塩竈市指定・有形文化財（書跡・典籍）

仙台藩第4代藩主伊達綱村（肯山）の治世に、仙台への物流を円滑にするため、塩竈と蒲生を結ぶ御舟入堀が完成しました。御舟入堀は、明治以降も拡幅や護岸整備が続けられ、「貞山堀」「貞山運河」の一部として市民に親しまれています。
この一対の燈籠は、寛文13年（1673）、工事に関わった仙台藩士伊達半之助房長によって鹽竈神社に献じられたもので、御船入堀の竣工時期を示す史料であるとともに、同神社に向けられた信仰を示す史料としても貴重です。現在、一基は鹽竈神社門外の西回廊寄りに、もう一基は左右宮拝殿の東側に設置されています。
伊達綱村の300年遠忌年に合わせ、塩竈市の有形文化財に指定されました。
平成30年10月1日指定

JPN｜ENG

The Stone Lanterns of the Ofunairibori

A Shiogama City-designated item of Tangible Cultural Heritage. Classified under Calligraphy / Books.

These stone lanterns are historical monuments which symbolized the contribution of an inter-community express waterway, called the Ofunairibori.

In the year Kanbun 13 (1673 CE) of the Edo Period (from 1603 to 1868 CE), these lanterns were presented to Shiogama Shrine by Date Hannosuke, a descendant of lord Date Masamune and a feudal lord of the Sendai Domain. The lanterns commemorate the waterway as a means of transport and commerce between two communities. The backstory of these lanterns go back over 300 years before they were made, when the Ofunairibori was initially constructed.

This waterway gave an opportunity to accelerate commerce in the domain, linking the communities of Shiogama on Matsushima Bay (which specialized in fish, salt, and seafood), and Gamo (which specialized in rice crops), located in what is now Sendai City. Feudal lord Date Tsunamura (posthumously Kozan), lord Hannosuke’s ancestor, was in charge of building this water road in the year Teiji 6 / Shohei 21 (1367 CE). During the Meiji Era (between 1868 and 1914), the Ofunairibori was widened and fortified.

The pair of lanterns can be found within the premises of the present-day Shiwahiko Jinja / Shiogama Jinja Shrine proper. They can be located at two separate gateways. One is located near the western corridor outside the shrine’s fenced walls. The other is located around the Sayugu Haiden (identified by the kanji 左右宮拝殿).

On October 1st, Heisei 30, (2018 CE), the lanterns were designated by Shiogama City as Tangible Cultural Properties in accordance with the 300th year anniversary of lord Date Tsunamura.