Hakozaki Shrine

The Hakozaki - gū (Japanese筥 崎 宫) is a Shinto shrine in the district of Higashi -ku the Japanese city of Fukuoka. In addition to the Iwashimizu Hachiman gū and the Usa Hachiman- gū he is one of the three major Hachiman shrines in Japan.

The Hakozaki - gū was built in the year 923. The present buildings of the main hall ( dogs ) and the prayer hall ( haiden ) date from the year 1546. The doors of the main hall are always open, which is extremely unusual for a Shinto shrine.

Kami

The venerated in the Shrine main Kami are the ojin - tennō (whose umbilical cord is supposedly buried near a Torii to the shrine and worshiped the as Hachiman here long time as a war god of the Genji and various generals ), the Jingū - Kogo and the Tagori -hime (here identical with Tama - yori -hime, aunt and wife of Ugaya - fuki - aezu, and mother of Jimmu - tennō ).

Furthermore, the clay - Kami Hani Yashu - hiko and Hani - yasu -hime revered shrine in addition Nisshi - massha. The field Economic Kami Ō- toshi is revered shrine in addition to the SOHO.

Matsuri

The most famous, hosted by the Shrine Matsuri is probably the Tamaseseri (玉 せせり, actually玉 取 祭, Tamatori Matsuri ). It will take place on January 3 each year and is one of the three biggest festivals on Kyūshū.

Broadly speaking, it involves giving that two groups of half-naked young men, each farmer or fisherman, only in a loincloth ( fundoshi ) dressed to compete a ball to be given to the priest. The Group, which wins out is in the new year thus very lucky, so a good harvest or a particularly rich fishing have.