Hakuto Shrine

On a low pine-clad rise overlooking a beautiful white-sand beach on the coast west of Tottori city stands Hakuto Shrine, dedicated to one of the most beloved characters in all of Japanese mythology: the White Rabbit of Inaba. The tale, recorded in the eighth-century Kojiki, Japan's oldest chronicle, is known to virtually every child in the country, and it makes this modest coastal shrine a place of genuine cultural resonance and a popular destination for those praying for love and marriage.

The legend tells of a white rabbit that wished to cross from an offshore island to the mainland of Inaba. Tricking a line of sea creatures into forming a bridge by pretending to count them, the rabbit hopped across on their backs, but boasted of the deception at the last moment and was punished by having its fur torn off, leaving it in agony on the shore. A group of cruel deities passing by advised the rabbit to bathe in seawater and dry in the wind, which only made its suffering worse. Then came Okuninushi, the kind-hearted deity of Izumo, lagging behind his brothers, who took pity on the creature and taught it to wash in fresh water and roll in the pollen of cattail reeds to heal its skin. Cured and grateful, the rabbit foretold that Okuninushi — not his cruel brothers — would win the hand of the beautiful princess Yakami, which duly came to pass.

Because of this story, Hakuto Shrine is celebrated as the site of the first successful matchmaking in Japanese legend and as the birthplace, in mythological terms, of both romance and medicine, since the rabbit's cure is regarded as the first act of medical treatment in the country's lore. Couples and hopeful singles come to pray for love, and the shrine sells charms and offers rituals themed around the white rabbit and the pursuit of a happy marriage. The grounds are dotted with statues of rabbits, and visitors will find the mythological "body-washing pond" said to be where the rabbit bathed, as well as the fields of cattail reeds from the tale.

The setting adds to the charm. The shrine looks out over the Hakuto coast, a stretch of clean white sand and clear water that is popular for swimming in summer, with the offshore island of the legend visible across the waves. The combination of a well-loved myth, a pretty beach and an easygoing atmosphere makes it a delightful and family-friendly stop, quite different in mood from the region's more austere sites.

A visit takes around forty minutes to walk the grounds, admire the rabbit statues and enjoy the coastal view, and it combines well with the Tottori Sand Dunes and the city's other attractions along the same coast. For travellers curious about the myths that underpin Japanese culture — and especially the deep connection between Tottori, neighbouring Izumo and the matchmaking deity Okuninushi — Hakuto Shrine offers a warm, story-rich and scenic introduction to the land where the gods of legend once walked.