is a Shinto shrine in
Nichinan,
Miyazaki prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Miyazaki Prefecture has a population of 1,073,054 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 7,735 km2 (2,986 sq mi). Miyazaki Prefecture borders Ōita Prefecture to the north, Kuma ...
,
Japan, south of
Aoshima. It is the mythical birthplace of
Emperor Jimmu
was the legendary first emperor of Japan according to the '' Nihon Shoki'' and ''Kojiki''. His ascension is traditionally dated as 660 BC.Kelly, Charles F"Kofun Culture"Ugayafukiaezu
is a Shinto ''kami'', and is in Japanese mythology, the father of Japan's first Emperor, Emperor Jimmu.
Nomenclature and story
In the ''Kojiki'', his name appears as , and in the '' Nihon Shoki'' as . Basil Hall Chamberlain glossed the ''Kojik ...
.
According to shrine legends, it is the place where the sea goddess
Toyotamahime, the mother of said Ugayafukiaezu, built a birth-hut from the feathers of a
cormorant
Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds commonly known as cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed, but in 2021 the IOC adopted a consensus taxonomy of seven ge ...
. Other gods venerated here are Yamasachihiko (alias Hohodemi alias
Hoori
, also known as , is a figure in Japanese mythology, the third and youngest son of and the blossom princess . He is one of the ancestors of the Emperors of Japan as the grandfather of Emperor Jimmu. He is also known as .
Mythology
Hoori's lege ...
, Jinmu's grandfather),
Amaterasu,
Amenooshihomimi,
Ninigi-no-Mikoto
is a deity in Japanese mythology. Grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu, Ninigi is regarded according to Japanese mythology as the great-grandfather of Japan’s first emperor, Emperor Jimmu. The three sacred treasures brought with Ninigi from ...
, and Emperor Jimmu. While the original myth includes a tragic divorce of Ugayafukiaezu's parents, the shrine is popular with young couples hoping for easy childbirth and a happy marriage.
Local characteristics
Udo shrine is in a cave in the side of the cliff, near the Nichinan coast of Miyazaki. The ''honden'', or main shrine, is in a cavern with a view of the ocean.
In the cave is the ''ochichi iwa'', or "breast stone," a dripping stone which is said to have fed the kami Ugayafukiaezu, father of the first emperor of Japan, when his mother returned to the sea. The shrine sells a candy made from the water of this stone, ''mizuame'', a kind of taffy.
In the slight distance of the cavern is a rocky island with two peaks. Attendees can purchase small clay balls and attempt to toss them between the peaks for good luck.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Udo-jingu
Shinto shrines in Miyazaki Prefecture
Beppyo shrines