2026/7/19 Mikawa Kokuichi Palace, Toru Shrine, Moon Ginseng Temple

2026/7/19 Mikawakuni Ichinomiya Toka Shrine Moon Pilgrimage Hall

2 Nishigakanai, Ichinomiya-cho, Toyokawa-shi, Aichi Prefecture

Kaiju Booska # booska # dog _ bear _ booska # Booska The Card# toshika # shrine

iPhone 17 Pro Max

On July 19, I visited Ichinomiya in Mikawa Province and Toshika Shrine Satomiya in Moon Pilgrimage - a prayer shrine where you can feel the eternal history and the breath of the gods

This photo was taken from the front of the worship hall of Toshika Shrine Satomiya, which I visited on the moon visit on July 19. In front of the majestic cypress-made shrine, Kaiju Booska, my travel companion, is reflected in a small picture, and the shrine that watches over the long history and the modern worship scenery are warmly harmonized. Thick clouds like summer spread in the sky, and the appearance of the blue sky peeping through the gap creates a mysterious atmosphere as if the gods are welcoming the worshipers.

Toshika Shrine is Mikawa Province Ichinomiya located in Toyokawa City, Aichi Prefecture, and is a high-class shrine representing Higashi Mikawa. The enshrined deity is Onamuchi no Mikoto, a deity widely known as Okuninushi no Mikoto. It is a deity of nation-building that opened up the land and enriched people's lives, and has been worshiped since ancient times as a deity that gives a wide range of divine virtues such as marriage, good luck, good luck, prosperous business, family safety, traffic safety.

The biggest feature of Toshika Shrine is that it is a "two-place integrated" shrine that worships the inner shrine at the top of Mt. Hongu and the village at the foot of the mountain as one. In ancient times, Mt. Hongu, the sacred mountain where the god resides, was worshiped as a sacred body, but it is said that the shrine was built at the foot of the mountain by an oracle during the Taiho era (701-704), and the current village was born. Since then, the inner shrine has played an important role as a sacred place where the divine spirit is calmed, and the village shrine has played an important role as a place where people pray every day.

Also, in the "Engishiki Jinmyocho" compiled in the Heian period, it was listed as a shikinaisha, and it was positioned as the first Ichinomiya that the provincial governor of Mikawa Province visited. After that, it was deeply revered by successive imperial courts and samurai families, and records that the Shinto rank was repeatedly given are left in "Nihon Montoku Tenno Jitsuroku" and "Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku," which shows that it was an extremely important shrine in the ancient country. In the Meiji era, it was listed as a Kokuhei Shosha, and many worshipers still visit as the general guardian representing Higashi Mikawa.

The warmth of the wood and the beauty of the heavy roof of the worship hall in the photo are impressive. The large shimenawa stretched in front of the shrine is a barrier that separates the sacred area from the human world, and the shide represents a sacred space. The gold decorations on the roof and gables symbolize the style of the shrine and show respect for the gods. The shrine, which still retains its dignified appearance over many years, conveys the depth of Japanese traditional architectural techniques and Shinto culture.

Tsuki-mairi is a custom of faith unique to Japan where people are grateful for their daily safety and pray for a new month of peace. By visiting the precincts that change their expressions with the four seasons, it is also an opportunity to feel the change of nature and the blessings of the gods and prepare their own hearts. Whether it is a sunny day or a rainy day, each has a different taste, and the summer sky on this day also brings out the majesty of the shrine.

This piece is not just a worship record. It is a momentary record that transcends time, reflecting the history that has been handed down for over 1,300 years, the faith in the sacred mountain Honguyama, the prayers of the people, and the existence of the gods who continue to watch over the area even now. This moon visit visited with my travel partner, Kaiju Booska, must have been an irreplaceable time to engrave gratitude to God and determination to take a new step in my heart.