Happy New Year! The Niigata Machi-Asobi web magazine "Niigata Repo" was launched in December last year, and we are looking forward to providing you with even more powerful information to make your life and sightseeing in Niigata more enjoyable in 2014. We look forward to working with you again this year.

Now that it is the New Year, many people are going to pay their first visit to the shrine.

Yahiko Shrine is the most popular place for Hatsumode in Niigata. Around 300,000 people visit the shrine every year for Hatsumode.

Yahiko Shrine is such a popular place to visit, but did you know that there is a little-known 'stone for divining wishes'?

It is the 'fire ball stone'. It is commonly known as the 'Omokarunoishi' (stone of heavy weight).

This stone is located near the handbasin. It is a little difficult to find, so many people don't know about it.

For the fireball stone, think of your wish in your mind and lift the stone. If you think it is light, your wish will be fulfilled. If it feels heavy, it is difficult to make the wish come true.

I tried it when I visited with my friends. I felt that both of them were quite heavy... and it seemed difficult to make my wish come true. I think they are heavy, so please be prepared for them to be heavy. If you feel that it is lighter than you imagined, it will be fulfilled!

The Yahiko Village Office website mentions the Fireball Stone as a legend of the Yahiko Shrine.

During the Keicho era (1596-1615), Lord Tsugaru Nobumaki, lord of the castle in Hirosaki (now Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture), (omission) having heard of the vastness of the divine authority of Yahiko, the lord vowed to dedicate a torii gate to Mount Yahiko far away from the violently rocking ship and prayed for divine assistance, the sea immediately became calm and everyone returned safely to their homes. The sea immediately became calm and they all returned home safely.

(omission) Strangely enough, after a while, two fireballs began to fly round and round the castle, emitting a loud roar, every night around the castle tower. The whole castle was in an uproar, being completely bothered by this phenomenon night after night.

The Tsugaru Duke, astonished, immediately investigated the castle and found that the two fireballs were stones the size of an adult's head. （In September 1617, the Otorii gate was dedicated. At the same time, the fireballs were also presented to Yahiko Shrine as a symbol of the shrine's spiritual power.

http://www.vill.yahiko.niigata.jp/bunkazai/densetu/d_jinja.html

They used to fly around the castle in Tsugaru (laughs) Actually, it looks a bit like a scary Iwakutski stone.

Recently, a signboard with a fire ball stone has been made easier to find, so why not try divining your wish when you visit Yahiko Shrine?