More enjoyable trip to Hachimantai and Appi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan
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Sakuramatsu Shrine And the Good Luck Tree

Sakuramatsu Park

Sakuramatsu Park, located in the Ashiro district of Hachimantai City, is known as a quiet and peaceful place. This park is a spiritual home for the local people. From the parking lot, a short circular walking trail, fragrant with cedar and pine trees more than 200 years old, leads along a mountain stream to the Sakuramatsu Shrine.

This small shrine was reportedly built in at least 1744, and its name comes from a legend that cherry blossoms bloomed from the branches of a pine tree in the area long ago. The shrine is believed to bring good luck to visitors, and many people come to the shrine for good fortune. Why not spend a quiet moment in Sakura-matsu Park, where natural beauty and mystical legends intersect?

Sakuramatsu Shrine And the Good Luck Tree

As one passes through the entrance gate of Sakura Pine Park, the first thing that catches the eye are two moss-covered maple trees. These trees have aged over the years, but their winding appearance is still admired by visitors. The two maples, which grow strongly out of the rocks and appear to be one tree from the base to the middle of the winding trunk, are considered a symbol of good luck for couples because of their unique appearance. Many people who wish for the fulfillment of love and marital bliss come to the park to join hands in front of the trees and make a wish for their appearance. Why not enhance your luck in love while experiencing the wonder and beauty of nature at Sakuramatsu Park?

A few steps beyond is the shrine. After paying respect with a bow, summon the gods with a pull on the corded ropes tied with bells. Bow twice, clap your hands twice, and then bow again after you have said your prayer.

The kami of Sakuramatsu Shrine is Seoritsuhime, the goddess of river rapids, venerated for cleansing the world of impurity. It is said that Sakuramatsu Shrine is the northernmost shrine in Japan where Seoritsuhime is worshipped.
Sakuramatsu Park
The Sakarumatsu Shrine
The trees are considered a source of good luck for couples.

Fudo Falls

Fudo Falls
Farther along the path is the Fudo no Taki waterfall, a cascade that once served as training ground for practitioners of Shugendo, a tradition of mountain asceticism incorporating Shinto and Buddhist beliefs. Fudo refers to the central deity of the five Wisdom Kings, whose fierceness converts anger into salvation. The three-tiered waterfall drops from a height of 15 meters and is listed among Japan’s top 100 scenic cascades. From here the trail descends with the falls and turns to follow the mountain stream through a leafy glen that is filled with ferns and moss-covered stones. Along the way back to the starting point are benches in shady spots that invite a break or even a picnic. The annual shrine festival is held each May 3, when snowmelt turns the cascade into a powerful rushing torrent.
Historical lore relates that the elderly couple who discovered cherry blossoms growing from a pine tree here saw the beautiful figure of Seoritsuhime in the stream as they walked along. When they happened on the waterfall, the wife felt Seoritsuhime’s presence in the cascade; the husband felt that of Fudo. Such tales associating Shinto kami with gods of the Buddhist pantheon are not uncommon, and point to the fluidity of these traditions, especially as people of long ago interpreted them in nature.
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