Takuhi Shrine, which is located on mountain Takuhi (452m above the sea level), is dedicated to deity of safe sea voyages. The legend says on 30th December of Japanese lunisolar calendar, three fire balls rose from the sea and entered the cave where the shrine is located today. This is the origin of Takuhi Shrine. A Shinto ritual called “Ryutousai” was held on the day where people from every part of the Oki Islands used to gather at the shrine to worship the sacred fire. Nowadays, this custom continues on the fifth of lunisolar New Year as “hatsumairi” meaning the first shrine visit of the year. Each village on Dozen islands has a dedicated date for the village where the village people gather and celebrate. The building of the shrine was rebuilt in 1732. It is the most ancient construction on the Oki Islands. It was constructed with method revolutionary at the time. Each part was built in Osaka and assembled here (similar to prefabricated construction today). The shrine has been designated as Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1992. The historic and religious significance and the timeless beauty of the architecture still remain to this date. The belief in the burning fire shrine is well known throughout Japan, as evidenced by its depiction in prints by Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige.

Location