古代若狭の信仰に走る天つ神と国つ神の裂け目Ancient Wakasa Faith Rift Between Amatsukami and Kunitsukami

Today, I am visiting Higashi-Obama in western Wakasa, Fukui prefecture. This region is known for having the oldest route used to transport marine products from Wakasa Bay to the ancient Japanese capital of Yamato, and subsequently Kyoto. In particular, prosperity began when the challenging Harihata Pass on the Wakasa-Kyoto route was opened early on, and the area continued to be a critical point even as multiple other routes to Yamato and Kyoto were developed.

Higashi-Obama was important not only for its north-south route to Yamato and Kyoto but also as a junction for east-west routes connecting Echizen and Wakasa (especially Tsuruga) to the Sea of Japan coast at Tango’s Tanabe (Maizuru City, Kyoto) and Miyazu (Miyazu City, Kyoto). Thus, it has historically been an active hub for travel and trade. However, before people established these paths, the routes were naturally formed through geological events.

Looking closely at the topography, the “Mikata Fault” (三方断層) stretches from Kiyamazu (気山津), east of the Mikata Five Lakes which I visited yesterday, toward Kumagawa-juku (熊川宿) in the south. At the same time, the “Kumagawa Fault” (熊川断層) extends from Obama facing Wakasa Bay towards Kumagawa-juku. Kumagawa-juku thus became the intersection point for these two faults, from which another fault known as the “Hanaore Fault” (花折断層) extends over 50 km along the mountainous region west of Lake Biwa toward Kyoto’s central Sakyo Ward. This route was vital for transporting Wakasa fish to Kyoto, which was inland and historically lacked fresh seafood, and has come to be famously known as the “Saba Kaido” (Mackerel Road). Yet, long before it earned this name, the path itself was naturally shaped by these fault lines. This geological formation was also one of the reasons Kyoto was selected as the capital in 794. Therefore, Wakasa played a crucial role in supporting Kyoto’s early prosperity.

In subsequent eras, the flow of seafood into the Kansai region via the Mackerel Road expanded significantly, positioning Wakasa as the most important center supplying high-quality marine products to Kyoto. In the Heian period, Wakasa became known as “Miketsu-kuni” (御食国), meaning the land providing food to the Kyoto court, especially seafood. Even today, Kyoto City boasts numerous local specialties based on traditional preserved seafood, thanks to its historical relationship with Wakasa.

The Higashi-Obama area retains traces of the oldest route heading toward Yamato and Kyoto, and two shrines are located at the entrance of this ancient path. These shrines currently stand at the western foothills near the “Onyu River,” but walking through the area and studying the terrain, it appears that in ancient times the Onyu River might have reached near the shrines. While it is now written as “遠敷川” (Onyu-gawa), historically it was written as “小丹生川” (also pronounced Onyu-gawa). It’s uncertain exactly when the characters changed, though it’s estimated to have occurred around the Edo period. However, the area historically used the name “小丹生” (Onyu).

“Niu” (丹生) refers to the ancient name for the red mineral cinnabar (mercury sulfide). In Wakasa and other cinnabar-producing regions like Mount Koya in Wakayama, this mineral was worshipped as a goddess, and shrines remain today. This belief was also present when I investigated Tokushima, where cinnabar was historically transported to Yamato. Although the pronunciation differs regionally—“Onifu” (小丹生) in Mount Koya, “Onyu” (小丹生) in Wakasa, and “Konyu” (小丹生) in eastern Tsuruga—the tradition is widespread. In Tsuruga, there are place names such as “Konyu-ura” (小丹生浦) along Tsuruga Bay, with surrounding areas including “Nyu Mountains” (丹生山地), “Onyu-ura” (大丹生浦), and “Omi-ura” (大味浦) indicating a historical presence of cinnabar mining in the region.

The two shrines here are called “Wakasahiko Shrine” (若狭彦神社) and “Wakasahime Shrine” (若狭姫神社) (“Hiko” = male deity, “Hime” = female deity). Geographically, Wakasahime Shrine is located closer to the foothills, while Wakasahiko Shrine is situated about 1.5 km southward, deeper into the mountains. Both shrines have historically attracted inseparable devotion.

“Wakasahime” literally means “Princess Deity of Wakasa,” and historically, she has been identified and merged with Toyotama-hime (豊玉比売), while Wakasahiko has been identified with Toyotama-hiko (豊玉比古). This understanding dates back over a thousand years, but interestingly, the roots of Toyotama-hiko/Toyotama-hime trace back to southern sea deities.

These deities appear in ancient texts like Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. In mythology, the sea kami Watatsumi (綿津見大神, also known as Toyotama-hiko) had a daughter, Toyotama-hime. Toyotama-hime is notably the mother of Ugayafukiaezu (鵜葺草葺不合命), father of the first emperor Jimmu. The origins of this Toyotama belief lie in the Ryukyu Islands (modern Okinawa). Although the area near Wakasahime Shrine is now inland, geological evidence suggests that during the Jomon Transgression, the sea or ancient river estuaries likely reached deep inland from Obama. In studying the goddesses enshrined in various regions, I have felt how closely they are tied to water and rivers. It seems plausible that ancient maritime tribes navigating Wakasa Bay entered via these estuaries, traveling upstream (likely via today’s Onyu River), visiting first Wakasahime Shrine and then Wakasahiko Shrine. Wakasahime Shrine grounds still feature cedar trees over 300 years old, imparting a profound sense of ancient spirituality.

Moreover, at a local café, elderly men gathered and told me about last year’s relocation of Wakasahiko (Toyotama-hiko) for renovation work on Wakasahiko Shrine. According to ancient traditions, this deity should never be exposed to sunlight, so the relocation ceremony began at dusk. Priests and local worshippers formed a procession at night, walking 1.5 km to temporarily enshrine the deity at Wakasahime Shrine. The renovation will finish this October, after which another dusk ceremony will return the deity. Clearly, ancient customs persist strongly here.

Why Wakasahiko/Toyotama-hiko must avoid sunlight remains unknown, even locally. Perhaps an ancient tribe intentionally avoided exposing their deity to sunlight, opposing solar worship. Presently, Shinto’s sun deity is Amaterasu, identified with Dainichi Nyorai following Buddhist-Shinto syncretism (Honji-suijaku) brought by Kukai’s introduction of esoteric Buddhism. Before this, equating Amaterasu directly with the sun deity was not widespread. Originally, “Ama” indicated “sea,” and I believe Amaterasu was originally a sea deity worshipped along Ise’s coastline, unrelated directly to sun worship.

Today, Amaterasu is written as “天照,” meaning “heaven-shining,” symbolizing solar worship. However, originally it should have been “海照,” meaning “sea-shining.” Although pronounced identically, the meaning changed dramatically due to written characters. Thus, Amaterasu initially represented a “sea-illuminating deity,” distinct from solar worship.

Furthermore, Amaterasu is an amatsukami (天つ神), a god of heaven, while Toyotama-hiko and Toyotama-hime are kunitsukami (国つ神), gods of the land. Historically, as Amaterasu became prominent, the amatsukami may have influenced the sea gods of the land, leading the latter to develop taboos against sunlight. This theory requires further research in Amami and Ryukyu but hints at a rift between the amatsukami and the kunitsukami.

The ancient maritime tribes remain essential to fully understanding Japanese history from Jomon onwards. Viewing from the Obama Line train window, the lush green rice paddies rippling from southern mountain breezes toward Wakasa Bay left me utterly speechless with their beauty.