Ikasuri Jinja 坐摩神社 | Osaka, Chūō-ku

Nearest station

Hommachi

Chuo/Yotsubashi/Midotsuji Lines

Ōsaka-fu, Ōsaka-shi, Chūō-ku, Kūtarō-machi 4-3

大阪府大阪市中央区久太郎町4丁目渡辺3

坐摩神社

Ikasuri Jinja

May 25, 2020

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This is the fifth of the ex post facto shrine reports I compiled while under self-isolation during the Covid-19 State of Emergency in Tōkyō. I visited it in November 2014.

History

There are various theories about the origin of this shrine, but the favoured one seems to be that, and at least part of this is shared with Ikuta Jinja, when Empress Jingū was returning from the Three Han (三韓, Korea) campaign on her way to Naniwa (Ōsaka), she worshipped Ikasuri Kami at a place variously known as Watanabenotsu, Kubotsu, and Ōe, on the south bank of the Yodogawa River estuary, close to what is now Kokumachi in Ōsaka’s Chūō-ku. Another theory is based on comments in the Kogoshūi, and other texts, that after the legendary first emperor, Jimmu, had been enthroned he received oracular guidance to make an offering at what is considered to be the original site of the shrine, at Kokumachi 2-chō in Chūō-ku, about 2k as the crow flies from the current site. There is now a small shrine on the original site, the Ikasuri Jinja Angū (坐摩神社行宮). An Angū is a temporary residence constructed for an emperor on his travels. It is also referred to by at least three other names, anzaisho (行在所), gozasho( 御座所)、and tongū (頓宮). There is a theory that the name Ikasuri is derived from two homophones pronounced ikashiri and meaning protection of living spaces, 居処領 and 居所知.

Enshrined Kami:

Main

(Note: numbers in parentheses after kami names

refer to position in How Many Kami table)

Ikasuri Ōkami 坐摩大神

The collective name for the following five kami:

Ikui-kami 生井神

Sakui-kami 福井神

Tsunagai-kami 綱長井神

Asuha-kami (104F) 阿須波神

Hahiki-kami (104G) 波比岐神

From Merged Shrines

In-ground Shrines:

Toki Jinja 陶器神社

Inari Jinja 稲荷神社

Ōe Jinja 大江神社

Takeuchi Sukune 武内宿禰

Seni Jinja 繊維神社

Ōkuninushi Jinja 大國主神社

Tenman-Gū 天満宮

Annual Festival: April 22

It is listed in the Engi-shiki as the only large shrine in the Nishinari district of Settsu Province, and along with Sumiyoshi Taisha is regarded as one of the two Ichi-no-Miya of the Province. In the Man'yoshu there is a poem, #4350, by Wakaomibe no Morohito (若麻績部諸人) indicating that when auxiliary soldiers were being transferred from the then Naniwatsu, now Ōsaka, to points west, they would pray for a safe journey at Ikasuri-sha. In 939, during the reign of the 61st emperor, Suzaku, the jinja became one of eleven at which rainmaking rituals could be held, from then on such ceremonies were held frequently and appropriate offerings made. In 1582 the construction of Ōsaka Castle saw the requisitioning of the shrine’s land, and sometime between 1624 and 1644 it was rebuilt in its present location. In 1868 Emperor Meiji visited the shrine and watched a sumo match there. In 1936 it was given kanpeichūsha status and an impressive new main hall was built. After war damage it was rebuilt in its original style using ferro-concrete technology.

The in-ground Toki Jinja is of some interest. Toki means porcelain and the shrine's main adherents are porcelain dealers. It is also believed to offer protection against by fire and for this reason is often referred to as Hibuse (firefighting) Toko Jinja. Before being moved to Ikasuri Jinja in 1907, it was located in Nishi-ku's Tsutsubohon-machi, an area said to have been home to about 200 pottery wholesalers. The porcelain lantern shown below was part of the original Toki Jinja. The shrine holds a festival each July 23.

Ōsaka

大阪

(Click on images to expand them)

Description