“The Stone Statue of a Dog” that gave the place its name Inuishi
Inuishi（Kanbe area Tateyama City）
Inuishi is a place name in the Kanbe area of Tateyama City. In the past, it was called “Inuishi Village”.
There is a legend that this land came to be called Inuishi. Let’s introduce the legend of the “dog stone statue” placed in front of the current Inuishi Youth Center.
Inuishi place name legend
It is said that a long time ago, a large snake lived in Hatakiri Cave and ravaged the surrounding area. When the villagers were helpless and in trouble, a Shugendo appeared and entered the cave with a dog in order to exterminate the snake. However, the shugenja was brutally eaten by a large snake.
A dog brought by an ascetic monk came out of a cave next to present-day Inuishi Seinenkan in Kobe, far away from Nishimisaki where Hatakiri Cave is located. The dog was naked, hairless and covered in blood, and soon died and turned into stone.
When the villagers saw this, they built a shrine at the spot and held a memorial service. This is said to be the origin of Inuishi Gongen.
Eventually, this place became known as “Inuishi no Sato” without anyone else, and it is said that the place name Inuishi was born.
This stone statue is said to have been made by a stonemason whose posthumous Buddhist name was “Anshin Zenjomon” and who was the ancestor of the Aoki family (trade name: Ipponmatsu) of Kawatani Ishikari in Maruyama Town, Minamiboso City,who died in 1787.
It seems that “Anshin Zenjomon” also worked on Daitoku-in Temple in Maruyama Town and other shrines and temples. This statue is believed to have been made in his prime (1700s, about 260 years ago).
Funakoshi Natagiri Shurine（Hamada Tateyama city）
Inuishi Shurine
The “Sun Moon Shrine” on the site of the current Inuishi Shrine, the “Inuishi Gongen” on the site of the Inuishi Seinenkan, and the “Uba Shrine” in the enclave were merged into one in Taisho 6 to become the Inuishi Shrine.
In the precincts of Inuishi Shrine, the shrine of Asama-sama and Kachama-sama is enshrined.
Kachama-sama is considered to be the god of learning and the god of competition.
Tateyama City Kanbe Historical Exploration (Southern Area) Map
