Did you know that present-day Aomori City was once called Utomura (Utomura)? Utou Shrine is said to be the “birthplace of Aomori City.

The shrine enshrines the Munakata Three Goddesses, known as the God of the Sea and the God of Safe Navigation, as its main deities, and has been and still is deeply believed in by the people of Aomori as a god of household safety, traffic safety, and prosperous business. At the back of the shrine, a spring from the dragon god, the god of water, flows through the shrine, giving it a sense of sanctity. People who work or do business related to the sea or water have taken the water from this spring and sprinkled it or drunk it for the purpose of prosperity, safety and to ward off misfortune.

The shrine was rebuilt by Tamuramaro Sakaue in 807 (Daido 2nd year). Within the shrine’s precincts is a swamp, a remnant of a once large lake, where carp, ducks, turtles, and other creatures live peacefully even though they are in the middle of the city as if time has stopped. Utou Shrine is also associated with the printmaker Munakata Shiko. Since his birthplace was across the street, it was a favorite playground for him as a child, and he often sketched there as a young man. His wedding ceremony was also held at Utou Shrine, which he had been familiar with since childhood.