Religious belief associated with Oniko on Torii gate and Suiko sama have been part of life in Tsugaru County.
Many enshrined Oniko and Suiko sama are also found in Tsuruta.
What is “Oniko”?
Oniko means a demon in Tsugaru dialect. Oniko, enshrined on top of Torii gate, is worshipped in about 30 shrines over 7 cities and towns in northwest Tsugaru County. It is not clear how enshrining Oniko on Torii gate began. It is believed that Oniko were worshipped to stop flooding of Iwaki River, hence all Oniko shrines are located alongside of Iwaki River.
| Location | Hachiman-gu (in Sakai) |
|---|---|
| History | 1663 |
| Oniko | Red-horned demon god statue, Damaged – no head |
| Location | Hachiman-gu (Kurumidate) |
|---|---|
| History | 1873 Sonsha rank |
| Oniko | Yellow-horned demon god statue (w/ Hannya face), Small red-horned and blue-horned demons sit on top of the worship hall. |
| Location | Kuraokami Shrine (Oki) – Kuraokami no Kami |
|---|---|
| History | 1Built in 1684 |
| Oniko | Goriki type stone demon, Stone Torii |
What is “Suiko”?
Suiko, also known as Suiko Daimyojin, is the god of water in the figure of goddess of Kappa (supernatural monsters called Yokai) and turtles. The worshipping of Suiko started as a prayer to warn people of the dangers lurking in rivers and lakes. Residents believed that most water related incidents were caused by Kappa. Therefore, residents enshrined Kappa as the water deity in order to stop water related incidents.
Towada Shrine
Inari Shrine (Omaki)
| Enshrined Deity | Ukanomitama no mikoto (deified spirit of rice that controls agriculture and food) |
|---|---|
| Address | 58 Kawase Omaki Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3501 |
Inari Shrine (Kizutsu)
| Enshrined Deity | Ukanomitama no mikoto |
|---|---|
| Address | 56 Shimokakehashi Kizutsu Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3501 |
Inari Shrine (Kowamaki)
| Enshrined Deity | Ukanomitama no mikoto |
|---|---|
| Address | 8 Oshiage Kowamaki Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3502 |
Inari Shrine (Kameda)
| Address | Aihara Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3503 |
|---|
Kumanogu(Nogi)
| Enshrined Deity | Izanami no kami, Izanagi no kami (Wife and husband, the gods who created many islands of Japan), Hayatamanoo no mikoto (the god of war, the god of isolation), Kotosakano okami (The god that appeared in Nihon Shoki. The god that was born from the words Izanagi exchanged with Izanami in Yomi no kuni), Kukurihime no kami (the god of marriage, the god that purify defilement) |
|---|---|
| Address | 114 Nishimatsumushi Nogi Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3532 |
Kumanogu (Tsuruta)
| Address | Hayase Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3503 |
|---|
Kuraokami Shrine (Oki)
| Enshrined Deity | Kuraokami no Kami: the god of water and dragon), Suiko sama |
|---|---|
| Address | 295 Okada Oki Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3513 |
Kuraokami Shrine (Yamamichi)
| Address | Koizumi Yamamichi Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3515 |
|---|
Kuraokami Shrine (Kitada)
| Address | Kitada Kurumidate Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3523 |
|---|
Shirayamahime Shrine
| Enshrined Deity | Izanagi no Kami, Izanami no kami, and Kukurihime no Kami |
|---|---|
| Address | 74 Shimotadashi Nogi Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3532 |
Shinmeigu
| Enshrined Deity | Amaterasu omikami (the ancestor deity of the Imperial family which appeared in the Japanese Mythology) |
|---|---|
| Address | 71 Higashida Tsurudomari Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3522 |
Shinmei Shrine (Shobukawa)
| Address | Kawabe Shobukawa Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3521 |
|---|
Shinmei Shrine (Daisho)
| Address | Yanagida Daisho Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3525 |
|---|
Hachimangu (Sakai)
| Enshrined Deity | Homutawake no mikoto (Emperor Ojin – the god of war) |
|---|---|
| Address | Takada Sakai Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3524 |
Hachimangu (Kurumidate)
| Enshrined Deity | Homutawake no mikoto |
|---|---|
| Address | 20 Ikeda Kurumidate Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3523 |
Hachimangu (Yokoyachi)
| Enshrined Deity | Homutawake no mikoto |
|---|---|
| Address | 164 Yatomezaki Yokoyachi Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3511 |
Hachimangu (Serazawa)
| Enshrined Deity | Homutawake no mikoto |
|---|---|
| Address | 3 Nagata Serazawa Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3512 |
Hachimangu (Tsuruta)
| Enshrined Deity | Homutawake no Mikoto |
|---|---|
| Address | 53 Oimatsu Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3541 |
Hachimangu (Ohara)
| Enshrined Deity | Homutawake no mikoto, Tamayorihime (the goddess of the water and seas) |
|---|---|
| Address | 22 Kamikameko Ohara Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3541 |
Hachimangu (Mawarizeki)
| Enshrined Deity | Homutawake no mikoto |
|---|---|
| Address | 80 Higashisagariyama Mawarizeki Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3542 |
Hachimangu (Myodozaki)
| Enshrined Deity | Homutawake no mikoto |
|---|---|
| Address | 3 Inamoto Myodozaki Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3543 |
Towada Shrine
| Address | 81-150 Osawa Mawarizeki Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3542 |
|---|
