Chikubushima- Japanese LocationLocation · Landmark"Sacred Island of Lake Biwa"
Also known as: 竹生島
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Description
A small island of steep bamboo groves rising from the northern waters of Lake Biwa. Emperor Shōmu designated it sacred in 724 CE after a divine revelation, and pilgrims have crossed the lake by boat ever since. Benzaiten dwells there, and the dragon god of the lake guards the depths below.
Mythology & Lore
The Island
Chikubushima rises from the northern waters of Lake Biwa, so steep that its bamboo groves seem to grow straight out of the lake. In 724 CE, Emperor Shōmu received a divine revelation and sent a monk to consecrate the island. A temple, Hōgonji, and a shrine, Tsukubusuma Jinja, were built on its narrow terrain, one Buddhist and one Shinto, sharing the island between them. Benzaiten is enshrined there alongside Enoshima and Itsukushima as one of the Three Great Benzaiten of Japan.
The Noh Play
In the Noh play Chikubushima, attributed to Zeami, a courtier crosses Lake Biwa to visit the island. An old fisherman and a mysterious woman ferry him to the shore. On the island, the woman reveals herself as Benzaiten and performs a celestial dance. Then the lake churns. The dragon god rises in full splendor, water streaming from his scales, and offers the courtier a wish-granting jewel as a blessing for the realm.
Pilgrims still cross the lake by boat to reach the island. The crossing itself is the beginning of the visit: deep water, then bamboo, then the shrine.
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