Do you feel like bad luck has latched to your feet and it follows you anywhere you go and simply doesn’t want to leave you? Do you finally want to get rid of it and feel a sigh of relief? If yes, then there is a magic place in Japan where you can actually get a little help for your fate and destiny. Seriously, I am not joking! Neither is it some sort of cheesy advert of some old guy with a long white beard doing the fortunetelling.
On our way
It was sunny, hot and overpoweringly humid July day. I could say a very lazy day. All of the cats we encountered that day didn’t even bother to look at us which was quite strange as they were usually willing to play. We were heading to Ibusuki to experience the hot sand baths (why would we have wanted to do it in such a hot day?) but we got lost a bit. Our “reliable” GPS led us to some tiny village called Ei. As I was a bit tired of driving we decided to take a break and stroll around.
Ei town – strolling around
The sky was turquoise-blue and impressively clear. There was absolutely no one around but sleeping cats in the shadows. It felt like a ghost town, isolated from a normal life. As we walked down the rocky wall, step by step, we could see a blue sea horizon and a small shrine on the top of a hill. We were hunting for new discoveries that day so this one seemed like a perfect opportunity to explore.
Ei town – a ghost town
Ei town – a tiny shrine
Ei town – a sleeping cat
Ei town – another cat
As we approached closer, the profile of a shrine became more visible and sharp – red and beautifully decorated it was almost shining in the sunshine beams. It turned out that it was Kamafuta Jinja. “Kamafuta” means “a pot lid”. It is said that if you put a pot lid on your head and walk from the torii gate to the offertory chest, your wish will be granted and a good fortune will slide upon your shoulders. We felt challenged and wanted to try our best to complete this quite unique task.
Kamafuta Jinja – front elevation
Kamafuta Jinja – torii gate
At the beginning, it looked quite easy to actually walk with a pot lid on your head. However, the reality was harder than we thought. The pot lid is wide and because it is made out of wood it is also quite heavy. It is difficult to maintain your balance all the way through until you reach the torii which is situated slightly higher than your starting point. Once you reach the gate you need to bend your knees as the rope hanging from the torii can easily be an ominous obstacle. Plus, you need to stop laughing! We managed to complete it and had so much fun after successfully reaching the shrine. Some local workers, who were working nearby on constructing new pavement, loudly were cheering for us. We felt like kids and it was fine to be like that.
Kamafuta Jinja – a starting point
Kamafuta Jinja – almost there
Kamafuta Jinja – done!
What we also found appealing about this place is a beautiful viewing point called “Kibo-no Misaki” which can be translated as Cape of Hope. It is located through the path on the left side of the shrine. From there, a stunning sea panorama stretches long before you until you observe Kaimon dake and the mountainous landscape of Kagoshima Peninsula. I guarantee the views are spectacular.
Kamafuta Jinja – an altar
Kamafuta Jinja
We thought: “actually, it is not a bad day” when we got on the car and headed again to Ibusuki. Miraculously, GPS started working and we didn’t have any problems with it anymore. We not only got to Ibisuki but also on our way we discovered new places and enjoyed the natural beauty of peninsula. But what is more surprising, during our way back I got a message from London that the project I worked on won a design competition.
View from the Cape of Hope
Perhaps, there is something supernatural about Kamafuta Jinja? Try it out yourself.
Useful information and links:
Ei town can be reached by train from Kagoshima train station. However, the best way is to rent a car.
- transportation (http://www.rome2rio.com/s/Kagoshima/Ei-Station)
- car rental (https://nissan-rentacar.com/english/shop/kagoshima/)
