Suggested Itineraries

Yura, where Narugashima Island is situated, is renowned for its excellent natural port, suggesting that this area once served as a trading hub in the Kitan Strait, where the Ama thrived. The Oishi Jinja Shinto Shrine is also located here. The shrine is associated with Izushi no Tosu (Izushi's Knife), one of the sacred treasures brought by Ame-no-Hiboko, a prince of Silla, as recorded in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) and the Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan). Narugashima Island has intricate, varied coastlines, highlighted by a 3-kilometer-long sandbar called “Awaji Hashidate” for its long, elegant shape running from north to south. The island's rich nature is designated as a national park.

A Sankakubuchi Shinjukyo mirror was discovered while the tip of a hill was being cultivated during the Taisho period (1912-1926). The mirror's outer edge has a triangular cross-section, and “deities and beasts” are engraved in relief on the inner side of the back. Mirrors from the Kofun (Tumulus) period are thought to have symbolized authority simply by being possessed. Its presence suggests that a highly influential figure with a strong connection to royal authority—someone important enough to receive the Sankakubuchi Shinjukyo, was buried in this kofun.

This shrine is regarded as one of the legendary sites of “Onokoro Island,” which appears in the Kuniumi Story (Japan's creation myth).
Surrounded by the ancient Mihara Creek, the shrine sits atop a hill believed to be the sacred site where the deities Izanagi-no-Mikoto and Izanami-no-Mikoto began creating Japan's islands. Fondly known as “Onokorojima,” the shrine has been cherished and revered since ancient times. According to old texts, Homuta-no-Okimi (Emperor Ojin) and Emperor Junnin (the Deposed Emperor of Awaji) also visited the shrine.