Yesterday on my way to Anzai Bridge across the Abe River in Shizuoka City, I decided to cycle along a die road on a whim and discovered this small Shinto shrine in Ta Machi!
Upon seeing the name plaque on the torii/sacred gate I wondered how the kanji for “water/水”, that is “mizu” would be pronounced.
Luckily enough a neighbor had just come out and I decided to ask him and get some more information!
The locals pronounce the name “wata”!
And apparently it is a very old if small shrine, dating back to Edo Era!
Although their roofing is recent the hand washing stone basin are very ancient.
Two of them in such a small shrine is indeed rare and the neighbor indicated me through their engravings that they had been erected in totally different eras!
Two large stone lanterns and two smaller ones stood along the short path with mountain and clouds carvings!
I noted an interesting difference between the two deers!
The one above has its right foreleg raised!
But not this one!
A smaller stone lantern between two venerable trees!
The “haiden”/worshipers hall!
Unusually the lion guards/shishi are not represented as stone statues, but as wooden carvings abovehead!
Its companion!
I pointed out the fact to the kind neighbor relating the history of the shrine and I had the pleasure to notice his surprise!
Money offerings are unusually thrown though the door instead of inside a box placed outside!
Side view of the “haiden” and “honden/deity abode”!
The enshrined deity is male!
A side view of the completely isolated “haiden”!
The trees inside the shrine are dwarfing the building proving its ancient origins!
Good-bye, Wata Shrine!
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SHIZUOKA TOURISM 