【九州の中心にあるパワースポット】世界の神々がここに集う？五色神祭の弊立神宮を巡る旅｜熊本県上益城郡山都町
Hello everyone! This is Japan’s Rare Heritage Tour. Today, we’re taking you on a journey to the mysterious, hidden shrine, Heitate Shrine. Located in Yamato Town, Kamimashiki District, Kumamoto Prefecture, also known as the navel of Kyushu, Heitate Shrine is nestled in a small forest surrounded by towering cypress trees said to be 15,000 years old . This time, we visited during the Goshikigami Festival, held only once every five years . I’m excited to discover what the Goshikigami are all about . This time, we’re flying from Narita Airport to Kumamoto Airport, starting from Narita Airport Terminal 2 Station. Since our flight was at 4:00 p.m. on a weekday, it was very empty, and boarding went smoothly. We’re heading to Kumamoto Prefecture on this plane. We arrived safely at Kumamoto Airport. The flight from Narita to Kumamoto Airport normally takes just over two hours, but due to a flight delay, our arrival time was about 20 minutes later than usual. Kumamon also greeted us. Since Eiichiro Oda is from Kumamoto, there were many One Piece sections. When I went outside, it was already dark, past 7:30 PM. As you can see, it started raining quite heavily. I’m planning to head to a hotel near Higo-Otsu Station for the night , and then rent a car from Kumamoto Airport tomorrow morning to head to Heitate Shrine. The weather cleared up just fine! I successfully rented a car and departed Kumamoto Airport. There are some ominous clouds now, but the forecast calls for clear skies around Heitate Shrine , so I headed off in the car, hoping for a clear sky . The journey from Kumamoto Airport to Heitate Shrine is about 47 km, and the drive takes about 52 minutes. There is no train station near Heitate Shrine, so train travel is not possible. While it is possible to take a bus from Kumamoto Airport, it requires a nearly 40-minute walk from the bus stop , so car travel is the most practical option. I arrived safely at the Heitate Shrine parking lot . From here, I’ll walk a little further to Heitate Shrine. I was surprised to see so many cars with license plates from outside the prefecture, including some from Tokyo and Kanagawa. Suddenly, a cat appeared to greet me. After a two-minute walk from the parking lot, I finally arrived at the torii gate of Heitate Shrine. Passing through the torii gate, I found myself atop a 150-step staircase surrounded by lush trees . At the top, I reached the main shrine. Heitate Shrine is located on the Median Tectonic Line, a major fault line that runs through Japan from the Kanto region to Kyushu. The Median Tectonic Line is closely connected to many sacred sites, spiritual sites, and power spots, including Ise Grand Shrine, Mount Koya, and Wakehi Pass in Nagano Prefecture, known for its zero magnetic field. From the moment I passed through the torii gate at Heitate Shrine, I felt as if I had entered a different world, something different from the real world. A line of worshippers formed, and I waited for a while. Finally, I arrived at the main shrine of Heitate Shrine. The enshrined deities are Kaminoruki-no-Mikoto, Kaminorubi-no-Mikoto, Amenominakanushi-no-Mikoto, Amaterasu-Omikami, and the Twelve Aso Gods. Said to be one of Japan’s oldest shrines, it’s also known as a power spot known only to those in the know. Numerous legends remain about Heitate Jingu, but the exact date of its founding is unknown. Some say it existed as early as 2,000 years ago, while others say its history dates back 15,000 years. Its origins date back to Emperor Jimmu’s grandson, Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto, who erected a sacred wand here and enshrined the gods who descended from space. There’s also a legend about Heitate Jingu, which says that five races with different skin tones scattered from here to the world. The five colors represent the world’s races by their skin tones: red, white, yellow, black, and blue. This five-colored mask is enshrined at Heitate Jingu Shrine. As a symbol of this, the Goshiki Shinsai Festival is held every year on August 23rd, a grand festival held only once every five years. Today, in 2025, falls on that day. The Goshiki Shinsai Festival is a festival where the world’s gods gather to pray for the happiness of humanity and world peace . It has been a time-honored prayer for a harmonious world where the five great races recognize and support each other. Photography was prohibited during the ritual held at the main shrine, but the prayers offered were very solemn and refreshing. Heitate Jingu Shrine is commonly known as “Hinomiya,” meaning the palace where Amaterasu Omikami resides and where her descendants, the Emperor, live. One theory is that Ise Grand Shrine split off from this spot, and as if to prove this, the Inner Shrine and Outer Shrine of Ise, along with the magnificent Tenjin cypress tree, tower above the grounds, are located within the grounds. It is said that the enshrined deities, Kamurogi no Mikoto and Kamurominomikoto, descended to this Tenjinki tree on a fireball. The original Tenjinki cypress has been rooted in this land for 15,000 years. This is the 10th generation, and the 11th generation tree has grown from this sacred tree. This is “Tenjinki Takachiho.” In a typhoon in 1991, the top of the Tenjinki fell onto the main hall, and the lush branches and leaves that grew like a sphere protected the main hall from damage. It is currently enshrined here as “Tenjinki Takachiho.” Amazingly, it is still alive today, with young buds growing. This is called the “Kubitama” of Tenjinki, and is the Tenjinki tree that preceded the 10th generation sacred tree. (It’s said to date back to the time of Amaterasu.) Passing through the torii gate on the left side of the main shrine, we descended the stone steps to Higashi-Mitarai Shrine and Higashi-Sui Shrine, which are auxiliary shrines of Heitate Jingu Shrine (shrines attached to the main shrine) and are dedicated to the god of water, and to Mizutama Pond, where the Eight Great Dragon Kings rest. From here, it’s about a six-minute walk up the mountain path to Higashi-Mitarai, Higashi-Sui Shrine, and Mizutama Pond. Because of the rain yesterday, the path is quite muddy. We proceed carefully, being careful not to slip or fall. The forest of Heitate Jingu Shrine is designated a natural monument by the town and is carefully protected as a sacred place. The view opens up before us. We’re almost there. We’ve arrived at Higashi-Mitarai! But there’s quite a line…! And, to our surprise, we see rice paddies right before our eyes! Rice cultivation is happening at the time. These rice paddies are sacred fields known as Yukiden, and it is said that the rice planting festival held when the rice paddies were moved to this Higashimitarai site is the basis for the Daijosai ceremony. Higashisuijingu Shrine comes into view. There is a huge queue, so it looks like it will take some time to enter the shrine. Higashisuijingu Shrine is a shrine dedicated to the god of water, and is also known as a power spot. The various dragon carvings inside Heitatejingu Shrine are also a highlight. Their delicate construction gives off a sense of ancient artistry. We were able to enter the shrine without any problems. To the left of Higashisuijingu Shrine is the place where sacred water springs forth. (This is the queue!) Legend has it that Ninigi-no-Mikoto, the heavenly grandson of the goddess of descent, used this water to purify important places throughout the country. Legend has it that Xu Fu, who came to Japan on the orders of Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of the Qin dynasty, searched for the elixir of immortality and sought clues to the secrets of this elixir in the waters of Higashimitarai. Surprisingly, this water is drinkable. Some visitors even brought their own water bottles to fill it. I, too, enjoyed a delicious sip of it. To the right of Tosui Jingu Shrine is the “Polka Dot Pond,” where it’s said the “Yatsudai Ryuo,” who is said to have listened to the teachings of Buddha, rests. From here, we head to Ioesugi, a giant tree that represents Heitate Jingu Shrine. Beyond Ioesugi, there’s a mysterious torii gate perched on a cliff. We’ll explore the mystery of this gate. We’ve arrived at Ioesugi! It’s about 34 meters tall and is said to be about 400 to 500 years old. The many branches that branch out have grown naturally, giving off an air of dignity that suggests they have been through many eras. Next, we pass through the five-branched cedar tree and head for the torii gate that stands on top of the cliff. We arrived at the torii gate that stands on top of the cliff. In fact, this torii gate is connected to the legend of Takamagahara. It is said that the land where Heitate Shrine is located may be the birthplace of Takamagahara. Takamagahara, which also appears in the Kojiki, refers to the heavenly place where the heavenly gods, with Amaterasu Omikami as the presiding deity, are said to reside. This torii gate indicates that Amaterasu Omikami passed through here to return to Takamagahara from the Ama-no-Iwato after completing her divine work of seclusion in the cave. Perhaps a mythical setting unfolded here long ago…? This concludes our journey to Heitate Shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture. Thank you for watching! On this channel, we travel in search of wonderful and rare Japanese heritage sites. If you enjoy it, we’d appreciate it if you’d like to watch and subscribe. See you again on our next rare heritage journey!
皆さんこんにちは、日本レア遺産巡りのチャンネルです。今回、初めての動画投稿になります。
第1回目の舞台は、熊本県上益城郡山都町にある隠れ宮、幣立神宮を巡る旅です。
5年に1度しか開催されない、五色神祭大祭の時期に訪れました。
世にも不思議なお祭り、神話の時代から伝わる伝承、悠久の時を経てそびえ立つ巨樹など、幣立神宮の魅力や素晴らしさを22分間に詰め込みました。
ぜひ楽しんでご覧いただければ嬉しいです！
※動画は、4K画質に対応しており、様々な国の多言語テロップにも対応しております。
このチャンネルでは、知的好奇心をくすぐるような、素晴らしく、珍しい、日本の遺産を巡る旅をお届けしていきます。
よろしければ高評価やコメント、チャンネル登録もよろしくお願いします。
@nihonrareisanmeguri
#熊本 #弊立神宮 #五色神 #五色人 #日本の祭り #聖地巡礼 #寺社仏閣巡り #パワースポット