Deities Enshrined
The shrine enshrines four deities: Emperor Ojin, Empress Jingu, Himegami, and Takenouchi no Sukune.
History and Origins
Ushimado Shrine is believed to have been founded during the Chowa era (1012–1016) in the Heian period (794–1185). However, the surrounding Ushimado area contains five large keyhole-shaped burial mounds, numerous round burial mounds, and many shell mounds, suggesting that religious practices at the site may date back much further.
The shrine is thought to have originally been worshipped as Ushimado Myojin, a deity associated with the spiritual power of the local land. Later, based on the legend of Empress Jingu’s expedition to the Korean Peninsula, Hachiman deities, including Empress Jingu, were enshrined here, giving the shrine its present form.
Although Ushimado Shrine is not listed in the Engishiki, a compilation of Japanese laws and court rituals completed in the 10th century, it appears in the Bizen Province Shrine Register as Ushimado Myojin, with the rank of Junior Third Rank.
Cultural Properties
The shrine preserves several valuable cultural properties, including the following:
Main Shrine Building: Designated an Important Cultural Property by Setouchi City.
Votive Tablet Depicting the Okage Pilgrimage: Designated an Important Cultural Property by Okayama Prefecture.
Votive Tablet Depicting a Figure Crossing a Stream in a Mountain Gorge: Designated an Important Cultural Property by Setouchi City.
Votive Tablet Depicting Immortals: Designated an Important Cultural Property by Setouchi City.
Ushimado: A Historic Port Town
Ushimado is a district in Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture, located at the southern end of the former Ushimado Town area. Facing the Harima-nada Sea, part of the Seto Inland Sea, the district developed around its historic port and retains the atmosphere of a traditional maritime town.
History and Development
Since ancient times, Ushimado has prospered as a sheltered harbor where ships could wait for favorable winds and tides. The area was historically known as Karako no Seto and developed as the settlement behind Ushimado Port.
During the Heian period, the area formed part of Kashino-no-Sho, an estate belonging to the imperial family. It was later absorbed into Toyohara-no-Sho, which also remained under imperial ownership.
During the Edo period (1603–1868), Ushimado came under the control of the Okayama Domain. Its port played an important role as an anchorage and lodging place for processions of feudal lords traveling to Edo under the alternate-attendance system, as well as for Korean diplomatic missions to Japan. Shipbuilding also became an important local industry.
From the Meiji period (1868–1912) onward, the development of land transportation reduced the importance of maritime routes on the Seto Inland Sea, and the town gradually declined. In recent years, however, Ushimado has attracted renewed attention as a destination for marine sports and seaside recreation. Its mild climate, olive cultivation, and beautiful sunsets over the sea have helped earn it the nickname “the Aegean Sea of Japan.”
Ushioni: The Legendary Ox Demon
Ushioni, also known as Gyuki, is a supernatural creature from Japanese folklore, particularly stories passed down in western Japan. It is often said to appear near the coast and attack people walking along the beach.
Appearance and Folklore
Legends of the ushioni vary by region, but the creature is generally portrayed as savage and cruel. Some tales describe it as spitting poison and devouring people, while others depict it as an incarnation of a deity that drives away evil spirits.
Its appearance also differs among traditions. It may have the head of an ox and the body of an ogre, or the head of an ogre and the body of an ox. Some stories describe a creature with an ox’s head dressed in human clothing that appears near the gates of temples in mountainous areas. Other accounts portray it with an ox’s head, an ogre’s body, and insect-like wings, allowing it to descend from the sky.
Although ushioni are strongly associated with coastlines, legends also place them in mountains, forests, rivers, marshes, and lakes. They are particularly linked to deep pools of water. Place names such as Ushioni-buchi, meaning “Ushioni Pool,” and Ushioni-taki, meaning “Ushioni Waterfall,” remain in parts of the Kinki region and Shikoku.
In illustrated scrolls of supernatural creatures from the Edo period, the ushioni is often depicted with an ox’s head and a spider’s body. A similar image appears in the Hyakki Yagyo Emaki (Matsui Collection), where the creature is identified as a tsuchigumo, or earth spider. Some traditions distinguish between the two beings.
The Ushioni Legend of Ushimado
According to a legend from Ushimado, now part of Setouchi City, Empress Jingu encountered a monstrous creature called Jinrinki while on her legendary expedition to the Korean Peninsula. The creature was described as a gigantic ox with eight heads. Empress Jingu shot it with an arrow and killed it. The creature’s head, body, and tail are said to have become three islands in the Ushimado area: Kijima, Maejima, and Aojima.
Another version of the legend says that, on her return from the Korean kingdom of Silla, the spirit of Jinrinki, unable to attain salvation, transformed into an ushioni and attacked Empress Jingu again. Sumiyoshi Myojin, a protective deity, seized the creature by its horns and hurled it away. After the ushioni was defeated, its body broke apart and became Kuroshima, Nakanokojima, and Hashino Kojima.
The name Ushimado is traditionally linked to the phrase ushimarobi, meaning the place where an ox fell or rolled over, referring to the legendary encounter.
The Hachiman Gudokun, a Shinto text compiled during the Kamakura period (1185–1333) that describes the divine power of Hachiman, also recounts a battle between Emperor Chuai and an ogre called Jinrin. This story is considered one possible source of the Ushimado legend.
Other Accounts of Ushioni
The Sakuyo-shi, a historical and geographical record, describes a supernatural being called Gyuki on Mount Ohira in Koshihata, Tomata District, in the former Mimasaka Province. According to the account, during the Kan’ei era (1624–1644), a young village woman had a child with a man who claimed to be an official from Kane-yama. The child was said to have long tusks, a tail, and horns, resembling an ushioni. Enraged by its appearance, the parents killed the child, impaled it on an iron stake, and exposed it beside a road.
Folklorist Kunio Yanagita interpreted this story as possibly reflecting the decline of a metal deity once worshipped in the mountains, whose diminished status led people to regard it as a monstrous or supernatural being.
Empress Jingu
Empress Jingu is traditionally described as the consort of Emperor Chuai, Japan’s 14th emperor, and the mother of Emperor Ojin. She is an important figure in Japanese legends and early historical narratives.
Historical Tradition
In the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan), she is named Okinaga Tarashihime no Mikoto. According to traditional accounts, following Emperor Chuai’s death, she served as regent until Emperor Ojin ascended the throne. Her regency is said to have lasted approximately 70 years, from the 10th day of the 10th month of the first year of her regency to the 17th day of the fourth month of its 69th year.
If Empress Jingu was based on a historical person, some researchers consider the late fourth century a possible period for her lifetime. This interpretation draws on evidence such as the Gwanggaeto Stele, the Samguk Sagi, the Seven-Branched Sword, and archaeological dating of the Makimuku site and imperial tombs. However, the chronology does not align completely with the life of Himiko, the queen mentioned in the Chinese historical account known as the Wei Zhi, whose dates are separated from the traditional chronology of Empress Jingu by approximately 120 years.
The Legendary Expedition to the Three Korean Kingdoms
The so-called Conquest of the Three Korean Kingdoms is a traditional Japanese account of a military expedition attributed to Empress Jingu, the consort of Emperor Chuai and mother of Emperor Ojin.
The Traditional Account
According to the Nihon Shoki, after Emperor Chuai’s death, Empress Jingu led an expedition against Silla on the Korean Peninsula. Silla is said to have surrendered, after which the other two kingdoms, Baekje and Goguryeo, also came under Japanese control. This story gave rise to the name “Conquest of the Three Korean Kingdoms.” Since the account describes direct military action only against Silla, the episode is also sometimes called the “Conquest of Silla.”
The Kojiki, another early Japanese chronicle, mentions the submission of Silla and Baekje but does not describe Goguryeo’s response or use the term “Three Korean Kingdoms.” The Japanese historical reference work Kokushi Daijiten, published by Yoshikawa Kobunkan, categorizes the story under the heading “Legend of the Expedition Against Silla.”
The term “Three Han” can also refer to Mahan, associated with the later kingdom of Baekje; Byeonhan, associated with the later Gaya confederacy; and Jinhan, associated with the later kingdom of Silla. Under this interpretation, the legendary campaign may be understood as a story about the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, excluding Goguryeo.