Taga Taisha Shrine, Shiga’s Home to Izanagi

Taga Taisha is only a ten-minute walk from Taga Taisha-mae station. There is a huge torii in front of the station, so just follow the road that runs underneath it.

The shrine became especially in the Edo Period, as pilgrims made their way to Ise Jingu, because Izanagi and Izanami are the parents of Ise Jingu’s main diety, Amaterasu.

When Emperor Gensho was sick in the 8^th century, Taga Taisha donated a rice scoop to the emperor and miraculously, he recovered quickly! Today, rice scoops are the shrine’s iconic charm, called Otagajyakushi. Sound familiar? Indeed, the word for tadpole otamajyakushi derives from an old word for rice scoop, otagajyakushi, since the two are similar in shape.

Moreover, there is an interesting stone next to the honden, the jyumyoishi. According to legend, Chogen (the guy who rebuilt Todai-ji)  prayed to this stone in hopes of granting him a long life. His prayers were heard and he lived an extra 20 years so that he could finish Todaiji. You can purchase a small stone and put it here so that you can prolong your life, too.

The main building, or honden, of the shrine, is surprisingly large!

The Koji states that “Izanagi rests in Taga in Omi Province.*”.Naturally then, people have long believed that Taga Taisha is where Izanagi resides and his wife Izanami, is also enshrined there. 

However, given the fact that the original version of the Kojiki is missing and the other copies of the Kojiki state that Izanagi rests in Awaji [淡路], not Ohmi[淡海], some people claim that Awaji Shrine, not Taga Taisha is where Izanagi actually resides. Oh well, Izanagi is a god so I guess he can reside in more than one place.

Itokiri Mochi

The popular treat in this area is without a doubt itokiri mochi. Itokiri Mochi is a white, blue, and red striped mochi filled with anko. The stripes on the mochi represent the ancient Mongolian flag from the time when they tried to invade Japan in the 13^th century. To celebrate Japan’s victory, residents near the shrine made these sweets to thank gods in Taga Taisha.

There are several shops that sell itokiri mochi on the street to the shrine, so take your pick and give them a try!!

Information: Taga Taisha