Isonokami-jingu Shrine

Appearing in the Nihon Shoki, the oldest recorded history in Japan, Isonokami-jingu Shrine is one of the oldest shrines in Japan. It is located in the foothills of Mt. Furu (altitude: 266m) along the oldest path in Japan, the Yamanobe-no-michi.

Sacred chickens ring in the new day as they stride across the grounds surrounded in green. They especially stand out for an ancient spirituality, and they are worshiped as protective gods for all things, from long life, to relief from disease, to disaster prevention.

Stepping into the back of the worship hall of Isonokami-jingu Shrine had long been prohibited, as people weren’t allowed to access this sacred place of the gods, but when it was excavated  during the Meiji period, comma-shaped jewels, swords, and a relic of a festival float were discovered.

Isonokami-ji ngu Shrine is laid out so that the side with the main shrine and worship hall is split from the side with the auxiliary shrines by the main approach.This layout of splitting the buildings by passing through the middle is called the “split worship hall” layout, and is a rare style that we don’t see very often. All kinds of history is to be found within the shrine grounds, like the Romon Gate from the Kamakura period. Until the first year of the Meiji period, it was known as the “Shoro-mon”, as it had a bell hanging in its upper level.

From JR Tenri Station:
– 30 minutes on foot from the station.