On Saturday, November 15th and Sunday, November 16th, original amulets called "Enmusubi Mamori" designed and produced by students were given out to worshippers at Shigaumi Shrine (Higashi Ward, Fukuoka City).
This "Shio Yumamori" was created by undergraduate students and students Kyushu Sangyo University, Zokei Junior College of Art and Design who are taking the "Practical Cross Seminar (Junior College: Off-Campus Art Project)" course, with the aim of conveying the history and traditions of Shikanoshima, which is mentioned in the Manyoshu, to the present day.
Made from bivalves and discarded fishing nets from Shikanoshima Island, the charm is inspired by the Yamaho Fishing and Hunting Festival * held on the 15th, with the fishing nets woven into the shape of a mountain and the base shaped like a ship. The sacred object of the charm is made from seaweed salt, which students produced in May after learning ancient salt-making techniques, and sealed inside the bivalve. The project logo designed on the packaging and panels expresses how the connection between mountains and the sea creates connections between people. The students worked out every detail of how to incorporate the story into the design of this charm.
In this seminar, students from various fields, such as regional development, economics, and Japanese culture, learned about history from Associate Professor Tanaka Mari Center for Fundamental Education who specializes in the Manyoshu, and considered planning and promotion while utilizing their respective knowledge. Under the guidance of Associate Professor Morishita Shinya of Kyushu Sangyo University, Zokei Junior College of Art and Design, students from the same faculty explored design and created each piece by hand, starting with unraveling discarded fishing nets.
On the first day of the distribution, the event was bustling with worshippers who had seen the announcement on social media or in newspaper articles, and the students themselves introduced the initiative to the worshippers who stopped by. Over the course of two days, all 150 prepared statues were distributed to worshippers.
One visitor who received the charm said, "I was looking forward to seeing the announcement. I want to treasure this wonderful charm that the students came up with after visiting Shikanoshima and Shikanoumi Shrine many times."
*A grand festival held in spring and autumn at Shikanoumi Shrine to give thanks for the blessings of the mountains and pray for a good catch. Designated an intangible folk cultural asset by Fukuoka Prefecture.
≫Project introduction in the October 2025 issue University magazine "+K"
[Center for Fundamental Education / Kyushu Sangyo University, Zokei Junior College of Art and Design]
