Watazumi Shrine

Last updated
Watazumi Shrine
Niao Ju (Lu Ce ).JPG
Religion
Affiliation Shinto
Deity Hikohohodemi no Mikoto and Toyotamabime
Location
Geographic coordinates https://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
Icon of Shinto.svg Glossary of Shinto

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

Contents

It is a major tourist destination for tourists from South Korea. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Torii facing the sea Hai niLin muNiao Ju .JPG
Torii facing the sea
Torii seen from the sea side Watatsumi.torii.jpg
Torii seen from the sea side
Three pillar torii in the pond Hai Shen Shen She 3.jpg
Three pillar torii in the pond
Three-pillar torii gate next to the shrine He Duo Du Mei Shen She 2.jpg
Three-pillar torii gate next to the shrine

It has a famous row of five torii in a row with two in the ocean similar to Itsukushima Shrine. [1]

In January 2020 they banned foreigners due to behavioral issues by South Korean guests. [2] [3] [4] [5]

In 2020 it was damaged by a typhoon and Ghost of Tsushima fans helped raise money to repair it. [6] [7] [8] [9]

Tourist issues

In January 2020 they banned foreigners due to behavioral issues by South Korean guests. [2] The ban was due to vandalism, thefts, and a threat against the head priest. [2]

Complaints included picnics at the shrine, a YouTuber filming there without permission, tour guides disrespecting sacred areas, and Korean graffiti. Some amulets were stolen. A Korean tour guide threatened the priest's life. [2]

This ban substantially reduced the amount of Korean tourists who visited Tsushima. [2]

Typhoon destruction

A typhoon damaged the Torii gate at Watatsumi Shrine in Tsushima, Japan. This happened in September 2020. [7] [10] A crowdfunding campaign started on November 27, 2020 on the Japanese website Camp-Fire [7] . It aimed to repair the gate. [10] [8] [7]

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. [10]

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. [10] [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. [6]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "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.
  3. 1 2 Wen, Lok Jian (2023-07-10). "Vandalism, peeling ceiling art: Japan temples suffer damage". The Straits Times. ISSN   0585-3923 . Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  4. 1 2 "Japanese shrine bans foreign visitors following disrespectful behaviour by tourists". SoraNews24 -Japan News-. 2020-01-13. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  5. 1 2 Alyse (2023-02-09). "Overtourism in Japan: A Victim of its Own Success?". The Invisible Tourist. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  6. 1 2 "Ghost of Tsushima fans have helped raise $260k for repairs on the real island". VGC. 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Ghost of Tsushima fans come together to help fund repair of Watatsumi Shrine gate". Destructoid. 2021-01-12. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  8. 1 2 3 Oloman, Jordan (2021-01-11). "Ghost of Tsushima Fans Help With Real-Life Tsushima Island Repairs". IGN. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  9. "Kaijin Shrine Tathagata Buddha". Cultural Property Disputes Resource. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Tsushima's Watatsumi Shrine Crowdfunding Ended at Over 500%". Siliconera. 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2023-11-20.