由緒書-あじさいの花 Hydrangea-Shrine
THE HISTORY OF WAKASANO TENMAN-JINJA
テキスト ボックス: 若狭野(わかさの)天満(てんまん)神社(じんじゃ)は、「あじさい神社」の愛称で親しまれており、菅原道真(すがわらのみちざね)公(文武両道の神)と天忍穂耳命(あめのおしほみみのみこと)(天照
大神の御子)の二神を祭神としてお祀りする神社である。当神社に咲くあじさいの花が有する魔除け・厄除けの御神霊力により、魔除けの神社「魔除け(まよけ)天神(てんじん)」としても知られている。創立年月日不詳ではあるが、約六八〇年前(暦応四年 一三四一年)には現在の神社の前身が存在していたことが分かっている。また、
「往古、山城の国北野天満宮の分霊を勧請して、相殿に天忍穂耳命を併祀せり。慶応四年(一八六七年)に本殿を再建し、明治一二年(一八七九年)卿社(ごうしゃ)に列せられた。古来霊験多く、領主の崇敬篤く、一般庶民の尊信深く、旧幕時代には矢野庄十八カ村産土(うぶすな)神(がみ)として崇敬し来れり。而して往古赤松以下付近領主の崇敬甚だ篤し。(兵庫県神社誌より)」とあるように、少なくとも中世以降、矢野荘一帯の重要な地位を占めていたことは確かである。

拝殿前の絵馬堂には、赤穂浪士(四十七士)や神功皇后馬上絵図など、文化財的に重要な古い額絵馬が多数奉納されている。境内にある鳥居は享保十七年(一七三二年)に奉納されたものである。
境内や周囲の山林には、青・紫・赤・白色等の色鮮やかな紫陽花(あじさい)が毎年その花を咲かせる。閑かな山中の神社に咲く紫陽花の風情に惹かれ、遠方からも参拝者が訪れる。あじさいの季節以外にも、一人静かに自分と向き合い、心の魔を祓うべく、〟魔除け(まよけ)参り(まいり)〝に訪れる人が多い。

Wakasano Tenman-jinja is the Shinto shrine to be affectionately known as " Hydrangea Shrine " and to enshrine two deities( kami ) of Sugawara-no-Michizane ( the deity of literary and martial arts ) and AmenoOshihoMimi-no-mikoto ( the son of Amaterasu-Ohmikami, the supreme Shinto deity the sun goddess) .

By the divine spirit power of MayokeYakuyoke which the hydrangea flowers bloom at this shrine have, it is also known as " Mayoke Tenjin ( Mayoke Shrine ) ".     Mayoke means talismancharmprotection against evils and devils, or keeping out of harm's way.    Yakuyoke means avoidingexpellingpurifying diseases, disasters and other evils in unlucky year which is believed that people are likely to be unlucky and must be careful during the year in their life.  This thought is based on the theory of the positive
and negative.

It is unknown on the foundation date but it is found that it was established by transferring a divided tutelary deity from Kitano Tenman-gu ( shrine in Kyoto ) to this location and enshrining the deity of AmenoOshihoMimi-no-mikoto together beside it in the ancient times and that predecessor of present shrine existed about 680 years ago ( Japanese
era Ryakuo 4 ; 1341 ).  The main shrine building was reconstructed in Keio 4 ( 1867 ),
and it was listed as a village shrine ( old shrine ranking ) in Meiji 12 ( 1879 ).


There are more miraculous virtue than from ancient times, as Ubusuna-gami ( the guardian deity of one's birthplacetutelary deity of the locality ) at the entire region of Yano-no-sho as a manor in medieval japan ( the 18 villages ), the veneration of the Akamatsu clan and other neighborhood feudal lord is ardent, and deeply revered and worshiped by the people at large, it is evident that this shrine occupies an important position at least after the medieval ages.

In the Ema-do hall ( shrine building where votive picture tablets are hanged ) in front of the hall of worship, there are a lot of old votive picture tablets important for cultural assets such as the AkohRoshi ( lordless Samurai warriors of Akoh domain ; 47 loyal retainers ) and the Empress Jingu on horseback.  The Torii ( Shinto sacred archgate ) located in this precincts was dedicated to this shrine in Kyoho 17 ( 1732 ).    Originally it was located in the slope of the front approach to this shrine.

Colorful hydrangeas such as blue, purple, red, white and so on bloom every year at this precincts and the forest around.  Being attracted to the atmospheric presence or elegance of the hydrangea which blooms at the shrine in the middle of the forest with serenity and tranquility, worshippers come also from afar.  Many worshippers visit to this shrine through all seasons for the sake of " Mayoke-mairi " to face and true to oneself silently, and to purify or drive off evil mind and impurities.     Mayoke-mairi  means visiting this shrine to pray for the Mayoke.