Ina-shimo Shrine ‐ Two Dragons
Matsuzaki
002
In Matsuzaki, on the Izu Peninsula, there is a shrine that has quietly
remained for centuries.
Inashimo Shrine.
It is considered one of the oldest shrines in the area, a place where layers
of belief and everyday life have long overlapped.
In Shinto, Japan’s indigenous belief system, it has long been understood
that spirits dwell within nature—in mountains, rivers, forests, and the sea.
Behind the shrine rises Mount Ushibara, regarded as its sacred body.
The mountain itself has been an object of worship, reflecting an older
form of mountain reverence.
At the summit, there was once a ritual site known as Hiradaira.
People are said to have offered prayers and offerings to stones shaped
like dragons, honoring the spirit of the mountain.
Across Japan and much of Asia, dragons have long been associated with
water. They are believed to bring rain, move through waterways, and
nourish the land. Their ascent into the sky is often seen as a reflection
of the movement and cycle of water itself.
At Inashimo Shrine, there is a story that has been passed down through
generations.
It is said that long ago, where the worship hall now stands, there was once
a large waterfall basin fed by water flowing down from the mountain.
According to local legend, two dragons were believed to live there.
“As time passed, the water in the basin gradually disappeared.
One dragon ascended into the sky, while the other remained in this place,
eventually becoming stone.”
That is the story passed down in this place.
It is also said that after the rain, the mist that rises within the shrine
grounds can sometimes be seen as the two dragons meeting once again—
one from the sky, and one from the earth.
Even now, water continues to flow beneath Mount Ushibara, emerging
here as sacred spring water.
It has quietly sustained life in this place for generations.
In Japan, it is often in places where water exists that such stories of
dragons remain quietly, and carried forward over time.
＊The Matsuzaki Morning Walk also visits Inashimo Shrine.
