地主神社のお守り A Bell from Jishu Shrine

Jishu shrine is the playful younger sibling to Kiyomizu temple, the tourist party temple, and like many complexes in Japan, the shrine and temple are side by side. In fact, the uninformed tourist might assume that the little Jishu shrine is a part of Kiyomizu and not a separate place in its own right. Dedicated to love and relationships, Jishu's god is a Okuninushi-no-Mikoto assisted by a rabbit deity.

Okuni-nushi-no-mikoto also serves as a creator god in the Izumo Fudoki, an eighth century text detailing the customs of the people of Izumo. Okuni-nushi-no-mikoto means "Great Land Owner or Master God," and in the Kojiki mythology Okuninushi is made ruler of the unseen world of spirits and souls.

Couples visit the shrine and try out a love challenge, where one person must walk twenty feet from one boulder to another with their eyes closed. Failure means failed romance. On crowded, hot summer afternoons at Jishu, failure can actually happen. I think the boulders are about twenty feet apart, and people can get verbal help from friends.

Unlike Kiyomizu, Jishu shrine actually has a large collection of charms to choose from. This one here is particularly special to me. I purchased it on my first trip to Japan, and I jokingly looped it onto a belt loop and told my friends if they lost me to listen for the chime. Like a cat. The charm is for happiness. I have quite a bit of it in Japan.

A basic omamori from Jishu Shrine.

A stuffed rabbits greets visitors looking over omamori and talismans for sale. 

Worshippers pray at Jishu Shrine.

A tree riddled with holes on the grounds of Jishu Shrine. Believers in Okage-Myojin, a guardian deity for ladies,  would turn to him for revenge. During the Medieval period, vengeful women would nail straw dolls of their enemies to the cedar trees on the grounds of Jishu Shrine. These straw dolls, sort of like voodoo dolls, would place a curse on their enemies. Okage-Myojin is said to answer any prayer...  Many nail marks are visible on trees even today.