A visit to 'Hachiman Kamado Shrine,' which stands atop 99 stone steps built by demons, and 'Homangu Kamado Shrine,' which is said to protect the demon's gate of Dazaifu
I had the opportunity to go to Kyushu, so I visited Hachiman Kamado Shrine in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture, and Homangu Kamado Shrine in Dazaifu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, two shrines that I had wanted to visit for a long time but never had the chance .
◆Hachiman Kamado Shrine
Yawata Kamado Shrine Official Homepage
There are several ways to access Yawata Kamado Shrine, but this time I decided to walk there from Kamekawa Station on the JR Nippo Main Line, which is the nearest train station.
There is a residential area to the west of Kamegawa Station, and beyond that you can see a mountain range. Although it is not visible, the
It cuts through a residential area.
The Beppu Medical Center is on the direct route, so we had to make a detour to the north. The roofs you can see on the mountain in the foreground are Hachiman Kamado Shrine.
There was a bus stop called ' Yawata Kamado Jinja Shita ' on the community bus route ' Yukemuri Ride Share Sekinoe Circulation Line ' on Prefectural Route 218. This is definitely the closest bus stop, but it only operates 16 times on weekdays from 7:00 to 18:00, both clockwise and counterclockwise, so it cannot be used on weekends or holidays.
Here's the location.
From here, the slope that goes up the western mountain from the prefectural road leads to the approach to Yawata Kamado Shrine, but since we're here, we decide to head a little further south on the prefectural road to the entrance to the main approach.
There was a large stone lantern. There was a slope on the left side of the white fence, and stairs on the right side.
These stairs are the main approach to Hachiman Kamado Shrine.
The entrance to Omotesando is located here.
If you climb the stone steps of Omotesando and turn left, you will come across a torii gate, with the stone steps continuing further ahead.
There is a slope on the left side in part, but it is broken in places, probably as a safety measure, so it would be quite difficult to push a bicycle up the road.
There is a second torii gate at the top of the stone steps.
There is a legend that the stone steps we climbed were made by an ogre. Once, when an ogre ravaged the village of Kamekawa, Hachiman promised him that if he could make 100 stone steps in one night, he would make a sacrifice every year. The ogre made up to the 99th step, but then Hachiman called out to him, and the ogre took a break. It was just morning, and the ogre ran away, never to be seen again. Still, it's harsh to say that 'the lower steps are made carefully, but the higher up are made roughly'...
If you look back after passing through the torii gate, you can see all the way from Kamegawa River to Beppu Bay. On the spring and autumn equinoxes, the sun rises from the horizon in the center of the torii gate.
Apart from the lion dogs, the pair of round objects on either side of the torii gate are mines. They were donated in 1928 by a former naval volunteer from Kamegawa.
To the left of the main hall is the Kagura Hall, where the ancient 'Kamado Kagura' dance is dedicated from New Year's Eve to New Year's Day.
Kameyama Inari Daimyojin Shrine is located at the back left of the main hall.
In front of Inari Shrine is the 'stone sandals forgotten by the demon.' There is a legend that the stone steps in front of the shrine were built by a demon, but Hachiman praised the demon for 'building 99 stone steps,' reformed him, and appointed him as the gatekeeper of 'Kamado Jigoku.' After that, when the demon escaped, it left one of its sandals behind. When a villager tried putting his foot in the sandal, he felt a surge of power.
Looking at the giant stone sandals, we can see that the demon has three fingers, which are said to represent greed, jealousy, and ignorance.
There is also a free parking lot near the main shrine, so even those with weak legs can visit the shrine without worry.
If you use a bus route that passes through the nearby Uchikamado Iriguchi bus stop, which has many buses, you can head to Beppu Station, Chinoike Jigoku, Kannawa Onsen, and other places, so it's a good idea to tour the Beppu Jigoku Hells and visit Hachiman Kamado Shrine at the same time.
The 'Uchihakama Iriguchi' bus stop is here.
◆Homangu Kamado Shrine
Homangu Kamado Shrine
I arrived at Dazaifu Station, the last stop on the Nishitetsu Dazaifu Line. A bus to Homangu Kamado Shrine departs from here, but there is a long line at the bus stop in front of the station, and I momentarily regret that I came at the wrong time. In reality, most of the people in this line have just finished visiting Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine and are waiting for the highway bus to head towards Fukuoka Airport.
The Uchiyama Line of
The bus stop is here.
The 'Mahoroba-go' bus, operated by
The bus passes by Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine and arrives at the 'Uchiyama (Kamado Shrine)' bus stop in about 10 minutes. Homangu Kamado Shrine is located at the entrance to Mount Homan, so it is also used as a trailhead, and there is a large parking lot for climbers and worshippers. Parking costs 500 yen per day.
The Uchiyama bus stop is located here.
The first torii gate of Homangu Kamado Shrine. Although it doesn't have 99 steps, this shrine does have its fair share of stone steps.
A map that clearly shows that Kamado Shrine is the entrance to Mount Homan.
The grounds were filled with greenery, and the chirping of cicadas could be heard intermittently.
The main shrine looks like this.
The building in the center is where you can get your amulets and talismans. It was designed by interior designer Masamichi Katayama of Wonderwall, and is bright and well-lit.
There is an observation stage next to the office where you can get talismans and amulets.
Dazaifu Station can be reached by express bus from Hakata Station or Fukuoka Airport, or by Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station, which is about 30 minutes away. From Dazaifu Station, it is an 8-minute bus ride to Homangu Kamado Shrine.
Both shrines are known for being frequented by fans as the name 'Kamado' overlaps with that of Kamado Tanjiro, the main character of the manga 'Demon Slayer: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.'