Respect for centipede: Hakusan Jinjya (One of the oldest shrine in Kamakura)
Centipade (MUKADE in Japanese) is supposed to be an creepy insect.
As the name says, its feet looks like more than hundreds and known as poisonous. If you got bite, you need to go to the hospital for the injection, which I did the same 20 yrs ago.
Well, Hakusan Jinjya is showing respect for Centipade. (Mukade). How you can find it? You see the unique SHIMENAWA (the huge rope made of straw which normally your can see in front of the shrine).
Also, it is good to know that this Shrine is build by MINAMOTO NO YORITOMO, on 1191. (MINAMOTO NO YORITOMO establised the kamakura era.)
If you look carefully about the SHIMENAWA (the rope), you see the style is quite different from what you can see in other shrines.
Photo image: Hakusan Jinjya from the main gate.
The closer look of the HAKUSAN JINJYA rope.
The rope is decorated with straw and it stands for the legs of centipede.
Also SHIMENAWA itself is woven rough.
Comparison: The ordinal type of Shimenawa.It is decorated as well, but looks much simpler. (Photo from AMANAWA-SHINMEI SHA. Oldest shrine in Kamakura)
SHIMENAWA is renewed every year on the January. I am planning to visit again.
Access Info.
Bus is the convenient way. 15-20 min from JR. Ofuna station.
