Isonokami Jingu Shrine

Located in the middle of the Yamanobe no Michi, known as the oldest existing road in Japan, this ancient shrine enshrines the deity Futomikami-no-Okami. From the end of the Edo period to the Meiji era (1868-1912), it was called “Igami-San.

In the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan), only Ise Jingu Shrine and Ishigami Jingu Shrine are mentioned as shrines, and Ishigami Jingu Shrine is described as the oldest of them all.

The Nihonshoki, one of the oldest Japanese history and mythology books established in the Nara period (710-794), is said to have been completed in 720.

The worship hall of Ishigami Jingu Shrine is known as the oldest existing worship hall in Japan, and according to tradition, Emperor Shirakawa donated the hall to the shrine in 1081, using the Shinkaden Hall of the Imperial Palace as the worship hall.

It is said to have been donated by Emperor Shirakawa in 1081, and is said to have been built in the style of a Buddhist temple, with an irimoya (gabled roof) and cypress bark thatch, and incorporates Kamakura period techniques while also using some Heian period techniques. Inside, there are treasures that are not open to the public.

The seven swords, which are believed to have been made in Baekje, a country on the Korean peninsula during the Kofun period, and the worship hall of the Izumo Kenyuu Shrine, built in 1300 and relocated in 1914, are designated as national treasures.

Although the main hall was built in 1913, it is believed that Ishigami Jingu Shrine once had no main hall and enshrined sacred swords and treasures deep in the ground.

In the early Meiji period (1868-1912), excavations in the forbidden area behind the hall of worship revealed the sacred sword “Kurei” as well as numerous large swords, spears, mirrors, and jade objects, many of which were designated as important cultural properties.

The gate was built in 1318 during the Kamakura period (1185-1333), and it bears a plaque written by Aritomo Yamagata, which reads “Mangoku neo shin” (meaning “Ten thousand years old and new”). The bell tower gate used to be a bell tower gate, but the bell was removed in the early Meiji period (1868) due to the Shinto/Buddhist Separation Order.

Chickens are believed to be messengers of the gods, and there are about 30 free-range chickens, including Totenko chickens and Karasukotori chickens, on the temple grounds.