Koganeyama Shrine (Ishinomaki)

Overview

Koganeyama Shrine stands on Kinkasan, a solitary island in the Pacific off the southeastern tip of the Oshika Peninsula in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture. Built partway up the island's western slope and facing west, it draws worshippers who pray for prosperity in business and good fortune. Because the whole island is regarded as sacred ground, the shrine's name and the island's name are often used interchangeably, and it is also called Kinkasan Koganeyama Shrine.

Highlights

• ●An extraordinary setting on the solitary Pacific island of Kinkasan
• ●The west-facing shrine on the island's slope and its sea views
• ●Its heritage as one of the Five Benten and Three Sacred Sites of the Far North
• ●The faith in prosperity and the legend of an island of good fortune

History

According to shrine tradition, it was founded around the year 750 in the Nara period. Once ranked as a prefectural shrine, it became a Beppyo shrine of the Association of Shinto Shrines after the war. Before the modern era it was a Shingon-sect mountain-ascetic temple called Daikinji dedicated to Benzaiten, closed to women. It was counted among Japan's Five Benten alongside Itsukushima in Hiroshima, and as one of the Three Sacred Sites of the Far North together with Dewa Sanzan in Yamagata and Mount Osore in Aomori.

Map

38.2980, 141.5560 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Cross to Kinkasan by boat from a port on the Oshika Peninsula
2. 2After landing, climb the approach path to the shrine buildings
3. 3Wander the grounds while enjoying the island's nature and Pacific views
4. 4Return to the port in time for your outbound boat

Did you know?

💡 A well-known saying holds that visiting Kinkasan three years in a row will keep you free from money troubles, and the island has long been loved as a place of wealth and good luck. Its past as an ascetic island once closed to women is another story unique to this sacred site.

Nearby spots