Yahiko Jinja (Yahiko Shrine)
やひこじんじゃ
Known as "Oyahiko-sama," this is the Echigo Ichinomiya (the first of the provincial shrines of Echigo) with Mount Yahiko as its Goshintai (sacred body). It is an ancient shrine with a history of over 2,400 years.
Overview
The enshrined deity (kami) is Amenokagoyama-no-Mikoto. Revered as the ancestral deity of the development of Echigo, the shrine has a history of over 2,400 years since its founding. It is enshrined at the foot of the sacred mountain, Yahiko-san (634 meters above sea level), while the mausoleum of the enshrined deity is located at the shrine's sanctuary on the mountain summit (accessible via ropeway). The worship (sanpai) etiquette is unique, following the "two bows, four claps, one bow" style, the same as Izumo Taisha (Izumo Grand Shrine). The dense forest of pine and cedar within the sacred grounds (shin-iki) is filled with a divine atmosphere.
Enshrined deity / legend
Amenokagoyama-no-Mikoto
Highlights
- ・The sacred mountain Yahiko-san and the sanctuary on the summit
- ・Tama-no-Hashi (a bridge reserved for the kami)
- ・The "two bows, four claps, one bow" worship etiquette
- ・The dense, lush forest
Details may change. Please check official sources before visiting.