Kayashima Shrine 萱島神社 After the New Year's Rush

Kayashima Shrine is close to my house and famous because there is a train station right above it. The kami-deity associated with the shrine resides in a large 700 year old Camphor tree. When the train station was being built, the tree could not simply be cut down. (There were many signs and messages directing that the tree not be cut including illnesses and the sighting of an auspicious white snake.) Thus the station was built around it. The tree/kami is seen as especially powerful. Many people claim their wishes have come true after praying and giving a small cash offering. The shrine is small but contains a lot of interesting sights and has many events through the year.

I have taken a lot of photographs at this shrine over the years. You can see some of them here:
https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/search?q=kayashima+shrine

Special Bonus Ethno-Photo-Art

Kayashima Shrine Summer Matsuri (July 27, 2025) / 萱島神社夏祭り（2025年7月27日） / PLUS! A Surprise Bonus! / さらに！サプライズボーナス！

A HOT early Sunday afternoon, the deafening sound of the cicadas on the cherry tress that line the small stream behind out house, and the sound of shouting and taiko drums approaching... "Washai! Washai!" This is the parade of the Kayashima Shrine Summer Festival mikoshi (portable shrine). There are two mikoshi this year, a small, light one hoisted by children and a large one in the back of a truck along with a taiko drum. During this parade, the local deity of the shrine is temporarily transferred to the mikoshi so that it can bestow blessings to all as it moves through the neighborhood. In the past, the mikoshi was hoisted by an army of hot, sweaty men and women. These days, due to the dwindling number of children and elderly people (as a result of the low birth rate and aging society), COVID-19 (durimg the pandemic years) and the sweltering hot tempertures, the number of participants is low and the truck is used. It is a very different scene than it was several years ago, as can be seen here in 2013:

https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2013/07/local-matsuri-i-mikoshi.html

and here in 2014:

https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2014/08/local-matsuri-2014-edition.html

But still, the festival goes on...

BONUS: Mushrooms on the cherry trees (I actually noticed these a month ago)...

Kayashima Summer Festival (July, 2023)

First visit to Kayashima Shrine for the New Year 2023

Kayashima Shrine is famous because there is a train station right above it. The kami-deity associated with the shrine resides in a large 700 year old Camphor tree. When the train station was being built, the tree could not simply be cut down. Thus the station was built around it. The tree/kami is seen as especially powerful. Many people claim their wishes have come true after praying and giving a small cash offering. The shrine is small but contains a lot of interesting sights.

See also「Ringing in Reiwa 2 @ Kayashima Jinja」
https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2020/01/ringing-in-reiwa-2-kayashima-jinja.html

Ringing in Reiwa 2 @ Kayashima Jinja

BONUS! SHOTS (because it takes a little jalan jalan to get to the shrine...)