Shrines and temples in the Tsugaru area are currently developing a "Tsugaru Ryujin Sacred Ground" project to visit the Ryuketsu.

This project is centered around Hirota Shrine (Aomori City), Seiryuji Temple (Aomori City), and Kudoji Temple (Hirosaki City), with nine temples and shrines in the Tsugaru area participating. Visit the dragon hole where the gods are said to live, purify the mind and body, and wish for happiness. Mr. Ibuki Tagawa, the priest of Hirota Shrine, says, "I think it is rare in Japan for Shinto and Buddhism to go beyond religion and undertake a dragon god."

According to Mr. Tagawa, the Tsugaru region has a long tradition of dragon gods, and in Shinto there are temples and shrines dedicated to the dragon gods, and in Buddhism, the dragon hole where the dragon king lives. "I heard from Seiryuji and Kudoji around May this year. I want to convey the belief that I will ask for relief in the face of difficulties by visiting the dragon veins," says Mr. Tagawa.

It is said that Mr. Tagawa himself has done a project that is not bound by religion in the past. "I have held a music festival in collaboration with Christianity, Buddhism, and Shinto. I often don't know about other religions, and by interacting with them, I can discover new discoveries and differences," he smiles.

Mr. Tagawa was in charge of designing the poster and the pamphlet scheduled to be distributed in November. "I didn't have a lot of budget, so I raised my hand," says Tagawa. He designed the dragon crest with the motif of three sacred treasures and Buddhist tools, and also drew a dragon. The pamphlet will also have a page that introduces how to receive the red stamp and how to worship at temples and shrines.

It is said that some people have already visited the project after learning about the project through SNS and word of mouth. “Nine locations are 190 kilometers away. If you travel by car, you can go around in about eight and a half hours in a day,” says Tagawa. "It's not for a limited time, but we hope to increase the number of temples and shrines that will participate in the future, and by the time the new coronavirus ends, we can hold events at temples and shrines connected by dragon holes."