Photo by Atsuhiko Takeda
Photo by Atsuhiko Takeda
Photo by Atsuhiko Takeda
Kinkasan is a holy island located off the coast of Ishinomaki City, home to the legendary Koganeyama Shrine. It is said that those who make three consecutive annual pilgrimages to the shrine will be blessed with wealth for the rest of their lives. No visit is complete without happening upon the Kinkasan deer, who roam the island freely and are regarded as messengers of the gods by Shinto priests.
On the first Sunday of October, an antler-cutting ritual is performed which helps make the male deer safer to be around. The shrine turns the antler cuttings into charms, purchased by the faithful as talismans and by tourists as souvenirs.
WEBSITEhttp://kinkasan.jp/
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AreaSanriku Coast
