is a

Shinto shrine A Stuart D. B. Picken, 1994. p. xxiii is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more kami, , the deities of the Shinto religion. The Also called the . is where a shrine's patron is or are enshrined.Iwanami Japanese dic ...

located in the city of Yasu,

Shiga Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan in the Kansai region of Honshu. Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,398,972 as of 1 February 2025 and has a geographic area of . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north, Gifu Prefecture to th ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. The ''

kami are the Deity, deities, Divinity, divinities, Spirit (supernatural entity), spirits, mythological, spiritual, or natural phenomena that are venerated in the traditional Shinto religion of Japan. ''Kami'' can be elements of the landscape, forc ...

'' worshipped at this shrine are

Susanoo-no-Mikoto __FORCETOC__ Susanoo (, ; Historical kana orthography, historical orthography: , ), often referred to by the honorific title Susanoo-no-Mikoto (), is a in Japanese mythology. The younger brother of Amaterasu, goddess of the sun and mythical an ...

and

Kushinadahime , also known as or Inadahime (稲田姫、いなだひめ) among other names, is a goddess (''kami'') in Japanese mythology and the Shinto faith. According to these traditions, she is one of the wives of the god Susanoo-no-Mikoto, Susanoo, who ...

Outline

Ōsasahara Shrine was constructed in the year 986 by Echi Morozane, a local warlord. In 1414, the shrine's main hall (''

honden In Shinto shrine architecture, the , also called , or sometimes as in Ise Shrine's case, is the most sacred building at a Shinto shrine, intended purely for the use of the enshrined ''kami'', usually symbolized by a mirror or sometimes by a sta ...

'') was reconstructed by Mabuchi Sadanobu, the castellan of Iwakura Castle. Following the

Meiji restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

and the establishment of the

Modern system of ranked Shinto shrines Modern may refer to: History *Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Philos ...

under

State Shinto was Empire of Japan, Imperial Japan's ideological use of the Japanese folk religion and traditions of Shinto. The state exercised control of shrine finances and training regimes for Kannushi, priests to strongly encourage Shinto practices that ...

, the shrine was officially designated a "county shrine".

Cultural properties

;Honden: Reconstructed in 1414 during the middle

Muromachi period The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...

, this building is a 3×3 ''ken'', single-storied structure with an ''irimoya-zukuri'' style roof and a 1 ''ken'' step canopy covered by hinoki cypress bark shingles. It is particularly notable for the excellent construction technique of the transom and doors. The ornamental carvings are representative of Higashiyama culture. The building was designated as

National Treasure A national treasure is a structure, artifact, object or cultural work that is officially or popularly recognized as having particular value to the nation, or representing the ideals of the nation. The term has also been applied to individuals or ...

in 1961. ;Shinohara Shrine Honden: Located to the left of the main shrine is a subsidiary shrine dedicated to Ishikori-dome no Mikoto. Built in 1425, it was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1931.

Notes

References

External links

Official websiteShiga - Biwako Visitor's Guide
{{Authority control Shinto shrines in Shiga Prefecture Ōmi Province Yasu, Shiga National Treasures of Japan Important Cultural Properties of Japan Gō-sha

Outline

Cultural properties

Notes

See also

References

External links