Nara

Katsuragi-Hitokotonushi Shrine

Nara shrine of a god who only hears one-word prayers

Cathy Cawood Sep 08, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>Wooden lantern surrounded with autumn color</p>

<p>There will be a lot of leaves to sweep up soon!</p>

<p>Stout beams support the ancient sacred gingko tree</p>

<p>The wooden ema tablets at the shrine seem to have more than one word on them</p>

<p>A closer look at the sacred gingko</p>

<p>Autumn color glows around the steps to the shrine</p>

This shrine belongs to the Shinto god, Ichigon-san, who will only hear one word of a prayer. People with requests for this god must form very short prayers! There is a very old sacred gingko tree near the main hall of the shrine, believed to be 1200 years old. Pregnant and nursing women pray here for healthy babies, because the tree has growths which look a bit like breasts. The autumn leaves at this Nara shrine were very pretty.

Cathy Cawood @cathy.cawood

I came to Japan in 2003 to teach English. I lived in Shiga prefecture for 1 year, and it still holds a special place in my heart. I lived in Kyoto for 9 years, then moved to Machida, Tokyo in 2014 after meeting my Japanese partner. I love to take photos, and my Japan in Pictures Facebook page ha...