Hazu Jinja Shrine (Cape Forest Sacred Grove)

Hazu Shrine is identified with the 'Hazu Shrine, Chita District, Owari Province' listed in the Engishiki Jimmyocho (927), making it a shikinaisha (shrine recorded in the Engishiki). Its founding is traditionally placed in the Hakuho era (second half of the 7th century, around 700 CE in some accounts). Until the Edo period, it was known as 'Hazusaki Hachimangu' and served as the ujigami (tutelary deity) of Morozaki village, Chita District. The principal deity, Takeina-dne-no-Mikoto, was the vice-commander ('hatagashira,' flag-head) of the eastern expedition of Yamato Takeru under the command of Emperor Keiko, and there is a tradition that he resided at Morozaki and walked along the Hazu headland daily. According to tradition, his wife Tamahime waited for his return on the Morozaki shore, which became known as 'Machiai-ura' (Waiting Cove). The main hall is housed in a large wooden covering (saya-dō). The oldest surviving structural record (muna-fuda) dates to Eikyō 6 (1434); the current shrine building was reconstructed in the early Edo period. Wikipedia 'Hazu Shrine', Furatto Minamichita 'Hazu Shrine Forest'.

Hazu Shrine is situated at the southern tip of the Chita Peninsula — the 'end of the land, beginning of the sea' — where the functional faith of maritime traffic and fishing protection overlaps with the heroic narrative context of the eastern campaign commander's base. The word 'hazusaki' (headland) is variously explained as deriving from 'hatagashira' (one who carries the military flag at the front) or from 'hazu' (the nock of an arrow), as the terrain resembles the nock shape — illustrating that the place name and shrine name are a composite of topographical, military, and nature-worship elements. The shrine forest simultaneously functions as a site of regional biodiversity conservation and as a natural 'sacred precinct' created by the closed terrain of the headland. Wikipedia 'Hazu Shrine Forest'.

The shrine is deeply embedded in the community as the tutelary deity of the Morozaki district, Minami-chita Town. The approximately 800 m ubamagashi (Quercus phillyraeoides) woodland trail within the shrine forest — called the 'Koi no Romansurōdo' (Romance Road of Love) — is also open to tourists, offering the experience of walking through a dense, subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest. Since the music video of the idol group SKE48's song 'Hazumisaki' (2012) was filmed here, visits by fans are also numerous (supplementary information). The ferry terminal at Morozaki Port is directly in front of the shrine, making it a gateway hub for accessing the three Mikawa Bay islands. Furatto Minamichita 'Hazu Shrine'.

Accessible year-round. Clear days in early summer through autumn offer beautiful views of Ise Bay. The shrine forest is vivid green during the fresh-foliage season (March–April). Good ventilation makes summer visits comfortable, and the location is well-suited for stopping in while waiting for a ferry.

The classic approach is the composition from the large torii gate near the beach on the east approach (higashi sandō). The contrast of a vermilion torii within the dense green of the subtropical forest is beautiful. From the observation deck, Morozaki Port, Shinojima, and Himakajima can be seen at once, allowing compositions incorporating a passing ferry.

Access to Morozaki Port ferry terminal: take the Chita Bus (Umikko Bus) from Meitetsu Chita-Shinsen Line Uchimi Station to the Morozaki Port bus stop, then approx. 5 minutes on foot. Alternatively, approx. 15 minutes by car from the Toyohashi IC on the Minami-chita Expressway. Steep stone steps in the shrine precinct — exercise caution. The 800 m shrine forest trail is maintained but may be slippery in places. Confirm the current ferry timetable at Meitetsu Kaikō Kankōsen Official (Morozaki to Shinojima: approx. 10 min; Morozaki to Himakajima Higashi Port: approx. 7–10 min).