Futenma Gongen

Monday I went with a few friends to visit Futenma Gongen in Ginowan. The Shrine sits next to a very busy intersection. I wish I had taken a wide angle shot of it all.

The shrine sets atop a series of caves that house the original altars. The shrines we saw were commissioned by King Sho Kinpuku more than 500 years ago. Every year on January 1st thousands of Japanese line up and wait hours to come through the gate for hatsumode, or the first shrine visit of the year. It was like a festival right outside the gate for the first few days of the new year with food booths, carnival games, and people lined up for several blocks awaiting their turn to enter the grounds. I drove by Saturday just to see if there was a chance I could get in and long before I got to the shrine there were cars and people everywhere. I knew I would have to wait for another day. I did find it interesting to see several people carrying huge inflatable Pink Panthers. How random, to win a big blow up pink panther at the Shrine.
As you enter the shrine there is a large Torii gate that marks the entrance to a sacred space, and most often a Shinto Shrine. Once we walked through the Torii and up the steps we stopped at the well to wash our hands in order to cleanse ourselves before entering the sacred ground. After I cleansed my hands I noticed the Japanese were also taking a sip of water, swishing it then spitting it down into the rocks. I didn't realize that was the custom, and did not swish. Oops.
Notice Dayton hanging on my back :)

Bekah with Jack on her back.


Missy with Brendan



After rinsing our hands we got in line to purchase our omikuji paper oracles. The omikuji contain prophecies or predictions for the owner. (Click on the picture to make it larger and you can read my prophecy.


After reading you knot the paper onto a display in front of the shrine in hopes that it will come true.



Looking back through my pictures I realized that the oracles tied in the front of the shrine were folded with the red ink inside then knotted, the ones on the back lawn were folded red ink out. Not sure of the significance of this?
The front, this picture is not in B&W.

The ones in the back.


After tying our fortune, we bought a small wooden plaque and wrote our wishes for the New Year. I didn't get a picture of mine as Dayton was ready to go at the point and it was all I could do to hang it and scurry out of there before we caused a scene.


The legend behind the shrine is that long ago a beautiful young weaver from the Shuri area(a Castle down in Naha where the Emperor lived) became distraught at all of the attention she was receiving for her looks. Over time she grew angrier with this and eventually found out one of her siblings was allowing a stranger to watch her without her knowledge. When she learned this she fled north. Her family followed her threads all the way to the cave at Futenma, but she refused to come out. She stayed there many years, and people came to worship her as a goddess. Supposedly she is one of three kami (spirits) worshipped there today.
While reading I also found something that said the cave was also used as a bomb shelter during the Battle of Okinawa.

This is a picture my friend Katherine took when she visited the shrine a few months ago, and let me use. Click on the picture to make it larger. You can see the shimenawa (braided rope) hung across the front. It is made of braided rice straw rope and is thought to ward against evil spirits. Hanging form the rope you see the white paper streamers called shide, which is used for blesing the area.

This is a picture I took of the building in the back. Alot of the Okinawan castles, shrines, and some houses have these ornate roofs. Very pretty!

I am now officially declaring Monday Field Trip day. I miss getting out and exploring and taking pictures, next Monday I plan to visit Nakamura house