[VOL.61] Tsubaki Grand Shrine ⛩ On the Day of a New Beginning | Prayers and Omikuji Received at the Grand Head Shrine of Michibiraki
Happy New Year.
Thank you for reading my blog last year.
This year, I will continue to share with you the pure atmosphere and messages I receive during my travels.
I hope that for all of you, this new year will be one blessed with the necessary connections and timing.
I look forward to your continued support this year.
This time, I am changing things up a bit from my usual Kanto power spot tours to introduce Tsubaki Grand Shrine, famous for its 'michibiraki' (path-opening), which I visited during a major turning point last year.
On February 11, 2025, I visited Tsubaki Grand Shrine in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, wanting to prepare for my new path ahead.
[Table of Contents]
1. To Tsubaki Grand Shrine Before a New Path
2. The Grand Head Shrine of Sarutahiko Okami | What is Michibiraki?
3. The Forest Approach | In the Silence Surrounded by Cedar Trees
4. Prayer at the Main Hall | Praying for a New Path
5. A Grateful Omikuji | Words from Sarutahiko Okami
6. Kanae Falls | Social Media Buzz and How to Receive It Locally
7. Tsubakigishi Shrine | Wishing to Amenouzume-no-Mikoto
8. Summary | The Feeling of the Path Becoming One
1. To Tsubaki Grand Shrine Before a New Path
February 11, 2025.
Tsubaki Grand Shrine is known as the grand head shrine of all shrines dedicated to Sarutahiko Okami.
Sarutahiko Okami is the 'God of Michibiraki' (path-opening).
Opening a path, guiding the way.
Drawn by those words, I headed to Tsubaki Grand Shrine on this day.
Before starting something new, I wanted to align my future direction.
With that feeling, I stepped into the shrine grounds.
2. The Grand Head Shrine of Sarutahiko Okami | What is Michibiraki?
Tsubaki Grand Shrine is located in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, and is considered the grand head shrine of all shrines in the country that enshrine Sarutahiko Okami.
Sarutahiko Okami is known as the god who provided guidance during the descent of the heavenly grandson.
'Michibiraki' does not just mean opening a path; it also means indicating the direction to take and providing guidance.
It could be said that visiting this shrine is a way to focus your will when you are lost because there are too many choices.
When starting something, or when you are unsure which path to take, you pray to Sarutahiko Okami for guidance.
Whenever I am unsure which path to take, I always visit Sarutahiko Okami to ask for the direction I should follow.
3. The Forest Approach | In the Silence Wrapped in Snow}
When I entered the grounds, the first thing that caught my eye were the giant cedar trees covered in pure white snow.
In the snowy landscape, a single path stretched straight toward the main hall.
As I walked, perhaps because the snow was absorbing the sound, the surrounding noises gradually faded away, and I felt as if I were being wrapped in a deep silence.
The air was cool and clear.
The scent of the forest sleeping under the snow.
Walking along the silver approach itself was a time that seemed to calm my daily hesitations and the restlessness of my heart.
On the grounds, there are frog statues covered in snow placed everywhere.
These are frogs considered to be the messengers of Sarutahiko Okami.
They are beloved by visitors, playing on the words 'kaeru' (to return safely) and 'fuku ga kaeru' (good fortune returns).
As I walked while looking for frogs wearing snow hats, the tension in my shoulders naturally faded away.
There was such a mysterious sense of comfort.
4. Prayer at the Main Hall | Praying for a New Path
On this day, I received a prayer at the main hall.
I prayed that the path ahead would lead in a good direction.
During the prayer, while quietly bowing my head, I organized my thoughts within myself.
Rather than a wish, it felt like gently aligning my inner compass to the direction I should go.
It was not about having something granted, but about confirming my own will.
Taking the first step to walk the path ahead with my own feet.
I received the prayer with that feeling.
5. A Grateful Omikuji | Words from Sarutahiko Okami
After the prayer, I drew an Omikuji.
The result was 'Daikichi' (Great Blessing).
The Omikuji from Sarutahiko Okami contained words about the path ahead.
The Omikuji I drew that day felt like it was supporting my new beginning.
More than the result of 'Daikichi' itself, I felt that the words written there were exactly what I needed at this moment.
When drawing an Omikuji, I always value 'how I receive it' more than 'what is written'.
It seems I will be reading the Omikuji from this day many times as I walk the path ahead.
6. Kanae Falls | Social Media Buzz and How to Receive It Locally
There is a place at Tsubaki Grand Shrine called 'Kanae Falls'.
On social media, the rumor that 'if you use a photo of it as your wallpaper, your wishes will come true' is spreading.
In fact, many people were taking photos of the waterfall with their smartphones on-site.
When you stand in front of Kanae Falls, you can hear the sound of the water.
The sound of the flowing water feels like it washes away the blockages in your heart.
I don't know if wishes come true, but I felt that it is at least a place where 'your feelings become aligned'.
7. Tsubakigishi Shrine | Wishing to Amenouzume-no-Mikoto
On the grounds, there is a sub-shrine called Tsubakigishi Shrine.
Here, Amenouzume-no-Mikoto, the wife of Sarutahiko Okami, is enshrined.
Amenouzume-no-Mikoto is known as the goddess of performing arts, but she is also worshipped as a goddess of marital harmony.
What I wished for at Tsubakigishi Shrine on this day was about 'expression' and 'harmony'.
When starting something new, being able to express my thoughts appropriately.
And that my relationships with those around me are harmonious.
I felt that both were necessary for the path ahead.
The vermilion shrine building of Tsubakigishi Shrine has a different atmosphere from the main hall, and the time I spent putting my hands together there calmed my heart.
8. Summary | The Feeling of the Path Becoming One
When I finished my visit to Tsubaki Grand Shrine and left the grounds, I had a strange feeling.
It was the feeling that 'the path had become one'.
Before the visit, there were too many choices, and I was lost as to where I should go.
After finishing the visit, it wasn't that my hesitation had disappeared, but a sense of conviction that 'this is the path I should take' had been born.
Sarutahiko Okami's 'michibiraki' might not be about changing fate, but about returning the core of your own judgment.
Being able to visit Tsubaki Grand Shrine before a new beginning had great significance for me.
Receiving a prayer, drawing a Daikichi Omikuji, aligning my heart in front of Kanae Falls, and making a wish at Tsubakigishi Shrine.
I think that series of events became a 'preparation' for moving onto a new path.
What kind of path will I walk from here on?
I don't know yet, but I intend to move forward one step at a time, keeping what I received at Tsubaki Grand Shrine in my heart.
Thank you for reading until the end.
I hope this article gently pushes your back toward your next journey.
Please have a wonderful year.
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