Shimonoseki Attractions｜A legendary attraction that looks like an underwater dragon palace—Akama Jingu Shrine

There is a Akama Jingu Shrine in Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, where ghost stories are circulated. It enshrines Emperor Antoku and the Heike clan of the Tale of the Heike. At the end of the Heian period, the decisive battle of the Genpei War took place at Dan-no-ura near present-day Shimonoseki. The defeated members of the Heike clan, along with the eight-year-old Emperor Antoku, who had Heike blood, jumped into the sea and committed suicide, thus declaring the Heike clan extinct. Soon after, the Great Bunji Earthquake occurred. It was said that it was caused by the vengeful spirit of the young Emperor Andoku. The Genji clan, who had won and taken control of the situation, built Amida Temple to enshrine Emperor Andoku. Transportation Tips: Generally, you can visit Shimonoseki City's Karato Market and Akama Jingu Shrine from Kitakyushu City's Mojiko Port, so it takes about 20 minutes to walk across the Kanmon Bridge to arrive; or you can take the Shimonoseki shuttle boat from Mojiko Port and arrive at Shimonoseki Port in about 5 minutes; take the Shinkansen and get off at Shin-Shimonoseki Station or Kokura Station, transfer to the JR train to JR Shimonoseki Station, and then take the bus to get off at Akama Jingu-mae. The magnificent Suitenmon Gate, painted bright red, is the most impressive thing about Akama Jingu Shrine. It faces the Kanmon Strait and overlooks Mojiko Port. When the weather is good, the red, white and green buildings are set off by the azure blue water. Including the Suiten Gate, the entire Akama Jingu Shrine is designed to look like the Ryugu Palace, and there is a huge ema next to it. Before Emperor Andoku jumped into the water, his grandmother told him that "there is a capital under the waves", so later generations designed the shrine to be like the Dragon Palace, symbolizing the deity enshrined at the bottom of the sea. When Akama Jingu Shrine was still a temple, there was a blind biwa master named Yoshiichi in the temple. He was invited to play the biwa at a wealthy family's home, but was discovered by the monks of the temple that he was playing at the cemetery of the Heike clan. The monks wrote the Heart Sutra all over Yoshiichi's body so that ghosts could not see him, but the sutra missed the ears. At night, the ghosts only saw the ears and took Yoshiichi's ears away. This is the story of Yoshiichi the Earless. There are many fascinating legends behind the Akama Jingu Shrine, and it is close to Karato Market and Moji Port, so you can plan a day to walk around and explore. #Akama Jingu Shrine #Shimonoseki #Moji Port #Shimonoseki Bridge #Shimonoseki Strait #Houichi Muer #The Tale of the Heike #Genpei War #Emperor Antoku