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The Warrior and the Waves: Symbolic Carvings of Ose Shrine
大瀬崎の大瀬神社：脇障子に刻まれた波、花、そして勇ましい武士
Many small Shinto shrines feature verandas that wrap around the left, front, and right sides of the worship hall. These verandas typically do not extend to the back, so a decorative partition—resembling an artfully adorned folding screen—is installed at the rear ends of the veranda.
This partition, known as a wakishōji (脇障子), serves a dual purpose: it prevents visitors from accidentally stepping off the veranda, where there are no stairs, and it subtly restricts access to the back of the main worship hall (haiden 拝殿), beyond which lies the honden (本殿)—the central structure housing the shrine's sacred object of worship.
Whether large or small, many shrines incorporate uniquely hand-carved wakishōji, often depicting scenes from myth, revered historical or religious figures, or local legends passed down among villagers. Each carving is a quiet but eloquent expression of regional identity and artistic tradition.
In the photo above, the panel features a warrior—likely a samurai—gripping a bow in his left hand. His right arm is drawn back, and a single arrow is slung over his shoulder, the feathered end poking up from behind. Behind him, stylized waves crash dramatically at his feet, while flowering trees bloom above, lending a vivid, almost theatrical atmosphere to the carving.
I couldn’t definitively identify the type of blossoms depicted in the panel. A friend of mine—a professional landscape designer who once lived in Japan—suggested they may be stylized chrysanthemums. Chrysanthemums frequently appear in Japanese art, symbolizing royalty and featuring prominently in family crests. Given the rich history of the Izu Peninsula and Shizuoka Prefecture, and the stylistic tendencies of the period, it’s possible the blossoms were intended to represent the shrine’s elevated status—with the warrior standing as its fierce protector.
I'd love to return to this site during a local festival and speak with a shrine priest or village elder to learn more about the origins of the carving and the shrine’s deeper history.
- Location: Numazu, Shizuoka, Japan
- Timestamp: 2025/03/19・10:27
- Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP
- 105 mm ISO 400 for 1/100 sec. at ƒ/5.6
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