Tsukubasan Shrine

Tsukubasan Shrine
筑波山神社 (Tsukubasan Jinja)
Tsukubasan Shrine; 筑波山神社 (Tsukubasan Jinja)
	Worship hall haiden
Religion
Affiliation	Shinto
Deity	Izanagi (伊弉諾尊) and Izanami (伊弉冊尊)
Festival	April 1, Ozagawari, November 1 (Ozagawari)
Type	Beppyo shrine
Location
Location	Tsukuba 1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, JAPAN, 300-4352
	Shown within Japan
Geographic coordinates	36°12′49.25″N 140°6′4.72″E / 36.2136806°N 140.1013111°E
Website
	www.tsukubasanjinja.jp
	Glossary of Shinto

Tsukubasan Shrine (筑波山神社, Tsukubasan jinja) is a Shinto shrine located in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It enshrines the kami Izanagi (伊弉諾尊) and Izanami (伊弉冊尊). The shrine is located on Mount Tsukuba, close to the station for the Mount Tsukuba Cable Car, a funicular railway that leads up towards the summit of Mount Tsukuba. The shrine is designated by the Association of Shinto Shrines as a Beppyo shrine (別表神社), a shrine with special characteristics.

Tsukubasan shrine is dedicated to the gods of family safety, harmony within marriage, and matchmaking.^[1]

Introduction

Tsukubasan shrine is located on the slopes and summit of Mt. Tsukuba. The main shrines are located on the twin summits of Mt. Tsukuba, while the hall of worship and other precincts are lower down the mountain, close to the cable car station. In addition to the main shrine, there are four auxiliary shrines or sessha (摂社). The auxiliary shrines lie along the Shirakumo Bridge trail up to the summit of Mt. Tsukuba and enshrine the child gods of Izanagi and Izanabaku. There are also said to be at least 100 subordinate shrines.

Enshrined deities

The gods Izanagi (伊弉諾尊) and Izanami (伊弉冊尊) are enshrined.

History

There is no official date for the establishment of the shrine.

Ozagawari Festivals

The main festivals of the shrine take place on the 1st of April and the 1st of November. On the 1st April an omikoshi holding a child god is escorted up the mountain. In November, the procession is reversed.