記事詳細
今から１２００年以上昔、聖武天皇は奈良に大きな大仏をつくるための黄金をさがしていた。しかし、そのころ日本では黄金が発見されていなかった。
ところが今の宮城県をおさめていた陸奥守の百済王敬福という人が、ついに黄金を発見。聖武天皇はこれを喜び、記念としてつくられたのが金華山黄金山神社（以下、金華山神社）だ。３年続けておまいりすると一生お金に困らないと言われている。
金華山は牡鹿半島の先に浮かぶ島だ。私たちは５月３日に再開したばかりの船に乗って、８月に女川から金華山へと向かった。金華山へは女川のほか、牡鹿半島の先にある鮎川から船が出ているが、震災前は毎日出ていたのに、今は日曜日と祝日だけになっている。
私たちは「石巻に恋しちゃった♡」という、石巻の人が自分たちの特技を生かした体験プログラムのひとつとしてこの船に乗ったので、金華山ガイドの達人の持田耕明さんにガイドしてもらい、神社で特別にお寿司を食べることができた。
島に着くと、松と楓がくっついて生えている「相生の松楓」という不思議な木や、お金を洗うとお金が増える「銭洗い場」などがあった。ヒルがたくさんいてこわかった。
神社では、神主の大久保浩さんにお話を聞いた。震災では神社のかわらが落ちたり、灯ろうがたくさん倒れ、津波は赤い鳥居の横棒のところまで来た。まだ壊れたままになっているものがたくさんあった。島にはたくさんシカが住んでいるので、シカは地震のときどうだったか心配で聞いてみると、いっせいに山に逃げたけれど、その後は戻って来ているそうだ。また、植物を食べて大変だそうだ。
これからの金華山をどういうところにしていきたいかと聞くと、「金華山だけでなく、女川や鮎川など地域が一体となって復興していくように願っている」そうだ。未来に残したいものをたずねると、「拝んでくれる人の気持ちや歴史のある建物を未来へ残していきたい」と言っていた。
私たちはワークショップで「未来の石巻」をつくったとき、「未来の金華山」もつくった（図参照）。未来の金華山を舞台にした小説を書こうということになって、今回、実際の金華山を取材したけれど、イメージを膨らませることができた。それはこんな感じではじまる。
「未来の金華山は、おさつの島で、たくさんのサバが住んでいる。島にはおさつのビルがあり、サバの中には金色に光る金華サバがいる。石巻と網地島、田代島、金華山を結ぶ『金華サバ列車』の線路は、海の上を走ったあと、海の中へとつづく。サバのアーチをくぐるときに金華サバを見つけた人は、幸せになることができるという」
取材・文・写真：小野 愛和（釜小学校４年生）、山田 唯歌（釜小学校１年生）、山田 暖歌（釜小学校４年生） 、菊田 陽菜（釜小学校５年生）
2013/09/11
Kinkasan of the Future
Manaka Ono，4th Grade, Kama Elementary School
Hina Kikuta, 5th Grade, Kama Elementary School
Honoka Yamada, 4th Grade, Kama Elementary School
Yuika Yamada, 1st Grade, Kama Elementary School
More than 1200 years ago, Emperor Shomu was searching for gold in order to build a great Buddha statue in Nara. However, at that time, gold had not been discovered in Japan.
The ruler of Mutsu, which is now Miyagi Prefecture, Kudaranokonikishinokyoufuku, finally discovered gold. Emperor Shomu was delighted, and Kinkasan Koganeyama Shrine was built in commemoration. It is said that if you continue to pray there every year for three years, you will have no money troubles for the rest of your life.
Kinkasan is an island situated off the coast of the Oshika peninsula. In August, we boarded the liner from Onagawa to Kinkasan, which had reopened on 3rd of May. Other than from Onagawa, there are boats from Ayukawa off the coast of Oshika peninsula to Kinkasan; before the earthquake, they were running everyday, but now they only run on Sundays and public holidays.
We boarded this liner as part of an activity program called “I’ve Fallen in Love with Ishinomaki,” in which the residents of Ishinomaki share their skills. We were guided by Mr. Komei Mochida who is a specialist Kinkasan guide, and we had a special opportunity to eat sushi in the shrine.
When we arrived at the island, we were surprised to see “Aioinoshoufu” (intertwined pine and maple trees) and “Zeniaraiba” (a place for purifying money), where purifying money by washing will increase wealth. It was scary because there were lots of leeches.
At the shrine, we talked with a Shinto priest, Mr. Hiroshi Okubo. Due to the earthquake, the shrine’s roof tiles fell off, many of the garden lanterns collapsed, and the tsunami even reached the horizontal beams of the red Torii gate. There was much that was still in ruins. Many deer live on the island, so we were worried about what happened to them during the earthquake and asked him. He told us they all fled up the mountain but they have now returned, and are causing problems by eating the plants.
When asked what kind of place he would like to make Kinkasan for the future, he said, “I hope that not only Kinkasan, but also surrounding areas such as Onagawa and Ayukawa will be restored as one.” When asked what he wants to preserve for the future, he said, “I would like to preserve the wishes of those who pray here and the buildings with history.”
When we designed “Ishinomaki of the Future” at a workshop, we also designed “Kinkasan of the Future” (refer to illustration). We decided to write a novel set in future Kinkasan; we visited Kinkasan to gather information and we were able to get a better sense of the place. The story begins something like this.
“The future Kinkasan is an island of bank notes, and lots of mackerel live there. On the island, there are buildings made of bank notes, and among the mackerel, there is a Kinka Mackerel which shines like gold. There is a “Kinka Mackerel Train”, connecting Ishinomaki, Aji Island, Tashiro Island and Kinkasan, that runs over the sea before continuing into the sea. It is said that, when passing through the Mackerel Arch, those who spot the Kinka Mackerel are able to find happiness”.
(Translation: Peter Sutcliffe, Ann McHale and Frances Dodds, Jennifer Hikari Dixon)