Mitsuishi Shrine holds three great boulders six meters tall that legend says gave Iwate Prefecture its name. A demon called Rasetsu is said to have pressed his handprint into the stones as proof he would never disturb the region again, leaving the mark (ite) on the rock (iwa). The legend also inspired the Morioka Sansa Odori, one of Japan's largest taiko festivals.

The exact founding date of Mitsuishi Shrine is unknown, but it is considered one of the oldest shrines in the Morioka area. The three great boulders—each approximately six meters tall—that give the shrine its name have long been venerated as a sacred site. According to legend, a demon called Rasetsu…