Kamafuta Shrine
釜蓋神社（射楯兵主神社）
This shrine on a rocky sea cape is famous for its lid challenge: balance a wooden pot lid on your head, walk to the sanctuary without letting it fall, and your wish is said to come true. It is a popular stop in southern Kyushu.
Kamafuta Shrine, whose official name is Itate Hyōsu Shrine, sits on a rocky cape in Eba-chō, Minamikyushu City. Surrounded by sea on three sides, it offers views of Mount Kaimon and the East China Sea. Legend says that in ancient times the lid of a palace cooking pot blew here, which gave the shrine its name. The best-known ritual is to balance a wooden pot lid on your head and walk from the torii gate to the worship hall without steadying it with your hands or letting it fall. Doing so is said to bring your wish true. Other rituals include throwing lids onto the rocks in the sea. The shrine is known for good fortune, victory and traffic safety, and Japanese football players and other athletes often visit to pray. Admission is free and parking nearby is convenient. It is about 35 minutes by car from central Ibusuki. Public transport is limited, so driving is recommended.
Opening hours
All day (office approx. 08:00–17:00)
Nearby sights
- Tosenkyo Somen Nagashi
- Hirakiki Shrine
- Mount Kaimon
- Lake Ikeda
- Nishi-Oyama Station
- Flower Park Kagoshima
- Lake Unagi
- Cape Nagasakibana