日本語は後半にあります【English】 Hello, everyone in the Worldmappin community! At the end of last year, I went back to Kyushu to visit my husband's family home. It was a short 2-night, 3-day trip, but we managed to visit some really interesting spots in Miyazaki Prefecture, so I'd like to share them with you!

Even though it was late December, Miyazaki was so warm that I didn't need a jacket at all… Though apparently, it's not always like that—this was just an unusually warm few days during our stay. Thanks to the great weather, I was able to take some really beautiful photos of the sea and sandy beaches around Aoshima Shrine, which I'm introducing today.

Aoshima Shrine is located on Aoshima in Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture. It's a very unique place where the entire small island serves as the shrine grounds. The main deities enshrined here are Hikohohodemi no Mikoto (also known as Hoori or Yamasachihiko, the "mountain luck" god from Japanese mythology) and his wife Toyotamahime no Mikoto (the sea princess), plus Shiotsuchi no Okami (the god of the sea salt/sea paths who acts as their matchmaker). It's famous for blessings related to matchmaking (finding love/marriage), safe childbirth, and safe sea voyages/travel. It's been a popular power spot for a long time. I'm not very knowledgeable about Japanese mythology, but having three gods enshrined here just feels like it must bring extra blessings! It's said to have been worshipped for over 1,200 years. My brother-in-law recommended we visit, and it was truly an excellent choice… Thanks, bro-in-law!

To enter the shrine, you first cross this "Yayoi Bridge," but the surrounding scenery is so stunning it steals your attention right away. Above all, the "Oni no Sentakuita" (Devil's Washboard) is the most fascinating part. Devil's Washboard — This is the common English name for "鬼の洗濯板" (Oni no Sentakuita). It's a natural geological formation where layers of hard sandstone remain after millions of years of wave erosion, creating straight, parallel ridges that look exactly like a giant washboard used for laundry in old times. Legend says even demons (oni) used it to wash clothes! It's a national natural monument.

You can see this formation not only around Aoshima but all along the Nichinan Coast. When driving the coastal road by rental car, we spotted it from afar… but at Aoshima Shrine, the best part is that you can actually walk on the rocks, touch them, or play on them! My kids and I ended up having so much fun climbing around on the rocks that we took forever to actually reach the shrine (It was a weekday, so there weren't many people.)

Aoshima is also called "the island made of shells" because the "sand" you see is actually all crushed seashells. Some shells are still in perfect shape, so my younger son got completely absorbed in shell collecting.

We passed through the torii gate and prayed at the main hall. Aoshima Shrine is known for blessings of matchmaking, safe childbirth, and safe travel (by sea or land). Since this was my first flight in about 7 years, I prayed for a safe return home .

After praying, we drew an omikuji (a fortune slip you buy at shrines/temples to see your luck). I got Daikichi (great blessing/great good fortune)! It was a fun one called "Ichiryu Manbai Mikuji" — you scoop it out of a pot with a spoon. They say there's a super rare "Ichiryu Okubai" (one grain → hundred million fold) jackpot version mixed in, but unfortunately, we didn't get it…

After that, we headed further inside to the "Motomiya" (Original Shrine). Motomiya is the original sacred site of Aoshima Shrine, believed to have been used for ancient rituals since prehistoric times. Lots of Yayoi-period (ancient Japanese era) pottery has been excavated here, and now it's a small, quiet, mysterious shrine surrounded by beautiful Livistona chinensis palm trees. It's long been famous for healing illnesses and is a popular power spot. The path leading to Motomiya, called the "Prayer Path", is lined with countless ema (wooden prayer plaques) that visitors have written their wishes on. Just walking through it feels like you're absorbing some kind of positive energy.

At Motomiya, we tried **"Ama no Hiraka Nage"** (Throwing the Heavenly Plate). Hiraka is a thin, unglazed clay plate used in ancient fortune-telling rituals. It costs 200 yen each (as a donation), so be careful! You whisper your wish, then throw the plate toward the sacred stone enclosure beyond the fence. If it lands inside the sacred area, your wish comes true. If it breaks, it's said to bring good luck and ward off bad luck. My husband's, my older son's, and my younger son's plates all missed and broke… but mine actually landed right inside the sacred area! With the great fortune from the omikuji too, I feel like good things are coming this year 🥰

Aoshima Shrine, said to have existed for over 1,200 years. The shell beaches, the Devil's Washboard rocks, and other scenery you rarely see in Tokyo all helped—I really feel like I received some wonderful "energy" here.

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【Japanese】 Worldmappinコミュニティの皆さん、こんにちは！昨年末、夫の実家を訪れるため九州に帰省しました。帰省の旅は2泊3日で、宮崎県の面白いスポットをいくつか見て回ることができたので紹介させてください。

宮崎は12月も後半というのに上着が要らないほどの暖かさでした… といっても、いつもそうというわけではなく、私たちが滞在していた数日間が特別に暖かかったようです。天候も良かったおかげで、今回紹介する青島神社周辺の海や砂浜の綺麗な写真を撮ることができました。

青島神社は、宮崎県宮崎市青島にある神社で、島全体が境内という珍しい場所です。彦火火出見命（ひこほほでみのみこと）と豊玉姫命（とよたまひめのみこと）の夫婦神と、塩筒大神（しおつちのおおかみ）が祀られています。縁結び・安産・航海安全のご利益があるとされ、古くからパワースポットとして人気だそうです。私は日本の神話については詳しくありませんが、神様が三人もいる！ということで、なんだかご利益がありそう☺️ 1200年以上前から信仰されていると言われています。ここへは義兄の勧めで訪れたのですが、本当にナイスチョイスでした…お義兄さん👍

参拝するにはまずこの「弥生橋」を渡るのですが、周囲に広がる風景に目を奪われます。なんと言っても、「鬼の洗濯板」が面白い。鬼の鬼の洗濯板は、約700万年前に海中でできた岩盤が隆起し、長年の波の浸食で硬い砂岩部分だけが残ってできた波状の岩です。巨大な洗濯板のように見えることからこの名前がつき、国の天然記念物に指定されています。

青島周辺だけでなく、日南海岸沿いでも見られる不思議な自然の造形です。レンタカーで海岸沿いの道をドライブした際、遠目に見てはいたものの… ここ青島神社では、実際に岩の上に乗ったり触ったりできるのが楽しいポイント！息子たちも私も岩の上で遊んでしまって、なかなか神社に辿り着きません😅（平日だったためか人は少なめです）

青島は「貝でできた島」とも言われ、砂のように見えるものは実は全て砕けた貝なのです。中にはまだ元の形を保っている貝殻もあったりして、次男は貝殻集めに夢中になっていました。

鳥居をくぐって、本殿にお参り。青島神社は、縁結びや安産、航海・交通安全にご利益があるとされます。今回、7年ぶり？の飛行機だったので、無事に帰れるようお願いしました✈️

参拝のあと、おみくじ（一粒万倍みくじ）を引いたところ、大吉でした！釜の中からスプーンで掬って引くという面白いおみくじで、中には「一粒億倍」の大当たりが混ざっているとのことでしたが、それを引くことはできず。。

その後、さらに奥にある「元宮」へと向かいました。元宮は青島神社の本来の聖地で、古代から祭祀が行われていた場所と伝えられています。弥生時代の土器などがたくさん出土しており、現在はビロウの木々に囲まれた静かで神秘的な小さな社です。昔から病気平癒に霊験あらたかと言われ、パワースポットとしても人気があります。元宮へ向かう「祈りの古道」には参拝者たちが祈りを込めた絵馬が飾られており、通るだけで何やらパワーを貰えそうな感じがしました。

元宮で「天の平瓮投げ」をしてみました。平瓮とは、古くから吉凶を占う神事に用いられた、薄い土器のお皿のこと。1枚につき200円の寄付が必要なので気をつけて。願いごとを呟きながら柵の向こうに向けて投げ、平瓮が石で囲まれた聖域に入れば願い事が叶い、割れれば開運厄除けになるとのこと。夫、長男、次男の平瓮は聖域には入らず割れましたが、私のはなんと！入ったんです…聖域に。おみくじも大吉だったし、今年は良いことがありそうな気がします🤤

1200年以上前から存在すると言われる青島神社。貝殻の砂浜や鬼の洗濯板など、東京ではなかなか見られない風景も手伝って、とても良い「気」をもらったような、そんな気持ちになりました。 [//]:# ([//]:# (!worldmappin 31.80459 lat 131.47488 long d3scr))

寒川神社