The Story ofMichinoku Gold
Iriya Hachiman Shrine
入谷八幡神社
LocationMinamisanriku
ContentsDo & See
Said to have been built more than 1,300 years ago, this venerable shrine is where the Iriya Uchihayashi festival, an intangible folk culture asset of Miyagi Prefecture, is held every September. Today however, its most famous attraction is the bronze statue of local mascot Octopus-kun that is enshrined here. Every year, many students visit to pray for success in their exams and buy small bronze figurines of Octopus-kun as good luck charms. That’s because the Japanese pronunciation of “octopus” sounds like “oku to pasu,” a Japanese phrase meaning “place one and you’ll pass.”
Details
Address
Mizukuchisawa 243, Iriya, Minamisanriku, Motoyoshi District, Miyagi Prefecture
Access by Public Transit
60-minute walk from Shizugawa Station (JR Kesennuma Line BRT)
Languages
Japanese only
Hours
Always open
Closed Days
None
