While strolling along the shores of Lake Towada, I passed the statue of maidens and found myself at Towada Shrine.

Towada Shrine is located in Towada City, Aomori Prefecture, at the base of the Nakayama Peninsula that juts out into Lake Towada. Nearby is the famous sculptor Kotaro Takamura’s Statue of Maidens, making it the Yasumiya area that serves as a base for sightseeing at Lake Towada. At Towada Shrine, there is a folk tale about the battle between Hachirotaro and Nansobo, which is part of the legend of the three lakes that has been handed down in Aomori, Akita and Iwate prefectures.

According to legend, after a monk named Nansobo trained in Kumano, Kumano Gongen deity told him to travel around the country and make a habitation where the thong of his sandals had been cut, Nansobo was given iron sandals by deity. And when Nansobo approached Lake Towada, his iron sandals broke.

However, a dragon called Hachirotaro had already lived in Lake Towada, so Nansobo challenged Hachirotaro to make Lake Towada his home. Nansobo incarnated into blue dragon and fought for seven days and seven nights. At the end of the battle, Hachirotaro lost the battle and was kicked out of Lake Towada. Nansobo became the new owner of Lake Towada.

In 807, when Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, the general who conquered the barbarians, was unable to cross Lake Towada because it was so rough, it is said that he built a small shrine, enshrined the blue dragon, and crossed it on a raft. This is the origin of Towada Shrine.

Access to Towada Shrine

It takes about 2 hours and 50 minutes from JR Tokyo Station to JR Hachinohe Station by Tohoku Shinkansen. Take the JR bus Oirase-go bound for Towadako from JR Hachinohe Station for 2 hours 15 minutes, get off at Towadako (Yasumiya) bus stop and walk for about 15 minutes.

*JR bus service suspended in winter