A rare bicycle god

📍Bicycle shrine (God of traffic safety)

There is a very rare shrine in Innoshima that enshrines the god of bicycles.

In addition to road safety and travel safety, he is the guardian deity of bicycles, who also has the benefit of preventing theft.

Let me introduce you to the bicycle shrine on the Shimanami Kaido, a sacred place for cyclists.

As you can see by enlarging the map (below), the bicycle shrine is accessed by climbing the stairs from Prefectural Route 120 in Innoshima.

If you come by bicycle,
take your bicycle up the slope to the left of the main torii gate along the prefectural road,
and continue straight into the shrine grounds.
There are bicycle stand hangers lined up, so park your bike there and pray.

Watashi-no-Okami, the guardian deity of traffic and the god of bridges, is enshrined here.

Apparently, it all started when the rest area in the grounds of Oyama Shrine was opened to cyclists who gathered on the Shimanami Kaido.

Word of mouth spread and it came to be called "Bicycle Shrine" because people could pray for safety on the roads and on their journeys while cycling.

Incidentally, Oyama Shrine is the oldest shrine in Innoshima, founded in 773 (4th year of the Hoki era).

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