Watazumi Shrine

Watazumi Shrine
Religion
AffiliationShinto
DeityHikohohodemi no Mikoto and Toyotamabime
Location
Geographic coordinateshttps://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?language=en&pagename=%E5%92%8C%E5%A4%9A%E9%83%BD%E7%BE%8E%E7%A5%9E%E7%A4%BE&params=34_22_45.5_N_129_18_42.7_E_region:JP-42_scale:20000&title=%E5%92%8C%E5%A4%9A%E9%83%BD%E7%BE%8E%E7%A5%9E%E7%A4%BE
Glossary of Shinto

Watazumi Shrine, also known as Watatsumi Shrine is a shinto shrine in Tsushima, Nagasaki.[1]

Torii facing the sea
Torii seen from the sea side
Three pillar torii in the pond
Three-pillar torii gate next to the shrine

Description

It has a famous row of five torii in a row with two in the ocean similar to Itsukushima Shrine.[1] In 2020 it was damaged by a typhoon and Ghost of Tsushima fans helped raise money to repair it.[2][3][4][5]

A typhoon damaged the Torii gate at Watatsumi Shrine in Tsushima, Japan. This happened in September 2020.[3][6] A crowdfunding campaign started on November 27, 2020 on the Japanese website Camp-Fire.[3] It aimed to repair the gate.[6][4][3]

The campaign reached its initial goal quickly. This goal was 5 million yen. It was reached by December 1, 2020. The campaign ended on January 10, 2021. It raised 27,103,882 yen. This is about $260,435. Many donors were fans of the "Ghost of Tsushima" game.[6]

The restoration was planned to start in April 2021, and to finish by August 2021. There were plans for a stone monument. It would list the names of those who donated at least 10,000 yen. Concerns were raised over coronavirus affecting the construction.[6][4]

In January 2020, the shrine's operators banned foreigners from visiting due to behavioral issues that they attributed primarily to South Korean guests.[7][8] The shrine's operators alleged that people held picnics at the shrine, a YouTuber filmed there without permission, tour guides disrespected sacred areas, and some tourists put graffiti at the shrine. Some amulets were alleged to be stolen. A Korean tour guide reportedly threatened the priest's life.[7] This ban substantially reduced the amount of Korean tourists who visited Tsushima.[7] Some have described the ban, especially as it singled out the Korean tourists, as discriminatory.[9][8]

In the game "Ghost of Tsushima," there is a similar shrine. It is the Scarlet Rock Shrine. The real shrine is dedicated to two deities, Hikohohodemi no Mikoto and Toyotamabime. The game's shrine is dedicated to Tsukuyomi.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Tsushima: a boundary island of Japan | The Japan Times". 2013-09-28. Archived from the original on 2013-09-28. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  2. ^ a b "Ghost of Tsushima fans have helped raise $260k for repairs on the real island". VGC. 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  3. ^ a b c d "Ghost of Tsushima fans come together to help fund repair of Watatsumi Shrine gate". Destructoid. 2021-01-12. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  4. ^ a b c Oloman, Jordan (2021-01-11). "Ghost of Tsushima Fans Help With Real-Life Tsushima Island Repairs". IGN. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  5. ^ "Kaijin Shrine Tathagata Buddha". Cultural Property Disputes Resource. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  6. ^ a b c d "Tsushima's Watatsumi Shrine Crowdfunding Ended at Over 500%". Siliconera. 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  7. ^ a b c "Japan's Watatsumi Shrine bans foreigners after vandalism and alleged death threat against priest | South China Morning Post". 2020-01-14. Archived from the original on 2020-01-14. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  8. ^ a b "Japanese shrine bans foreign visitors following disrespectful behaviour by tourists". SoraNews24 -Japan News-. 2020-01-13. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  9. ^ 장, 현은 (2024-06-08). "일 대마도 신사 '한국인 출입금지' 논란…"무단 흡연 탓"". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-06-29.