Where We Are Now - History
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The first character of our city’s name is pronounced “muna” and shows a roof covering an altar, thus relating to a shrine (a place of worship usually centered around some sacred scene or object). The second character is pronounced “kata” and shows the image of a person, or more commonly known as an idol.
Munakata City’s central attraction for countless tourists and new car owners from all over the island of Kyushu is the Munakata Grand (Shinto) Shrine. During the first three days of any new year, hundreds of thousands of people come from all over to worship at this shrine and purchase good luck charms for driving protection in the new year. The gods that are enshrined here are for traffic safety. The shrine is one shrine, but is located in three places: Okino-island in the middle of the Sea of Genkai, Oh-island off the coast of Munakata City’s Kono Minato (God’s Harbor) and within Munakata’s city limits at Tajima.
The city has published an English pamphlet that tells of the history of the shrine, which in essence is directly tied with the city. “According to the historical classics including the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki *, the Sun Goddess (Amaterasu) bestowed upon her three divine daughters the Divine Rescript (command) prior to the Imperial (emperor’s) descent. Their mother dispatched them to Munakata with instructions to help the successive descendants of the Imperial Family and to have the Imperial descendants worship them. It is very significant that the Sun Goddess chose to dispatch her three divine daughters with the divine mission to the Land of Munakata at the time of the formation of Japan. During those days, Munakata served as a gateway to the continent and was a key place in Kyushu.
The Munakata grand goddesses are also called ‘michi-nushi-no-muchi.’ ‘Muchi” indicates the highest expression of reference toward the gods. Therefore, ‘michi-nushi-no-muchi’ are the most respected goddesses to guide in all phases of the lives of the people (of Japan). The shrine protects the successive families of the Imperial Family as well as the nation. Presently more than 6,000 shrines which enshrine the Munakata Grand Goddesses exist throughout Japan. As the headquarters of the network of these shrines, Munakata Grand Shrine attracts mahny worshippers to pray for traffic safety on land, sea and in the air from all over the nation.”
* Mainstream Japanese myths, as generally recognized today, are based on the Kojiki, Nihon Shoki and some complementary books. These two works are the primary texts of Shintoism. One notable aspect of Japanese mythology is that it explains the origin of the Imperial family, and assigns them godhood. The Japanese word for Emperor of Japan, tennou, means “heavenly emperor.” (Source: New World Encyclopedia)
Every year on October 1-3 Munakata celebrates the Miare Festival at this shrine. Hundreds of fishing boats decorated in colorful array from neighboring fishing villages go out to the middle of the Sea of Genkai to bring in Ta-gori, the goddess that is worshipped on Okino-island.
They then stop by Oh-island and pick-up Ta-gitsu on their way to God’s Harbor where they are then driven to the main shrine in Tajima, to meet up with Ichi-ki for a
three day festival. I asked one day, who takes these goddesses back to their islands? I was told, “Oh, they go back on their own after the festival is over.”
I had heard a message once by Pastor Charlotte Baker titled “Spiritual Warriors,” (8/1981), and was challenged to find out the names of the evil spirits who controlled the skies above Munakata. I prayed and prayed. One day I went to City Hall for business and went upstairs to greet a friend. He handed me the pamphlet (in English no less) out of which I quoted above. I finally knew the names! Boy, I got excited! Climbed up Mt. Jou for to pray. It was about noon. When I got to the top, I ate my sack lunch and noticed the people who were there suddenly turned around and made their way down the mountain. I had the whole top of the mountain to myself!
I began crying out to God, interceding for the city. Then I stopped praying, turned around and faced the location of the shrine and declared at the top of my lungs to the evil spirits right above me to go now and tell Ta-gori, Ta-gitsu and Ichiki that their time had come, to get out and let loose the people. I caught my breath and said to God, “I’m not going to say anything now, I’m going to close my lips and listen. God, do you have anything to say?” Then, again, I heard the still, small voice in my mind say, “They have taken your message!” I remember dancing and doing a big jig on top of the mountain that day! How exciting! At that time there were only two churches in our city. Since then, the city’s church count has increased to ten!
I love my city, and... ...I love my church!
Where We Are Now | Overview | MBCC
