The river goddess
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Before Manshu-in's mossy lawns and great walls is the small shrine of Benzaiten. A small bridge crosses the koi filled pond, murky save for the flashes of orange and brown-gold of the carp themselves. The shrine is dedicated to Benten, goddess of everything that flows: words (and knowledge, by extension), speech, eloquence, and music. In Japan she became a protector-deity, at first of the state and then of the people. Lastly, she became one of the Seven Gods of Fortune, which reflects her role in bestowing monetary fortune. Benten-jinja is merely a waystation for those climbing the steep hillside. Most people seem to come to feed the fish, or ignore the shrine altogether in their eagerness to reach Manshu-in. There is a small tea-house here offering traditional food at extortionate prices. I find myself liking shrines more with their desire to melt into the natural scenery that they were built to worship and celebrate, than the clipped and controlled gardens of the temples we had come to visit in the first place. |
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Saginomori Shrine, a little way down the mountain from Manshu-in, is still close enough to the mountains and paddy fields to retain a rural feel. With its long Japanese maple-lined pathway from torii to shrine, it is a favourite of young neighborhood families (we noticed two small children had been fishing for fresh-water crabs) and, in the fall, with tourists. In addition to the main shrine, Saginomori-jinja features a small stage and also a series of mini-shrines. Each mini-shrine is named after a well known shrine elsewhere in Japan: as the Japanese are a very busy lot and cannot often visit the famous shrines about the country, they come here to pray from afar. The gods are very accommodating; hence, mini-shrines are kept to house them when they are called on-assignment away from their home-base. The shrine still actively teaches gagaku (an ancient form of ritual dance and performance).
