Coincidence or destiny? My 2023 trip to Japan included taking the Matsuura Testudo Line from Sasebo. The original plan was to take it to Imari and then transfer to the Karatsu Line. From there, I planned to visit the Onizuka station near Karatsu. I don't really recall how I discovered it, but it was probably from randomly Google Mapping the rail line...while looking around a Onizuka Shrine suddenly appeared on the map. It perked my interest and added it to my itinerary. Little did I know how much of an adventure it would end up being!
The plan was to take the Matsuura Testudo line to Tanagata Station. From there it looked like a short trek to the shrine. The shrine appeared to be right in the middle of the mountain with a road around the entire base. The images of the shrine from Google Maps led me to believe that the shrine was accessible (realized later they were few years old). We boarded in Sasebo and headed out.
Once we got off the train at Tanagata we headed towards the road leading to the shrine. When we got to the start of the road we realized that it was an overgrown unused road probably used by utility workers only. At the very moment we realized our mistake, a truck pulled up and the man told us "there is nothing there" (何もないよ). He was from the company called (株)新光電気 which is located right by the road. My mom told the man we were looking for the shrine and the man left to bring another person out he said may know more about it. We must've looked like weirdos showing up lugging suitcases around in the middle of nowhere.
The boss came out and told us we needed to go around to the other side to get to the entrance. After thanking them for their help we lugged our suitcases around and over to the other side closer to the next station we should've gotten off on, Masaru Station.
After reaching the entrance on the other side of the road, we headed down it. There is a power station at the end of the road and beyond it, it looks like the road is not maintained. There is a little parking area right before it and there we finally found the tori gate. At the parking area, there was a man in a car probably taking his lunch break there in peace. My mom asked him to watch our stuff and he said okay.
The stairs leading into the mountains looked neglected but acccesible, so we decided to head up. There were tons of big spiders and we were very careful to not run into them. We used several sticks to clear the spider webs blocking the path as we made our way up the hill slowly, making sure we don't run into the massive webs. Eventually it got more and more overgrown and dark. After a while the trail splits into 3 and we looked around to decide which one was the right way. There were steep stairs heading up but that ended quickly. To the right it looked promising, so we headed that way. It got darker and eventually the trail disappeared at a flat area with a large rock face where we found a memorial. However there was no shrine. We retraced our steps and headed to the left but that also ended. Nature had retaken the mountain. We were a little disappointed but satisfied that we had tried our best. We headed back down and spoke to the man who was in the car at the parking lot. My mom asked him if he knew about the shrine and he said that we were on the right track going right where the memorial was, but due to slides and lack of maintenance the shrine area was probably no longer accessible unless we did some serious bush whacking. We thanked him and left.
Since we were closer to Masaru station we crossed the highway and headed down the road leading to the station. It was then that my mom said "there it is!" Right next to the station, the Onizuka shrine appeared. We were so excited and took it as a sign from the Onizuka shrine gods.
The shrine at some point was moved off the mountain (probably due to deteriorating conditions and difficult access). The original site's relics were moved here as well.
This memorial plaque is for the Aiura tanden ireihi (memorial)
Workers that died for the souls to rest in peace
明治ニ十八 棚潟たて祀らえし 棚方神社の大神を鬼塚神社へ合祀す 平成十九四月二十七日
Meiji 28 Tanagata jinga merged with Onizuka jinga.
Heisei 19 4/27 priest Iimori jinga matsu seiji
建立日平成三十一年三月吉日
Konryu-hi Heisei 31 nen 3 gatsu kichi-jitsu
(Erected Heisei year 31 in March)
奉納者 九州電力株式会社 相浦発電所
Hou-nou mono Kyushu Denroku Kabushiki Kaisha Aiura Hatsu Densho
Donated by Kyushu Electric Company Aiura Hatsu Densho
It looks like the new shrine was sponsored by Kyushu Electric. We left donation money and a note in the donation box. We were so glad that the Onizuka shrine had found a new home. Our adventure ended here and we walked right next door to wait for our next train out.
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