One year when the Koyasan lantern was extinguished a group of people were sent to Iwaya with a torch. The torch was to be lighted by the lantern at Iwaya and the flame used to relight the Koyasan lantern. Unfortunately the Iwaya lantern has also been extinguished and a group had been sent out with their own torch to Koyasan. At some people along the way both groups meet each other. They were all very saddened to learn that both lanterns has been extinguished at the same time and so neither could be relightened. Quite unexpectedly a light fell from the sky and relighted both groups torches. >From then on the place where the groups had meet has been called Hinoura or "Inlet of Fire".
The Suda Hachiman shrine worshipped the gods of Usa Hachiman shrine. The hall of worship and main shrine are decorated with vermilion as Usa Hachiman is. Once a Shinto priest of Suda Hachiman was a man of high virtue. One fine day the local people asked to see the object of worship of the Suda Hachiman shrine. The priest having never seen it before, was moved. He opened the door of the main shrine, he was struck with blindness. The virtuous priest had incurred punishment. But the Gods thought it was a pity that the priest couldn't see anything for revealing the deity (object of worship). The Gods let one of his eyes open. From that the priest tried to his best to please the local people. After the priest passed away the villagers built a small shrine beside the Suda Hachiman shrine and worshiped him. The Shrine was called Ikume (living eye in Japanese). There is a legend that it is healing for eye diseases. Nowadays there are few visiting people.
This deity came from Hiyoshi Shrine in Kyoto by sea going through Seto Inland Sea and took much time to reach the bay of Kutsugawa in Buzen and then went up to Iwaya along Iwatake River. This deity settled down at "Otongoze" at the back of mountain past Iwaya Elementary School. Knowing about this village mayor came here to meet the deity with some villagers before the dawn. One of villagers guided the deity to mayor's house with the use of a "Hitogi" torch. On the way a tree of "Hiitogi" was poked into the ground at the side of the road after dawn. Amazingly few days the later tree of "Hiitogi" grew a sprout of persimmon. The deity stayed in mayor's guest room at his house until the shrine was built. Villagers donated Japanese alcohol and rice to the deity. The persimmon tree was kept as how old the sacred tree of the Hiyoshi Shrine. The tree now has a burnt trunk.
According to this legend there is a sacred festival called "Yamabito-hashiri"(villager
running). Near the end of the festival villagers carry a sakaki tree.
One day, a long time ago, a spell of dry weather went on and on. All villagers tried to fix the dam. Since it passed three o'clock they took a rest and started eating snack. In that time a traveling poorly-dressed priest stopped to beg for something to eat. Villagers gave some food and ate with a priest while engaging small talk. Villagers talked about shortage of water amongst other things. After small talk, farmers resumed their routine work and the priest appreciated his dinner and stood up. He poked at the ground with his stick (tin rings on the top and produce sound when poking) several times. Some time later the priest went away. Then farmers recognized that water was coming out of the ground without knowing why. Water was sprouting from the point the priest poked. After this there have never been drought. Farmers knew this priest was the famous "Koubou" and they made a small shrine by the dam for his virtue. After that this dam was referred to as the water stop of Koubou. |