The Fujishiro shrine, the place relates to the name Suzuki and Minakata Kumagusu

The Fujishiro shrine is located in Kainan city, Wakayama.
It is very old shrine and on the route of the pilgrimage to the holy place Kumano.
It is one of the Kujuku (99) Ouji shrines (which founded on route of the pilgrimage to Kumano by mountain priests), and it is a high ranked one among the Kujuku Ouji.
Many Emperors and noblemen have visited the shrine on the pilgrimage to Kumano.

There is an another place that made the shrine popular today.
The Suzuki Yashiki (the residence of Suzuki) is it.
The place is in the precincts of Fujishiro shrine.
According to legend, the place was the origin of the family name Suzuki, which scattered all over Japan.
You can meet people who have name Suzuki everywhere in Japan.
The residence was for Fujishiro-Suzuki clan, the clan of the priest of Fujishiro shrine.
Since ancient times, priests from Fujishiro-Suzuki clan spread their belief of the holy place Kumano, and as their belief spread to all over Japan, people who influenced by them started using the name Suzuki for themselves.
That's why there are so many Suzuki san in Japan.
Today Suzuki Yashiki is deteriorated and no one is living there.
However still many Suzuki san come to visit the place of their origin from all over Japan.

Also a big old kusunoki (camphor) tree have been enshrined in precincts of Fujishiro shrine.
There was a famous naturalist from Wakayama, Minakata Kumagusu (1867-1941), and his name "Kumagusu" came from the tree.
Kuma means bear, and Gusu means kusunoki.
Kusunoki trees have been worshiped in Japan, and there was a custom to name baby the name which relating kusunoki tree.
Kusunoki trees live long and prosper, so I guess you see why people have named their babies kusunoki.

I am not a particular fan of Suzuki san, but a fan of Minakata Kumagusu.
So when I visited the shrine and saw the big old kusunoki tree, I was deeply affected.