is a

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...

shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy sacred space, space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor worship, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, Daemon (mythology), daem ...

located in Dazaifu,

Fukuoka prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Fukuoka Prefecture has a population of 5,109,323 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,986 Square kilometre, km2 (1,925 sq mi). Fukuoka Prefecture borders S ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. Located at the top of

Mount Hōman is a mountain on the border between Dazaifu and Chikushino in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It has an elevation of 829,6 metres It is an important site for Shugendo, and a famous place for rock climbing. See also * Kamado-jinja * Dazaifu Prefec ...

, which has been venerated from ancient times as a sacred mountain, the shrine is dedicated to Tamayori-bime,

Emperor Ōjin , also known as (alternatively spelled 譽田別命, 誉田別命, 品陀和気命, 譽田分命, 誉田別尊, 品陀別命) or , was the 15th (possibly legendary) Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. No firm dat ...

, and

Empress Jingū was a legendary Japanese empress who ruled as a regent following her husband's death in 200 AD. Both the ''Kojiki'' and the ''Nihon Shoki'' (collectively known as the ''Kiki'') record events that took place during Jingū's alleged lifetime. Leg ...

. The peripheral zone of Mount Hōman, including the shrine, is a National historic site. It was formerly an imperial shrine of the first rank (官幣社, ''kanpeisha'') in the

Modern system of ranked Shinto Shrines The was an organizational aspect of the establishment of Japanese State Shinto. This system classified Shinto shrines as either official government shrines or "other" shrines. The official shrines were divided into #Imperial shrines (''kampeisha ...

History

The shrine was said to have been founded by Emperor Tenji when he built a castle surrounded by water and moved the authority in Dazaifu to the present-day Tofurō Ruins for defensive purposes in 664, due to his defeat in the

Battle of Baekgang The Battle of Baekgang or Battle of Baekgang-gu, also known as Battle of Hakusukinoe ( ja, 白村江の戦い, Hakusuki-no-e no Tatakai / Hakusonkō no Tatakai) in Japan, as Battle of Baijiangkou ( zh, c=白江口之战, p=Bāijiāngkǒu Zhīzh ...

in August of the previous year. He dedicated the shrine to thousands of gods at Mount Hōman, which faces an unlucky direction. It has two sanctuaries, one at the foot of the mountain and one at its peak. There used to be a third sanctuary midway up the hillside, but only its ruins remains today. The upper sanctuary was founded in honor of Tamayori-bime appearing while the monk Shinren was performing his ascetic training in 683. The shrine is also known for being a great place for

cherry blossom A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of genus ''Prunus'' or ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especially in Japan. They generally ...

viewing in the spring, and many people visit in the autumn to see the fall foliage.

Gallery

File:Kamado Shrine 02.JPG, The upper sanctuary at the summit of Mount Hōman. File:Kamado-jinja geku honden.JPG, The Ge-gu ''honden'' or the main shrine at the foot of the mountain. File: Kamado-jinja torii-1.JPG, The first torii at the bottom. File:Kamado-jinja torii-3.JPG, The third torii File:Kamado-jinja torii-2.JPG, The second torii

External links

Kamado Shrine - Fukuoka Prefecture Sightseeing Information (in English)
Shinto shrines in Fukuoka Prefecture Buildings and structures in Dazaifu, Fukuoka Beppyo shrines Myōjin Taisha Kanpei Shōsha {{Shinto-stub