Oyamazumi-Jinja Shrine

This shrine looks like it has seen a lot in its time.

Built in 1593 during the Azuchi Momoyama period, the Oyamazumi-jinja Shrine in Sasagawa was constructed to pray for the safety and prosperity of the placer gold mine. This is the oldest of the four Oyamazumi-jinja shrines on Sado Island. It is also depicted on Edo period pictorial maps and has been carefully preserved and maintained by the community over the years. The Noh stage, believed to have been built in the late 1800s, hosted Noh performances until the 1940s. The stone torii gate and koma-inu statues are said to have been donated by people who moved to Hokkaido from Sasagawa during the Meiji era. During the shrine's main festival, which takes place on April 15 of each year, a large shishi lion visits homes throughout the village.

No way! Are you telling me that they had Noh performances here deep in the mountains?

Noh was especially popular in Sado in the area of the Nishimikawa Placer Gold Mine. Noh performances served as both religious rituals and entertainment for the villagers. Okubo Nagayasu, a local magistrate of Sado during the Edo period, played a significant role in expanding Noh performance on Sado Island by bringing two Noh performers from Nara. Sado Noh is an entertainment for the ordinary people. It was a big part of life for the people of Sado, who actively participated in singing, dancing, and watching these dramas.