If you notice there are different kind of Japanese rice available, probably you have heard of the name of “Koshihikari” and “Sasanishiki”, very popular rice grown in many agricultural places in Japan, especially well known in shonai area in Yamagata prefecture, and this small Shinto shrine, Kumagai Shrine is the birth place of the root of these popular rice.
The name of the root of these popular rice is called “Kame-no-o”, and you can visit the birth place of this rice at the Kumagai Shrine as bellow.
The Kumagai Shrine is also well known as one of the spiritual places of Shonai area, and it dose have a very sacred atmosphere.
Inside this shrine, you can see the sample of “Kame-no-o”, and if you are lucky, very kind priest will tell you the story of this root rice, and of course about the shrine as well.
What’s more, there is one more recommendation about this shrine is that there is a hidden jizo, the guardian deity of children, in this shrine, and this jizo is said to have a miracle power to heal your body when you touch the jizo, or you can possibly polish the jizo with your hand towel, and the miracle power of jizo will remain in the hand towel…
After you felt healed, you can go outside of the Shrine room, and see the main object of worship housed in this Shinto Shrine. The object of the worship of Kumagai Shurine is the sacred water fall and the ancient tree.
Probably you feel healed looking at these water fall and the ancient tree standing in the nature and having a little meditation
Kumagai Shrine, Shonai Town tourist information website URL (English):
http://en.navishonai.jp/spot/25.html