Tsuriishi Shrine (Hanging Stone Shrine)

The name “Tsuriishi-jinja” comes from the fact that the shrine’s sacred boulder is fished with a rope and looks as if it is about to fall. The deity, Amenokoyane-no-Mikoto, is the god of wisdom and learning. The Tsuri-ishi, which appears to be fished up from the cliff, is a male deity with a circumference of 14 meters, while the boulder below is a female deity, measuring approximately 8 meters by 4 meters.

The name of the shrine comes from the giant stone protruding from the mountainside. The stone is believed to be the god of entrance examinations, as it looks as if it might fall, but it does not. The fact that the stone was not affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake has become even more of a topic of conversation.

The giant stone protruding from the cliff has survived many disasters and is famous as the god of entrance examinations. Many worshippers from inside and outside of the prefecture visit the shrine to pray for success. In winter, the shrine grounds are decorated with “reed rings” made of reeds from the reed fields growing at the mouth of the Kitakami River.