Kama Hachimangu: The Sickle Shrine
Tucked behind Niusakadono Shrine, Kama Hachimangu is a large, sacred red-bark oak tree in which dozens of crescent-shaped sickles have been thrust, their blades deeply embedded in the trunk. According to the Kiizoku Fudoki chronicle compiled in the late Edo period (1603–1868), this was how the locals, who depended on agriculture and forestry for their livelihood, made entreaties to the gods.
The long-standing custom appears to still live on, as a few shiny new sickles can be found embedded among the much older rust-covered implements. To maintain the health of the tree, the shrine now requests that worshippers write their wishes on sickle-shaped prayer plaques (ema), which are then hung near the torii gate in front of the sacred tree.