Kasuga Taisha (Kasuga Grand Shrine)

Located in Nara City, this shrine serves as the head shrine for approximately 3,000 Kasuga shrines nationwide, revered since the Nara period as the ancestral shrine of the Fujiwara clan. The enshrined deities are the four Kasuga kami: Take-mikazuchi-no-Mikoto, Futsunushi-no-Mikoto, Amenokoyane-no-Mikoto, and Himegami. Its origins date back to 768 CE (Shinju-Kiun 2), when Fujiwara no Sadako and others enshrined the four deities at the foot of Mount Kasugayama to protect the capital of Heijo-kyo. The shrine buildings feature a unique architectural style known as Kasu-zukuri. To preserve their original appearance, the structures have undergone periodic reconstruction (Shikinen Sengu) every 20 years for over 60 cycles. The grounds feature approximately 3,000 stone lanterns donated by samurai, nobles, and commoners; nearly 70% of all Muromachi-period stone lanterns in Japan are gathered here. The entire vast precincts, including Mount Kasuga, spanning approximately 300,000 tsubo, are registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site under 'Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara.'