Omatsu Daigongen Shrine
Omatsu Daigongen is a Shintō shrine devoted to a cat who took vengeance on behalf of his tragically persecuted mistress.
In the early the Edo period, the headman of Kamo Village borrowed money from a wealthy man to save the village during a famine. The headman repaid the debt, but the wealthy man falsely accused him of not paying. In despair, the village headman died of an illness, and the rich man confiscated the land as collateral for the debt. When the village headman’s wife, Omatsu, complained to the magistrate’s office, the magistrate, bribed by the rich man, ruled against her. Then in desperation, knowing that she faced execution for doing so, Omatsu complained directly to the daimyō. As expected, she was executed. Omatsu’s pet cat became a vengeful spirit and drove the families of the wealthy man and the corrupt magistrate to ruin. Omatsu’s grave lies within the shrine, among every kind of cat statuary and art. The shrine is also home to a fluffy grey cat who catches mice.
Information
Name in Japanese: お松大権現
Pronunciation: omatsu dai-gon-gen
Address: Fuke-64-1 Kamo-chō, Anan, Tokushima 771-5173
