Hakuto Shrine

Hakuto Shrine is a shrine in Tottori that serves as the setting about a myth of the White Rabbit of Inaba. The story goes that once there was a white hare who lived on Oki Island but wanted to cross the ocean to reach Cape Keta. To cross the ocean, the hare deceived some sharks suggesting they line up in a row so the hare could count how many sharks there were to compare to hares. The sharks agreed and the hare almost made its way to the end before arrogantly boasting how he tricked the gullible sharks. Angry at the audacity of the hare, the sharks retaliated and skinned the hare alive for being so pompous. The poor hare later encountered Okuninushi No Mikoto, a god of Japanese mythology with a similar tale, on the shores of Hakuto Beach. The god advised the hare to bathe in the fresh water and dry himself to restore his fur. The hare listened to the god and his fur grew back shortly after drying himself off. Today, the Hakuto Shrine is said to house the tricky hare that once lost it's fur. The shrine's pond is said to be where the hare bathed himself, and the hill is said to be where he dried himself before his fur returned. The shrine has become a place for those with skin-wounds and burns to pray for a speedy recovery. The shrine also has a statue of a young Okuninushi with the White Rabbit of Inaba nearby. If you've recently burned yourself and want a little extra push to heal that wound, stop by Hakuto Shrine before your Japan tour begins, or during a private Japan tour through Tottori!