Ashikaga Orihime Temple
(Ashikaga City, Tochigi)
【 Orimono（織物）】 means textiles made by interweaving vertical warp threads and horizontal weft threads. The Japanese character for “weaving” (織) carries the meaning of combining threads, and its left-hand component, 糸, represents thread—the basic material used to make cloth.
Cloth is made from spun fibers, and one of the most precious fibers is silk, which has long been treasured for its smooth texture and beautiful luster. It is obtained from the cocoons of silkworms, which feed exclusively on mulberry leaves. The trees thrive in sunny, well-drained locations near the foot of mountains or in mountain valleys.
The North Kanto region, including the city of Ashikaga in Tochigi Prefecture, located where the Kanto Plain meets the surrounding mountains, has long been one of Japan’s leading silk-producing areas and is also renowned for its textile industry. Historical records indicate that textiles produced in this region were presented as offerings at the eye-opening ceremony of the Great Buddha in Nara in 752.
Another famous reference appears in Tsurezuregusa (Essays in Idleness), one of Japan’s three great classical essay collections, written in the fourteenth century. It recounts an episode in which the regent of the Kamakura shogunate shared a drink with the head of the Ashikaga clan, who ruled the Ashikaga area, and remarked that he always looked forward to receiving textiles from Ashikaga every year.
As the years passed, in the eighteenth century, the local load of Ashikaga region conceived the idea of establishing a shrine dedicated to the deities of weaving and textiles, as the region was closely associated with the textile industry. He established a shrine enshrining two legendary deities, Amenomihoko-no-Mikoto and Ameyachijihime-no-Mikoto, who are said to have woven textiles for the Shinto sun goddess.
This shrine later became now known as Ashikaga Orihime Shrine which is located halfway up Mount Orihime. The current shrine buildings were reconstructed by local citizens in 1937, led by the textile guild.
After climbing 229 steep stone steps that ascend straight up the hillside, you are greeted by a striking vermilion shrine building flanked by broad wings. Turning around, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Watarase River and the broad plain stretching beyond it.
Because the shrine enshrines a pair of male and female deities, and because weaving intertwines vertical and horizontal threads into a single fabric, it has become a popular spiritual destination for matchmaking and fostering the ties that bind people together. Along the railings at a scenic overlook within the shrine grounds, rows of golden heart-shaped brass locks can be seen, placed by couples praying for good fortune in love.
In Japanese, the word en (縁) refers to relationships, bonds between people, and the circumstances that bring events about. Interestingly, the character for en also contains the thread radical, just like the character for weaving. The connection between threads and human relationships is a beautiful reminder of how lives become intertwined.
If you are hoping to form a new connection, strengthen an existing bond, or simply enjoy a place rich in history and culture, Ashikaga Orihime Shrine is certainly worth a visit.
Please visit the Ashikaga Orihime Temple website.
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