THE TRAGIC HISTORY OF THE TORI GATE IN KATSURA CHIBA
When I visited Katsuura, the first thing that burned me was this scene!
I witnessed it when I visited Hachimanmisaki Park.
There is a torii in the sea of Katsuura Bay.
The appearance of being washed by the waves has a great impact.
I was so worried that I looked it up after I got home.
It turned out that the torii belongs to “Tomisaki Shrine”.
The reason why there is a torii in the sea is
A long time ago, there was a shrine in the place of the photo (Fukishima).
The current shrine is located on a small hill about 300m inland from the fishing port.
Although the shrine was washed away by the 1601 tsunami and later moved to its current location,
It was that only the torii remained in the bay.
“Fukishima” seems to be called “Hirashima” in the local area.
By the way, “Tomisaki Shrine” is famous.
It is one of the venues for the “Katsuura Big Hina Festival”.
The 60 stone steps are likened to a hinamatsuri, creating a spectacular hinamatsuri.
I have seen it in photos many times, and every year I want to go there someday.
(I couldn’t go because the event was canceled in 2021 …)
Most of the former settlement of Tomisaki Shrine has sunk to the bottom of the sea due to land subsidence caused by a large earthquake.
Today, only the torii is left on a small island called Hirashima in Katsuura Bay.
You cannot land, but you can see it from Hachimanmisaki Park.