterns, and stone guardian dogs called komainu at the entrance.
The shrine was founded in the late 1800s during Japan's Meiji period, with origins tied to a whale that washed ashore nearby and whose sale funded its construction. The name 'Kujira Hachiman' means 'Whale Hachiman', honoring this exceptional event that shaped the local community.
The shrine is dedicated to Hachiman, a god of protection, and other deities including Ukemochi no Kami, linked to harvest and blessing. Visitors come to pray for safety and good fortune, and many write their wishes on small wooden plaques, some decorated with whale imagery.
The shrine sits about a 10-minute walk from JR Muroran Station and is free to visit, with charms and special stamps available for cash. The grounds are open all day, though the charm office operates from 9 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon, and visitors should wash their hands at a small stone basin called chozuya before entering the main hall.
The shrine earned the name 'Kujira Hachiman' or 'Whale Hachiman' because a whale washed ashore in 1874, and the money from its sale funded the shrine's construction. This remarkable story continues to be honored in decorations and prayer boards featuring whale imagery.
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