厳島神社

函館市観光標識

この神社は、以前、弁天社と称され、今の函館どっく寄りにあったが、安政４年（１８５７年）の弁天台場の築造のため移され、現在地には慶応２年（１８６６年）に建てられた。　弁天社は明治４年（１８７１年）に市杵島神社と改められ、明治３５年（１９０２年）に厳島神社と改称された。　古くから弁財天信仰が著しく、境内には寄進された貴重な遺物が多く、文政６年（１８２３年）の手水石鉢を始め、天保８年（１８３７年）加賀の廻船主たちが寄進した鳥居や、嘉永７年（１８５４年）海上安全のため奉納された方位石など古い建造物が多い。この神社は、古くから海の守護神として地元海業人のみならず、松前をはじめ遠くは北陸、大阪などの商人の尊信を得ていたことがこれら遺物でわかる。　　函館市

THE ITSUKUSHIMA SHRINE This shirne formaly called Bentensha once near the Hakodate dock. It was moved from that place in 1857 in order to build Benten Fort. By 1866 the rest was completed. Bentensha was renamed Ichikishima in 1871 and once again changed to Itsukushima shrine shrinein 1902. There were so many people who had faith in Benzaiten (the Goddess of Fortune) that many precious antiquities were contributed. A stone washbowl was contributed in 1823. The Shinto Shrine archway was contributed in 1837 by bargement in Kaga.Among many other things a ship navigation instrument (azimuth) was also found there. Local weren't the only ones who believed that Benzaiten was the guardian deity of the sea、 merchants in Matsumae and people as far Hokuriku and Osaka also believed so.