It’s no exaggeration to say that Amano Iwato in Takachiho, Miyazaki Prefecture, is probably the most well-known collapse Japan. Literally translated as “Heavenly Cave”, this rocky chamber is known for being the place the place the solar goddess Amaterasu was mentioned to have hidden, based on the Kojiki and Nihonshoki, respectively the oldest and second-oldest books of classical Japanese historical past.
According to the parable, Amaterasu hid herself within the cave after a dispute along with her impetuous youthful brother Susano-no-Mikoto, bringing darkness to the land till she was ultimately lured out by the goddess of mirth with laughter and a mirror, bringing mild to the world once more.
▼ The legend lives on in the present day at Amano Iwato and the close by Amano Iwato Shrine (pictured under).
The wider Takachiho city can also be thought-about a holy place for folks in Japan, because it’s mentioned to be the spot the place Amaterasu’s grandson Ninigi-no-Mikoto descended from heaven — an occasion often known as “Tenson Korin”. These myths blur with actuality in Japan, as Ninigi-no-Mikoto and Amaterasu are mentioned to be ancestors of Japan’s modern-day emperor.
Takachiho and Amano Iwato draw 1000’s of vacationers yearly, and this 12 months, our reporter Seiji Nakazawa was amongst them, driving alongside the nation roads to go to the sacred vacation spot.
Upon arriving within the space, Seiji made his strategy to Amano Iwato Shrine to pay his respects. After parking on the nearest car parking zone, Seiji acquired a way of how fashionable this place is with vacationers, because it’s positioned by a purchasing road and has a cease for tour busses proper out the entrance.
However, as anticipated of a spot well-known for its mythology, when you go via the torii gate, you’re instantly overcome by a quiet ambiance that feels sacred. Takachiho is surrounded by mountains, and it was a midsummer day so the highway outdoors was steaming, however the second Seiji handed via the torii gate, he immediately cooled off.
▼ Is this the impact of the gods?
Amano Iwato is a forbidden cave the place no mortals are allowed to enter, because it’s mentioned to be the place the place a sacred shimenawa rope was used for the primary time in Japan. Amaterasu’s fellow deities had been mentioned to have positioned the shimenawa throughout the cave to seal it off as soon as the solar goddess had emerged from it, in order that she wouldn’t have the ability to cover there once more.
▼ Amano Iwato is positioned behind the shrine’s principal worship corridor, and although it’s off-limits to guests, you’ll be able to view it from a distance with the steerage of a priest.
Those who want to take part within the viewing don’t must register or pay a price — merely collect on the assembly place on the devoted instances listed on the signal under. A priest will information guests to the viewing spot behind the shrine as soon as each half-hour from 9 a.m. till 4 p.m., except for a lunch break at 12:30 p.m., after which one ultimate time at 4:40 p.m.
Seiji gathered on the assembly place at one of many designated instances, and the priest started to clarify a lot of issues concerning the shrine and its bushes to the group in Japanese, making it really feel like a free mini tour.
The laid-back ambiance immediately modified to a solemn one because the priest stepped as much as conduct a purification ceremony, an essential a part of the tour to purify the group earlier than continuing to the holy website.
The priest then made his means over to the aspect door, the place he reminded the group that pictures had been prohibited past this level.
Entering via the picket gate, Seiji was led down a path behind the worship corridor, and it didn’t take lengthy for them to reach on the observatory, which was outfitted with an offertory field. Looking past the offertory field, Seiji was capable of see a river flowing far under, and the priest defined that Amano Iwato was positioned on the alternative financial institution.
When Seiji regarded over on the reverse financial institution, he was stunned to see there was in actual fact a cave there, and that is the place the solar goddess as soon as resided. He blinked just a few instances, attempting to take the enormity of all of it in.
The cave was definitely protected from mere mortals — except you had the facility of flight, you’d need to be an adept climber to navigate the cliffs from the observatory.
Seiji had all the time considered Amaterasu as an indoor particular person, attributable to her time within the cave, however trying on the location, Seiji started to surprise if the goddess was really an outdoorsy kind, even perhaps a climbing fanatic.
Visiting the precise website talked about within the fable made Seiji admire the legend and its deities much more. And when he mentioned one ultimate prayer on the shrine, he was touched to see a duplicate of the sacred mirror there.
▼ The mirror that helped to lure Amaterasu from the cave
Following his go to to the shrine, Seiji made his strategy to one other fashionable website close by — a bigger cave referred to as Amanoyasugawara, which is claimed to be the spot the place eight million gods gathered when Amaterasu shut herself contained in the cave.
▼ The entrance to Amanoyasugawara
▼ The riverside stroll to Amanoyasugawara is splendidly calm and tranquil.
▼ The path ends at Amanoyasugawara.
This cave has an otherworldly ambiance — you’ll be able to virtually really feel the spirit of the gods watching over you.
It’s believed that when you stack rocks and make a want right here your want can be granted, which is why you’ll discover 1000’s of stacked stones within the space.
These mysterious-looking rocks, and the shrine nestled in the back of the cave, add to the magical ambiance.
The three websites Seiji visited are a number of the most intriguing within the nation, and he extremely recommends everybody make the journey to Miyazaki at the very least as soon as of their lives.
Shrine Information
Amano Iwato Jinja / 天岩戸神社
Address: Miyazaki-ken, Nishiusuki-gun, Takachiho, Iwato 1073-1
宮崎県西臼杵郡高千穂町大字天岩戸1073-1
Open: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on daily basis
Website
Photos ©SoraNews24
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