Fukui's Kurotatsu Shrine in Spring

The collaboration of a black dragon shrine and sakura

Takako Sakamoto Apr 21, 2015 - 1 min read

<p>Kurotatsu Shrine with cherry blossoms under the blue sky</p>

<p>Sign of Kurotatsu Shrine and fresh green leaves on the shrine grounds</p>

<p>Cascading cherry tree at the foot of Mt. Asuwa on which Kurotatsu Shrine is located</p>

<p>White and pink cherry blossoms near the entrance of Kurotatsu Shrine</p>

<p>White cherry petals dancing in the wind. The cherry blossom season was ending.</p>

<p>Pale pink cherry blossoms radiant in the sunshine</p>

<p>Shrine roof at the foot of Mt. Asuwa</p>

<p>Weeping cherry tree at the shrine entrance in black and white. Sadly, most of the blossoms had already fallen off the tree when I visited.</p>

<p>Banner of Kurotatsu Shrine with black dragon painting fluttering in the strong wind</p>

<p>Calligraphy on the ceiling says, 'Wa (peace)'.</p>

<p>A picture of Kokuryu (kurotatsu=black dragon), the latest submarine of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, was displayed on the wall inside the prayer hall. Some marine officials came to this shrine to pray for the safety of the new submarine.</p>

<p>Red decorative strings hanging at the entrance of the prayer hall</p>

<p>Small fox statue at the Fox Shrine standing on the grounds of Kurotatsu Shrine</p>

Kurotatsu Shrine (black dragon shrine) in Fukui is famous for its beautiful weeping cherry trees, and I visited it one sunny spring day. Unfortunately, the cherry blossoms inside the shrine had mostly fallen to the ground already, but some trees at the foot of the mountain were dancing the last dance of their glory and were beautiful. Fortunately, I met a friend there who knew a head priest of the shrine, and I was invited inside the prayer hall and was able to take photos inside. According to the head priest, the calligraphy painting displayed on the ceiling of the prayer hall was created by a painter Satoshi Takahashi, and this painting was adopted by the United Nations as a symbol of peace ('wa' means peace).

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Takako Sakamoto @takako.sakamoto

I was born in and grew up in Tokushima prefecture, and have lived in many places since then: Nishinomiya, Kyoto, Nara, Mie, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Fukuoka and Fukui. I am currently living in Yokohama City. All the places I lived, all the places I visited, I have loved dearly. The histor...