sarutahiko jinja

Sarutahiko Jinja sits at the entrance of the old Karatsu Kaido road in Fujisaki, Sawara Ward, Fukuoka. The enshrined deity is Sarutahiko no Okami, the great guide who opened the path for Ninigi no Mikoto during the heavenly descent. A torii gate rebuilt in 1713 (Shotoku 3) still stands today, attesting to the depth of faith at this site across centuries. The wordplay on the kanji for "monkey" (saru) and the phrase "calamity departs" (wazawai ga saru) has given rise to a custom of holding festivals on the day of the Monkey in the sixty-day cycle of the Chinese calendar. The shrine is administered by the nearby Momiji Hachimangu and continues to be venerated as a deity of road-opening and protection from misfortune.