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| Mishima Jinja |
The Shinto shrine of Mishima Jinja (三嶋神社) in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, has been known as "Shonan no Ebisa-sama (湘南のえびす様)," which literally translates to "Ebisa of the Shonan Area." Ebisa (えびす/恵比寿/蛭子) is one of the Seven Gods of Fortune (Shichifukujin). The shrine is a member of the Shonan Hiratsuka Shichifukujin (湘南ひらつか七福神). The deities enshrined are Oyama-zumi-no-mikoto (大山祇命) and Kotoshironushi-okami (事代主大神), identified as Ebisa.
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| The first torii |
It is unclear when the shrine was founded, but it is said to be more than a millennium ago when people already settled in the area and were able to make a living on fishing. An old record mentions a statue of Yakushi Mishima Myojin (薬師三島明神) that is said to be made by Kobo (弘法), the posthumous name of the Buddhist priest Kukai.
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| Mishima Benten-sha |
Next to the first torii is the subordinate shrine of Mishima Benten-sha (三嶋弁天社). While Benten shrines or temples are built near rivers, ponds, or a body of water, the surrounding area of this shrine is currently organized as the Mishima Children's Park (三島児童公園). This is due to the land readjustment after World War II where two large ponds were filled up to make this park.
Mishima Jinja also has other subordinate shrines of Izanagi-sha (伊邪那岐社), Yaku Jinja (厄神社), Ishigami-sha (石神社), and Chukon-hi (忠魂碑), a memorial monument of the war dead.
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| Izanagi-sha |
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Yaku Jinja
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| Ishigami-sha |
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| Chukon-hi |
