Guide
Awashima Jinja is the head shrine of all Awashima, Awashima, and Awaji Shrines, located in the Kada area of Wakayama City. It is highly famous throughout Japan for its "doll memorial services" (Ningyo Kuyo). The shrine grounds offer a mystical and unique landscape where thousands of Japanese dolls, Ichimatsu dolls, and local folk toys are displayed in every corner. It is also a sacred destination for women, widely visited to pray for safe childbirth, fertility, and recovery from gynecological ailments.
The origins of the shrine date back to the worship of deities Sukunahikona-no-mikoto and Ohnamuji-no-mikoto, originally enshrined on Tomogashima Island off the coast of Kada. Legend says that Empress Jingu, after surviving a storm at sea, offered treasures brought from the Korean Peninsula as a sign of gratitude, marking the beginning of the shrine's history. The current location was established when Emperor Nintoku moved the shrine to the shores of Kada. While the shrine has faced many rebuildings over the centuries, the current main shrine was completed in 1979. During the Edo period, followers known as "Awashima Gan ability" traveled across the country to spread the faith of this shrine.
The most breathtaking sight is the sheer number of dolls. The sight of 20,000 Japanese dolls, Ichimatsu dolls, and local crafts like Shigaraki-ware tanuki and Maneki-neko cats creates an atmosphere unlike any other shrine in Japan. Visitors can also view precious cultural assets, such as the Kamakura-period