Page 16 - e-brochures about the Oki Islands 2024
P. 16
Jā-maki Ritual Renge-e-mai Dance Yurahime Shrine Festival
DEEPEN YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF
JAPANESE CULTURE
T he Oki Islands, though small and and observances, just like the rest of the
country. However, the ones here on the
remote, have played a signi cant
role in Japanese history, and traces of that islands are not quite the same. All four of
past can be found in the islands’ culture. the inhabited islands have their own per-
It is said that in the past there were sonality and unique cultural identities.
more than 300 shrines in Oki, and more In addition to grand summer festivals
than a hundred still stand today. e types with rework displays, and dance parades
of shrines found here demonstrate that the where anyone can jump in and join, there
islands were once a very prosperous place. are also practises observed only by particular
e most notable are the 16 shrines recorded local communities, and festivals that were
in Engishiki Jinmyōcho, a list of import- introduced to the islands by exiles or sailors
ant shrines compiled in the year 927. Four of the trading ships docking at local ports.
of them were given the high ranking of ese traditions have been passed down
myōjin taisha—shrines dedicated to import- through generations of islanders to become
ant deities. Ancient mythology also sug- an invaluable part of the local culture.
gests the signi cance of the islands, as By visiting this small archipelago, visi-
according to the creation myth of the Japa- tors can discover important episodes of
nese archipelago, the land of Oki was cre- Japanese history and experience unique
ated third, a er Awajishima and Shikoku. traditions, a special treat for connoisseurs
With the huge number of shrines in of Japanese culture.
the Oki Islands, there are countless festivals