This shrine belongs to the Shinto god, Ichigon-san, who will only hear one word of a prayer. People with requests for this god must form very short prayers! There is a very old sacred gingko tree near the main hall of the shrine, believed to be 1200 years old. Pregnant and nursing women pray here for healthy babies, because the tree has growths which look a bit like breasts. The autumn leaves at this Nara shrine were very pretty.
- 1 min read
Katsuragi-Hitokotonushi Shrine
Nara shrine of a god who only hears one-word prayers
By Cathy Cawood
Community writer
Monk statues with pumpkins
Shrine building under the trees
Thick moss on a stone wall
A little house of fortune papers
Wooden lantern surrounded with autumn color
Small tunnel of red torii
There will be a lot of leaves to sweep up soon!
Mossy stone lantern
Stout beams support the ancient sacred gingko tree
The wooden ema tablets at the shrine seem to have more than one word on them
A closer look at the sacred gingko
Burgundy and yellow leaves
Autumn color glows around the steps to the shrine
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