I Celebrated New Year’s at One of Japan’s Busiest Shinto Shrines

I Celebrated New Year’s at One of Japan’s Busiest Shinto Shrines

Hello, this is Lalain from Explore Oita Japan Today I’m here at Usa Shrine in Usa City, Oita Prefecture Why is this shrine so famous? Why do so many people come visit it in such large numbers every year? Come with me and find out [Explore Oita Japan] Usa Shrine, located in Usa City Oita Prefecture

Is one of the most significant Shinto shrines in Japan It comprises 124 acres of forest land with many subsidiary shrines and significant landmarks Usa Shrine enshrines Hachiman the deified spirit of Emperor Ojin who was the 15th emperor of Japan along with his mother Empress Jingu and the trio sea goddesses Hime Okami

Hachiman was believed to be the guardian of Japan and therefore, more than 40,000 shrines all around the country were dedicated to him, among which Usa Shrine serves as their head shrine We’re with Mr. Yamamoto today the staff of Usa Shrine and he’s going to show us around the important places of Usa Shrine This place is called Goreisui located in Usa Shrine Goreisui is… The deity enshrined at Usa Shrine is Hachiman Okami This is where the deity made its first appearance As you can see here This Goreisui is composed of 3 wells 1, 2, 3 wells These wells still have water in them Here you go

This water as well has been springing out since the year 571 and has never stopped This area actually has 3 sources of water here This water holds a lot of religious significance for the people here Whenever they have any ritual or ceremony they use this water in those

And visitors are actually free to take this back to their homes for their personal worship Right now we are right in front of Yasaka Shrine that is located on the west side of Usa Shrine Yasaka Shrine is a subsidiary shrine of Usa Shrine dedicated to Susanoo no Mikoto a deity associated with the sea and storms Next to Yasaka Shrine was the former site of Mirokuji Temple

The evidence that Usa Shrine used to be a shrine-temple complex that served a fusion of Shinto and Buddhism Mirokuji Temple was demolished in 1868 following the government’s order to separate Shinto and Buddhism However, a form of this religious fusion still survives At the Chin’ekisai Festival held at Yasaka Shrine every February

You will see rituals performed jointly by Shinto priests and Buddhist monks In addition to events in February in August, we have a festival called Nagoshi Festival which is held for 3 days On the middle day, which falls on August 1

We have a ritual called Yabusame during which archers shoot while on a running horse Also, on New Year we have many festivals and rituals Actually, I’m really excited because I’m coming again on the 3rd of January – Please enjoy your visit – Thank you I have a question

How many people are you expecting at Usa Shrine during the New Year? At Usa Shrine during the first 3 days of the New Year we expect to receive 400,000 to 500,000 visitors 500,000 people! That’s like half a million people Insane Wow, it’s so beautiful Thank you I heard that Usa Shrine is heading towards its 1300 year anniversary in 2025 What are some things you are doing to commemorate this anniversary? In autumn in the year a decennial Chokusai called the Rinji Hobeisai Ritual will be held

Usa Shrine is one of 16 Chokusai-sha shrines across Japan Since ancient times the Imperial envoys have visited here and performed rituals Oh, I see That’s amazing Thank you so much for today Mr. Yamamoto Thank you After our experience today I’m so excited to come back on the 3rd Hello, it’s January 3rd 2024

Happy New Year, everyone! Today, we’re at Usa Shrine again and as you can see there are a lot of people this time Also a lot of rain But you know what? That’s not going to stop us from having fun Today, all of us are here for “Hatsumode”

Which is a Japanese tradition of visiting a temple or shrine during the New Years Everyone is here for 3 things praying, drawing good fortune telling and also getting lucky charms Before coming to a temple or a shrine in Japan it is important to clean your hands and rinse your mouth

Let me show you how we do it Purify your left hand first then your right hand Pass the ladle back to your right hand then pour water into your left hand and use it to rinse your mouth Purify your left hand again after that

Then use the rest of the water to purify the handle And put the ladle back in a polite manner At Usa Shrine you pray by first tossing a coin then bowing twice clapping 4 times, making a wish then finishing with another deep bow I just got this Hamaya arrow

And it’s supposed to give me protection throughout the year I just drew my fortune and apparently it’s a super good one So I’m so happy about that In Japan, if you get a bad fortune you can just tie them up and leave but since mine is pretty good I’m just going to take it home with me

If you don’t have time to visit all the locations within the complex at least visit the main shrine and lower shrine And at a shrine if there are several praying spots you proceed from left to right I’m with Mr. Otsuru and his family who were kind enough to let us do an interview with them – Happy New Year! – Happy New Year! Where did you come from today? We came from within the prefecture today We come to Usa Shrine to pray every year This year marks my age of calamity

Which would not be a very good year for me So I prayed and received a charm from the deity to protect me from evil I see One fun fact about Japan is that visiting a temple or a shrine is not a completely religious activity Instead it tends to be more spiritual

Anyone is welcome to do so and whether it is a Buddhist temple or a Shinto shrine similar services will be provided Let’s go and see more Oh, he’s crying I got it Thank you That was such an amazing experience Not only did I get to visit the legendary Usa Shrine but now I also know what to do when visiting a Japanese shrine I hope you’ll visit here next time you’re in Oita Prefecture This was Explore Oita Japan See you next time [Explore Oita Japan]

Subtitles are available in Japanese and English. Please enjoy the video with subtitles on.

In this video, we’ll introduce Usa Shrine, the Main Shrine of the deity Hachiman Okami, located in Usa City, Oita Prefecture.

【Contents】
0:20 The History and Origins of Usa Shrine
1:10 Goreisui
2:59 The Festivals and Rituals of Usa Shrine
5:14 The New Year’s Shrine Visit Customs and Etiquette

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Usa City, in northern Oita Prefecture, is home to Usa Shrine, which is the Main Shrine of the deity Hachiman Okami (Emperor Onin), who has over 40,000 shrines throughout Japan. This is the biggest share of Japan’s approximately 110,000 shrines, and Usa Shrine sits at the top. It was established in 725, and will celebrate 1,300 years of history in 2025. It has been adored by locals throughout its long legacy, affectionately nicknamed “Hachiman-sama.”

The worship of Hachiman Okami is believed to have been born from a blend of both Buddhism and Japan’s own native Shinto religion. You can see the history of this religion through annual rituals and festivals, along with the magnificent buildings and treasures that survive today. In particular, the beautiful Main Shrine, which is a registered National Treasure, has a dignified appearance worthy of its grand status, and sees numerous worshipers visit each day.

This time, our host visited the spacious, nature-rich grounds of Usa Shrine at the end of the year and the beginning of the New Year. For the year-end visit, Mr. Yamamoto, one of the shrine’s staff, took our host on a guided tour of the grounds. One of the most noteworthy sites in Usa Shrine is the Goreisui, which is sacred water that flows from three holy springs by the Hishigata Pond that has continued uninterrupted since time immemorial. After being humbled by this miraculous water, our host walked over the beautiful bridge straddling the pond, and continued through the garden to find other treasures and buildings like Yasaka Shrine, Mirokuji Temple, and more.

Next up, she learnt about the festivals and rituals that are held at Usa Shrine. The shrine hosts close to 150 events of all different sizes over the year!

With this in mind, our host returned on the day of the Festival of Origins for “hatsumode,” which is the act of visiting a shrine during New Year’s. Unsurprisingly, this period is extremely crowded, so for a smooth visit, be sure to carefully watch the host’s shrine visit etiquette!

After hatsumode, our host had a look at the various charms and amulets on sale, including “hamaya” arrows, which are said to ward off evil and invite good luck, and got herself an “omikuji” slip, which told her fortune for the year. The huge variety of charms adds a lot to the fun!

Lastly, our host watched a special New Year’s festival. There were stalls set up selling Japanese food within the shrine, as well as dances, folksongs, and dedications to deities registered as National Intangible Folk-Cultural Properties, showcasing the invaluable traditional arts of Oita. Our host was even allowed to join one of the dances, making it a fun-filled, gratifying experience.

Anyone is welcome to visit, so if you’re in Oita Prefecture during New Year’s, be sure to add Usa Shrine to your itinerary!

*English guidance is available. For details, please contact the Usa City Tourism Association.

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