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Aoshima is a small island off the coast of Miyazaki City. At its center stands Aoshima Shrine, a rare shrine in Japan surrounded by the sea and subtropical plants in a striking coastal setting.
In this article, I will share a step-by-step on-site report that follows the actual route I took when visiting and worshipping at Aoshima Shrine.
For detailed access information and an overview of the highlights, please see the articles below.
Read more about Highlights of Aoshima Shrine
Read more about How to Get to Aoshima Shrine
To reach Aoshima Shrine, you first cross from the mainland over “Yayoi Bridge” toward the island. This is where your shrine visit begins.
From the bridge, the view opens up on all sides so that wherever you look, the sea and sky spread out before you. You hear the sound of waves at your feet, and straight ahead the silhouette of Aoshima comes into view.
Once you reach the far side of the bridge, you start to see a distinctive rocky shoreline spreading out along the coast. This is “Oni-no-Sentakuita,” or the Devil’s Washboard, the symbolic rock formation around Aoshima.
The rows of rock ridges lined up tightly in one direction are even more striking in person than in photos. The way they look changes with the tide and the light, so it is worth viewing them at slightly different times of day.
As you continue toward the island side, a stone monument for Aoshima Shrine appears to welcome visitors.
From around this point, subtropical plants begin to mix into the seaside scenery, and it gradually starts to feel as if “the entire island is the shrine precinct.”
One of Aoshima Shrine’s signature features is its approach that begins right from the sandy beach. As you walk along the shoreline, you will see a vermilion torii gate standing beyond the white sand.
The blue of the sea, the white sand, the rocky surface of Oni-no-Sentakuita, and the vermilion torii rising among them all come together in a memorable scene. Standing there, you get the curious feeling that “the coastline and the shrine entrance are almost one continuous space.”
Passing under the torii and walking along the sandy approach, you reach the entrance to the inner precincts that lead into the island’s interior.
If you turn around, the sea is right there behind you. The way “a seaside stroll” and “shrine worship” naturally flow into each other is one of the things that makes Aoshima Shrine unique.
The first thing that catches your eye inside the precinct is “Ama-no-Mihashira Meguri,” a popular spot for prayers related to love and relationships.
This spot is based on the myth of a married deity couple that appears in the Kojiki. Men and women enter a heart-shaped frame from their respective sides, face each other in the center, and recite old Japanese words to pray for success in love.
The heart motif framed by the sea is not only photogenic; it also symbolizes Aoshima Shrine’s strong association with matchmaking and love. It is a memorable spot whether you visit as a couple, with friends, or with family.
Opposite Ama-no-Mihashira Meguri stand the café “Sabo Binroju” and the “Hyuga Mythology Museum.” When you want a break in the middle of your visit, the light meals at Sabo Binroju make for a perfect stop.
The menu includes local specialties such as sweet milk-so soft-serve ice cream made with “so,” an ancient dairy product. It is a pleasant place to cool down with something cold in hand while feeling the Aoshima sea breeze.
Next door, the Hyuga Mythology Museum uses dioramas and figures to recreate the world of Hyuga myths, allowing you to explore stories connected to the wider Miyazaki region. It is a good place for visitors who want to deepen their understanding of the ties between Aoshima Shrine and Japanese mythology. A discount coupon is available on the official website.
Along the main approach inside the precinct, you will find an offering hall where you can receive goshuin (seal stamps), protective charms, and various types of omikuji (fortunes).
The charms come in a wide variety of colors and designs. Many visitors first draw a standard omikuji here and then go on to try one of the “experience-style omikuji” introduced later.
The path leading to the main hall is one of the areas that best expresses the atmosphere of Aoshima Shrine. A vermilion gate stands at the end of a walkway surrounded by subtropical plants.
Unlike many typical shrines, the scene here is defined by palms and other tropical plants, giving it a distinctive backdrop.
Before passing through the gate, you purify your hands and mouth at the chozuya (purification basin) and then continue toward the main hall.
This is the main hall of Aoshima Shrine.
Take a moment here to bow your head and offer your prayers. Beyond this point, a path continues further into the forest.
Heading to the right of the main hall, you come to a path known as “Inori-no-Kodo,” or the Path of Prayer.
Inori-no-Kodo is a narrow path whose sides and overhead space are covered with countless ema plaques, forming a corridor filled with written wishes and messages of gratitude.
Ema plaques are said to have begun as a substitute for dedicating live horses, which were extremely valuable offerings. Instead of donating an actual horse, people presented wooden boards with pictures of horses. Over time, they came to serve as a way to convey wishes and thanks to the deities by writing them down and hanging them up.
At Aoshima Shrine, ema racks line the path leading toward the Motomiya (Original Shrine), filled with prayers for things like love and relationships, family health, and safe travels.
Walking quietly along this path and imagining the thoughts behind each plaque is one of the experiences that makes Aoshima Shrine special.
Beyond Inori-no-Kodo, a path called “Onarimichi” stretches for about 60 meters. This is one of the areas within Aoshima Shrine where you feel most surrounded by nature.
Sunlight filters through gaps in the leaves of the Chinese fan palms that form a canopy overhead, creating a quiet atmosphere distinct from the seashore. The way the path leads from the outer edge of the island steadily toward the center feels like a physical representation of moving deeper into the heart of the faith.
At the end of Onarimichi, you come to Motomiya, regarded as the original center of worship for the Aoshima faith.
Motomiya stands near the center of Aoshima at a site where rituals have been performed since ancient times. Earthenware, bones, and shells believed to have been used for religious ceremonies in the Yayoi period have been unearthed from the soil around this area, suggesting that it has served as a place of worship for at least a thousand years.
During the Edo period, people seeking recovery from illness and other blessings are said to have prayed here and left locks of their hair as a sign of faith. Today, instead of hair, people twist paper cords and tie them to trees or ropes to entrust their wishes, carrying this tradition forward in a new form.
In the 20th century, Motomiya became more widely known after it was visited by many members of the imperial family, including Emperor Taisho when he was still crown prince. Originally, only shrine priests and members of the imperial family were allowed to enter this special area, but since around the late 1960s, it has been open to the general public.
Aoshima is an island formed by layers of countless shells that accumulated on an uplifted sea bed and is also known as “Masagojima,” or the Island of Fine Sand. For centuries, people have given special meaning to the sand and shells on its shores and have sometimes expressed their feelings by weaving them into waka poems.
In particular, cowrie shells have long been treasured at Aoshima as precious “masago.” Even today, it is common for visitors to choose a shell from the beach after paying their respects, quietly place it on the wave-like rocks near Motomiya, and offer a wish. Over time, the growing mound of shells becomes a visible accumulation of the many prayers that have been left here.
In addition to standard omikuji, Aoshima Shrine offers several unique “experience-style omikuji.” If you have time after your main visit, these are fun stops to add to your route.
In Sainome Shinji, you roll a special wooden die while silently reciting “Oshietamae, Michibitamae” (“Please teach and guide me”) in your heart.
Instead of numbers, the die has characters such as “body,” “study,” “money,” “bonds,” “travel,” and “misfortune.” The result gives you a hint about which theme—health, academics, finances, relationships, traffic safety, and so on—you should focus on now.
The simple steps make it easy to try, even for first-time visitors.
Mitama Shinji is an omikuji that works like a pinball game, where a small ball representing your spirit (unkon) rolls around the board.
The final spot where the ball lands reveals the state of your spirit and offers guidance for the future. Watching the ball’s path as it moves across the board is part of the fun.
You can place the unkon ball in a small white pouch and take it home, and many people keep it with them afterwards as a kind of protective charm.
There is also a “tai omikuji,” where you fish for a sea bream-shaped fortune.
The sea bream-shaped fortunes are piled into a tank-like box, and you use a fishing rod to hook one. It is the kind of playful omikuji that even adults can get absorbed in, making it especially popular with families and groups.
Aoshima Shrine, together with the “Aoshima Sandō Shopping Street” in front of Yayoi Bridge and the seaside facilities nearby, forms an area you can easily enjoy over half a day.
The shopping street features set-meal restaurants, cafés, soft-serve stands, and souvenir shops. You can grab a quick bite before visiting the shrine or have a leisurely lunch afterwards, adjusting your plan based on the time of day and how busy it is.
Along the shoreline, there is also Aoshima Beach Village, where you can enjoy meals and drinks on terrace seating. On sunny days, it is a relaxing place to sit back and enjoy the sea breeze.
Aoshima Shrine leaves a strong impression thanks to its ever-changing scenery: from the coastline to the torii on the sandy beach, then along a subtropical forest path leading to Motomiya at the island’s center.
Within the precinct you will find:
Together, these elements combine history, nature, and hands-on experiences in a well-balanced way.
The designs and playful touches in the charms, goshuin, and omikuji make the shrine’s appeal easy to understand even for modern travelers.
If you want to take your time exploring Aoshima Shrine and its surroundings, one rough guideline is to allow about one hour for the shrine itself and a total of around two to three hours including meals and strolling around the shopping street and beach area.
On this small island shrine surrounded by sea and forest, spend some time enjoying an experience that you can only have at Aoshima.
