Tōjingami （とうじんがみ）

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Area: Iki

Category: History＆Culture

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The people of China and Korea were once called Tōjin by the people of Iki. According to one legend, the lower half of a young, male Tōjin’s body washed up on the island’s shores during Japan’s Middle Ages (12th to 16th centuries). Discovered and collected by a local fisherman, it was then enshrined and revered as a god of sexual matters, who is said to grant marital harmony, good matches, and safe births.

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Information

Address		811-5215　長崎県壱岐市石田町石田西触1434-3
Parking		Parking lot available
Access		5 minutes by car from Indoji Port

In ancient times, people from foreign lands were considered to be divine and were called Tōjin. Even the lower half of a Tōjin's body that washed up on the shores of Iki was treated as being sacred, so as not to bring a curse upon the island.
Passing under the shrine gate called torii, you will immediately see items shaped in the images of male and female genitals that have been dedicated here. The shrine’s deity, Tōjingami, is venerated as the god of sexual matters and is said to bestow blessings on harmonious marriages, good matches for those looking for spouses, and safe birth of babies.
Another dead Tōjin's body that washed ashore was also venerated in a different part of the island, which is the Tōjin Observatory Deck near the tourist attraction called Saruiwa, or Monkey Rock. The shrine there was moved to a separate location at the beginning of World War II, when the area was turned into a fortified zone and became off-limits to the public.