Udo Shrine: Rabbit Statues 鵜戸神宮：うさぎの像

Official explanation

The grounds of Udo Shrine are dotted with statues of rabbits, which are believed to be messengers of the enshrined deities. The origins of this legend are not entirely clear, but a connection between rabbits and Ugayafukiaezu, the shrine’s primary deity, is often cited. The “u” at the beginning of Ugayafukiaezu is also the Japanese word for rabbit. Local legends also mention many rabbits living in the woods around the shrine, though none are to be found today. A monthly festival is held at the shrine on the first day of the rabbit in the Japanese zodiac calendar, when vendors set up stalls for food and drink and children’s games, and kendo swordsmanship and archery tournaments take place.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.