Green Shinto has written of the attractions of Okinawa before (see the relevant category to the right). Blessed by sea, sand and sun, the islands feel close to the spirit world and it is said that in the religion of the Ryukyu days lies part of the roots of Shinto. Like Donald Richie in his celebrated journey to The Inland Sea, I feel as if I’m travelling back to an earlier, unbuttoned and more carefree version of Japan.
Just as pagan rites underlie Christmas and Yuletide, so does the old Ryukyu religion underlie the modern forms of Shinto in these offshore islands. What some call a jinja (Shinto shrine with torii), locals call an utaki and they worship their own gods there with bundles of incense.
Mt Gusuku (172m) has long been a landmark for sailors and is clearly visible from the mainland. It played an important role in WW2 and pockmarks from the fighting can still be seen. From the top is a 360 degree panorama. Because of its distinctive shape and dominating presence, it is seen by the island population (4,260) as a sacred mountain.At the base of the mountain is a torii and Shinto shrine (pictured above), at the back of which is a Ryukyu altar with a simple rock for altar and direct worship in the traditional way. From what I could gather, the Shinto version was put up in 1969 on the Ryukyu sacred site, just as Christians built churches on pagan sacred sites.Is it a shrine? Ara Utaki certainly looks that way from the bottom, but when you climb the steps what do you see….The best ever example of yohai (distant worship) I have come across in Japan. As the name suggests, Ara Utaki is a traditional sacred site and the torii a recent addition, presumably by newcomers to the island. Dedicated to sea guardians, the utaki is close to a bay used by boats in former times. Direct worship of a mountain does not come better framed than this.Three incense holders lined up in front of a simple stone altar at Ara Utaki. A notice to one side asks for the incense to be cleared up after worshipping (not a traditional custom).Further along the island is a different kind of sacred site, called Niyathia Cave. From above it looks nothing special, which made it perfect for use as an airraid shelter in WW2. At the entrance is a shrine made of stone. Notice the simplicity of the focus for worship – a true spirit symbol (see Green Shinto entries for rock worship). Caves, mountains and the sea; put them together with female shamans and the island encapsulates all the ingredients of the appealing Ryukyu religion of old. The cave is huge – and staggeringly beautiful.In one part of the cave is a notice saying the spot is particularly sacred because spirits descend there – and you can see why.Not far away is a Rinzai temple founded in 1554 by someone ‘sympathetic to local belief’. The syncretic result is evident in its Gongen-do hall with Shinto mirror, which stands near to a more modern Kannon-do. As well as amulets, the Zen temple offers bilingual fortune slips.A lucky future marks a fitting end to a happy island visit.
