Yurahime Shrine is a shrine of high status, whose name appears in documents from as early as the Heian period (the period from 794 to 1185). It is also known as the Ichinomiya, or highest-ranking shrine, of the Dōzen Islands. In an old document from the Heian period, there is a list of shrines around Japan, recorded along with their ranks. One of these ranks is “Myōjin Taisha,” which indicates the shrine of a deity with particularly remarkable abilities. Four of these Myōjin Taisha are located in the Oki Islands: Mizuwakasu Shrine and Ise-mikoto Shrine in Okinoshima Town, Yurahime Shrine in Nishinoshima Town, and Uzuka-mikoto Shrine in Ama Town.

The small bay in front of Yurahime Shrine is known locally as “Squid Bay.” Every year from October to February, squid have been known to swim close to the shore, including some squid as large as one meter long. There is a legend that the goddess enshrined here was crossing the water in a large bucket one day on her way into the bay. As she pushed through the seawater with her hands, squid swam around and playfully tugged and pulled at them. As this was incredibly rude and disrespectful to the goddess, large schools of squid are said to have visited the bay every year since, apologizing for the disrespect of their ancestors.

This bay faces southwest, in the perfect direction as if waiting for squid moving through on the Tsushima Current. As they pass by, they are lured in by the bay, washing ashore. It is thought that the shrine was built here because the presence of such a large number of squid meant that there must be a deity here.

This shrine is also nicknamed “Squid Shrine,” and is decorated with many carvings of squid. As you visit the shrine, take a look around and see how many squid you can see.

*This guide was created based on documents and interviews and includes some interpretation done by us at ON THE TRIP. Theories differ between experts, so try to find out what really happened on your travels!

ON THE TRIP Editorial Staff
Photography: Hiroshi Honma
Narration: Chelsea Krause (guide), Daniel Jordan and Ryland Lee (radio)
Translation (Radio): Autumn Smith, Sara Scarf