Matsushima Shrine

It is written in the "Kamo Mabuchi Biography New Materials" that the Edo period national scholar Kamo Mabuchi stayed at Matsushima Inarisha from November 14, 1737 in the second year of Genbun (1737) and preached the way of God at our company, but since all the company records have been reduced to ashes due to the great earthquake and war damage, the date of founding is not detailed, but according to oral tradition, it is presumed to be before the Kamakura period Genkyo (1321). It is said that there was a small island when this area was a sea in the past, and the ancestors of the Shibata family moved to this islet from the country of Shimoso, solicited the gods in the mansion, and the boatmen obtained a safe voyage with the goal of lighting a lamp every night. On the night of March 2, 1324, the third son, Shibata Gonta, received a divine indication that he should be rescued in a hundred difficulties, and people near and far believed in the miracle of the spiritual experience, and by this they dedicated the title of the first Inari Daimyō God. On February 13, 1585, in accordance with the wishes of the residents, the mansion was opened to the public and freedom of worship was allowed. Due to the dense pine trees on the island, the people chanted Matsushima Inari Daimyojin, and a wooden statue of Gonta was enshrined and was also popularly called Gonta Daimyojin. (Statement of the Shrine Main Office) In the 3rd year of Shotoku (1713), when the new town was opened, the town was named Matsushima Town after the company name. At that time, in order to reclaim the area and build a samurai residence, people with skills from all over Japan gathered and set up their residences, and Matsushima Inari, located in the center of the town, asked them to enshrine the gods of their hometowns, so there were 14 shrines compared to other companies. On April 2, Meiji 7, it was canonized as a village shrine with the name of Matsushima Inari Shrine. On June 10, Taisho 5, the name was changed to Matsushima Shrine. On February 1, Showa 8, with the implementation of the City Planning Law, the name was changed to Kagaku-cho 4-chome, and therefore Matsushima Town disappeared. (From Matsushima Shrine Historical Book)