Tozan Shrine was founded in 1658 as Arita Sarayama Sobyo
Hachimangu and is a branch of Kamihara Hachimangu Shrine in Imari which is
dedicated to Ojin Tenno. It is only since the Meiji period that this Hachiman
Shrine (Shrine for the God of Archery) was called Tozan which means “pottery
producing area.” Additionally the ancestor of the feudal clan Nabeshima
Naoshige and the father of Arita porcelain Ri Sanpei are worshipped here.
In the precincts of the shrine several memorial monuments
and monuments to the honor of the great people or Arita are to be found. These
include the monuments for Narimatsu Nobuhisa who was a famous local governor in
the Edo period. Egoshi Reita the great scholar, Fukagawa Eizaemon 8th
who contributed to the pottery industry and Fukagawa Rokusuke who started the
Arita Porcelain Fair. Also on top of the mountain the monument of Ri Sampei was
erected in 1917 in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of the
first production of porcelain in Arita. Thus the virtue and power of the former
leaders of Arita is honored at this location.
Tozan Shrine was founded in the Edo period under the name of
Arita Sarayama Sobyo Hachimangu and dedicated to the fathers of pottery to pray
for the town and the prosperity of Arita porcelain. It is situated in a
picturesque location on the foot of Renge’ishi Mountain where one has a good
view of the town. Cherry blossoms, azaleas and altheas, the national flower of
Korea which Arita has a close relation to; color the shrine area throughout all
seasons. If you have a look around you will discover the porcelain guardian
dogs (1887, dedicated by Imaemon 10), the porcelain Torii (shrine archway,
1888, dedicated by the district of Hiekoba) and the big water basin (1889,
dedicated by the district of Nakanohara, created by Ide Kinsaku). All of which
are pieces of great elegance, which makes the shrine resemble a natural
open-air museum.
Enshrined gods: Ojin Tenno, Nabeshima Naoshge, Ri Sanpei
Festivals: Festival for ancient potters (May 4), Annual
shrine festival (October 16 & 17)
Founded: August 1658 as a branch of “Arita Gosha Hachimangu
Shrine” in Imari
2-5-1 Odaru Arita-cho, Nishimatsura-gun
Saga Prefecture
844-0004 Japan
+81 955-42-3310
