Kutsuwa Shrine

Located in Nakamachi, Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, Kutsuwajinja enshrines Onamuchi-no-Mikoto, venerated as guardian of abundant harvests, warding off pestilence, and household safety. The founding date is unknown, but the shrine has been deeply rooted in the community since ancient times. The name kutsuwа refers to a type of horse bit, and multiple legends explain this connection — one holds that a local resident prayed here to calm a rampaging horse and then dedicated the bit as an offering. Another tradition says that Minamoto no Yoshitsune stopped here on his journey to Oshu and offered his horse's bit.