Mekari Shrine Explained

Mekari-jinja
和布刈神社
Map Type:Japan
Coordinates:33.9608°N 130.9622°W
Religious Affiliation:Shinto
Deity:Emperor Chūai
Empress Jingū
Established:C.200 AD
Location:3492, Moji, Moji-ku, Kitakyūshū
Fukuoka 801-0855

is a Shinto shrine located in Moji-ku, Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka, Japan.

History

The wife of Emperor Chūai, Empress Jingū, came here sometime during the legendary military invasion of Korea in the 3rd century. She had Mekari Shrine built as a way of giving thanks to the Kami. The present main shrine was rebuilt in 1767 by the Ogasawara clan from Harima.

Mekari Shinji Shinto ritual

In the shrine's Shinto ritual called Mekari Shinji,[1] wakame seaweed is cut from the ocean at low tide and offered to an altar in a ceremony conducted in the early morning hours of the first day of the New Year according to the old lunar calendar. The ritual is thought to bring about good luck and has been designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Asset by Fukuoka prefecture.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mekari Shinji (Shinto Ritual) . . 17 September 2011.