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Emaden Hall: Home to Sacred Offerings of Suruga Bay’s Fishermen
大瀬神社の絵馬殿：漁師たちの奉納品が残る場所
Tucked along the shoreline of Cape Ose, Emaden Hall holds a quiet archive of faith and gratitude, and is part of the tranquil Ose Shrine complex, where local fishermen have long offered photos, paintings, and other tributes to the shrine’s deity. These heartfelt offerings are not only prayers for a bountiful catch, but more importantly, for safety while navigating the unpredictable waters of Suruga Bay.
This peaceful spot is just a 9-minute walk along the shoreline from the Ose Paid Parking Lot, about 171 km (106 miles) southwest of Tokyo—a manageable and rewarding day trip or overnight getaway.
While Cape Ose is perhaps better known as a diving hotspot, with guesthouses and diving schools dotting the area, there’s much more to discover beyond the waves.
For me, the draw was the spiritual and natural beauty of the cape: exploring the shrine grounds, delving into its history, and walking through the nearby Osezaki Juniper Forest. This ancient grove, home to around 130 naturally growing juniper trees, includes specimens thought to be over 1,000 years old. It’s one of the rarest forests of its kind in Japan, with a sense of stillness that lingered with me long after leaving.
Whether you're a diver, a history buff, or simply someone looking to experience a quieter side of Japan, I think Cape Ose is a destination worth the detour.
Location: Numazu, Shizuoka, Japan
Timestamp: 2025/03/19・10:18
Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP
28 mm ISO 800 for 1/200 sec. at ƒ/4.5
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Peeking Inside Emaden Hall: A Glimpse of Ose Shrine’s Sacred Legacy大瀬神社・絵馬殿：地元漁師たちの願いと祈りが宿る場所
Peeking inside Emaden Hall of Ose Shrine, I discovered many items classically associated with Shinto shrines throughout the Japanese archipelago.
Within the hall, various offerings made by local fishermen to the shrine’s deity reflect their hopes for bountiful catches and safe journeys at sea. These offerings include hand-carved model fishing boats, wooden votive plaques (ema) depicting fishing scenes, handwritten prayers, photographs, paintings of fishing vessels, and even items taken directly from the boats. When launching a new vessel, it was tradition for a fisherman to donate a model of his boat to the shrine as a prayer for protection while at sea.
Since ancient times, fishermen have dedicated these handcrafted models and drawings to the shrine. These artworks, vividly portraying the lives and aspirations of seafaring communities, have been recognized as one of the 100 Best Historical and Cultural Properties of Japanese Fishing Villages.
Other visitors to the shrine, other than local fishermen, would often bring senjafuda (千社札): paper name tags inscribed in sumi ink using traditional Japanese calligraphy. Pilgrims would paste these slips onto hidden surfaces within the hall using a rice-based adhesive. The belief was that by leaving behind your name, you would continue to receive the shrine’s blessings long after departing.
Mounted on the wall are two striking tengu masks—one black, representing the karasu tengu (烏天狗) with its crow-like beak, and one red, representing the yamabushi tengu (山仏師天狗) with a human face and long nose. Tengu are mythological, shapeshifting mountain spirits. Once feared as mischievous or malevolent beings, over time they evolved into guardians of sacred places and guides for spiritual seekers.
I’m grateful to the local Osezaki community for preserving these cultural treasures, and for allowing visitors like myself to experience the wonder and stories behind each relic.
Location: Numazu, Shizuoka, Japan
Timestamp: 2025/03/19・10:18
Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP
48 mm ISO 1600 for 1/100 sec. at ƒ/4.5
Google Maps link + sources:
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