How to Walk Around Chichibu Like a Local ① How to Walk Around Mitsumine Shrine | My Pilgrimage Route as Someone Raised in Chichibu

As someone who grew up in Chichibu, I will write about the "usual order" I follow when I go to Mitsumine Shrine.

Mitsumine Shrine has now become famous as one of the Kanto region's leading power spots.

Many people visit from far away, and on weekends, the approach to the shrine is bustling with crowds.

However, for me, having grown up in Chichibu, it is a slightly different kind of place.

Rather than a special tourist destination,
it was a shrine I visited regularly since I was a child.

Back then, there was also a ropeway.
I remember that as a child, it was a little treat.

I have been there many times since I was small, but honestly, at the time,

it was just a "big shrine on top of a mountain"

to me.

After I got my motorcycle license, it became a perfect distance for touring, so I started riding there whenever the mood struck me.

The mountain road leading to Mitsumine,
I think, is a somewhat special road for the people of Chichibu.

As you climb the mountain, the air changes.

That feeling might be something you can only understand if you actually ride through it and feel the wind.

And then, when I reached my 30s, I learned something.

My great-grandfather was involved in the activities of the Mitsumine Shrine pilgrimage group.
I heard that he used to guide visitors and was a promoter for the donation of stone lanterns.

Stone monuments and lanterns engraved with my great-grandfather's name still remain on the shrine grounds.

Since learning that, the meaning of going to Mitsumine Shrine has changed a little.
It is no longer just a destination for touring, but a place connected to my own family's history.

For the people of Chichibu, Mitsumine Shrine might be that kind of place.

Since then, I have developed my own personal order for visiting Mitsumine Shrine.
Today, I would like to write about how I walk around it.

First, with green curry in front of the gate

When I go to Mitsumine Shrine, I usually aim to arrive around 11:00 AM.

There is one reason for this.
It is because there is something I absolutely must eat before visiting the shrine.

It is the green curry at Chidoriya, located right in front of the Mitsumine Shrine gate.

This green curry is vegan-friendly, but I am not a vegan.

Even so, this curry is truly delicious.

My personal preference is to put the small side salad on top of the curry and eat them together.
The dressing on the salad goes very well with the curry, so I really want you to experience that marriage of flavors (if you can).

It has such a rich depth and umami that you would never guess it is vegan.

On days I come to Mitsumine Shrine, it all starts with eating this green curry.
In fact, sometimes I even come here to recharge my energy because the curry calls to me.

Passing through the torii gate

Once I finish the curry, it is finally time to head to Mitsumine Shrine.

I bow once in front of the torii gate,
and I walk through the gate along the side, avoiding the center of the approach.

Also, I was taught somewhere that the center of the path is called the 'seichu' and is the path for the gods, so it is proper etiquette for humans not to walk there.

Pressing my hands together for the Okumiya at the Yohai-den

Many people head straight to the purification fountain, but there is a place I stop by first.

It is the Yohai-den (Worship Hall for the distant shrine).

From here, you can look out at the mountain where the Okumiya (inner shrine) is located.

Since the Okumiya requires a light hike, you cannot easily go there without time and proper equipment. (In my experience, it took about two and a half hours round trip.)

Since I cannot easily visit the Okumiya, I press my hands together from this spot toward the mountain where the Okumiya stands.

This is quite a scenic spot, but since the photos just don't seem to capture the awe of the experience, I have intentionally not attached any photos.

Near the Yohai-den, there are also stone monuments engraved with the names of old towns and villages in Chichibu.

If you look closely at the shrine grounds

Chichibu Town
Takashino Village
Ogano Town

and other old place names with slightly different names than today can be seen.

Mitsumine Shrine is a shrine on top of a mountain, but I believe its faith has been supported by the people of Chichibu since long ago.

My great-grandfather's name also remains among them.

I learned recently that my great-grandfather's name is also recorded in documents summarizing the history of the Mitsumine Shrine confraternities.

It is said that in the past, people from Chichibu and craftsmen from Tokyo formed confraternities and made pilgrimages to Mitsumine Shrine.

Statue of Yamato Takeru

After leaving the Yohai-den (Worship Hall), head to the statue of Yamato Takeru.

Recently, it has become a bit of a trend for good luck to take a photo here using perspective to make it look like you are pressing your hands together in prayer to Yamato Takeru.

Actually, I have taken one myself (sweat).

Purification at the Chozuya

After that, I finally head to the Chozuya (water pavilion).

I purify my hands and mouth, then line up on the stairs to wait for my turn to visit the main hall.

And finally, it is time to pray at the main hall.

I will omit the details of how to pray as it is standard, but I currently find the idea of 'expressing gratitude before making requests' to be the most sensible, so that is what I keep in mind.

Borrowing the Divine Messenger

When I visit for the first time after the New Year, I return my old amulets to the prayer application office next to the shrine office and receive new ones.

And one more thing.

This is for applying for the Gokenzoku Haishaku (borrowing of the divine messenger).

It involves borrowing the power of the wolf, the guardian deity of Mitsumine Shrine, to enshrine in your home for protection against fire and theft.

When you borrow the Gokenzoku,

・Do not make any detours
・Do not look back

There are stories like these.

Of course, it is up to each individual how much they believe in this, but hearing such legends conveys how Mitsumine Shrine has been cherished as a special place since ancient times.

↓↓↓ Postscript... I have written an article delving deeper into the Gokenzoku ↓↓↓

How to spend your waiting time

While waiting for your turn for prayers,

it is nice to have a coffee at the Shokyoin next to the waiting area, or I also recommend visiting the Okariya Shrine, which is about a 5-minute walk away.

Okariya Shrine is a shrine that enshrines the wolf.

Nearby, there is also the Marriage Tree.

It is often introduced as "a tree where two trees are joined together," but to go into a bit more detail,

this tree

consists of two different types of trees, a fir and a cypress, standing close together from the roots.

They are not just growing side by side, but are growing together as if supporting each other.

That is said to be why it is considered a symbol of marriage.

Please note that there is another tree at Mitsumine Shrine where two trees are joined together on the path from the torii gate to the main hall, so please be careful not to confuse them. (This one consists of two trees of the same species joined together.)

Don't forget the Soreisha

Once you have finished all your prayers, offer your respects at the Soreisha located next to the main hall.

Here, you do not clap; you simply press your hands together in silence.

Some time ago, a shrine official

told me, "If you press your hands together here, it has the same meaning as visiting your ancestors' graves."

Oh, that's killing two birds with one stone, I thought, so

although it is a place often overlooked, I always make sure to press my hands together here as well.

Souvenirs from Mitsumine Shrine

On my way back, it has become a standard routine for me to draw an omikuji fortune and pick up a bottle of Wolfburn whisky, which can only be bought at Mitsumine Shrine, as a souvenir.

Stopping by Otaki Onsen on the way home

If you have time to spare, I also recommend stopping by Otaki Onsen on your way back.

Taking a bath after feeling the mountain air of Mitsumine is truly exceptional.

I visit Mitsumine Shrine about three or four times a year.

It has become famous as a tourist destination, but for me, it remains unchanged from the past,

a shrine that the people of Chichibu visit regularly

is how I feel about it.

There is no "correct way" to walk around Mitsumine Shrine.

However, if you are planning to visit, I would be happy if you could use this as a reference for one way to walk around.

Next time,
I plan to write about how to walk around Imamiya Shrine.

Even though it is located in the middle of Chichibu town, it is a shrine with unique highlights such as the Dragon God's Spring.
I hope to introduce how the locals pray there as well.

English Summary

Mitsumine Shrine is a mountain shrine located deep in the mountains of Chichibu, Saitama.

Today it is widely known as a powerful spiritual spot in Japan, but for locals who grew up in Chichibu, it has always been a familiar place rather than just a tourist destination.

In this article, the author introduces his personal way of visiting the shrine, beginning with a famous vegan green curry near the shrine gate and continuing through the sacred spots within the shrine grounds.

Magazine: How to Walk Around Chichibu by a Local

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