seibo miya

Shōmogu (Holy Mother Shrine) is located in Katsumotoura, Katsumoto-cho, Iki City, Nagasaki Prefecture. It is considered one of the leading candidate shrines for the 'Nakatsujinja,' a Myōjin Taisha (shrine of an officially-recognized great deity) listed in the Engishiki and located on Iki Island in Iki District. According to shrine tradition, it was founded in connection with Empress Jingū, who is said to have stopped at Iki on her return from the conquest of Silla. As a shrine enshrining Empress Jingū — revered as the sacred mother who carried Emperor Ōjin while leading the expedition — the name 'Holy Mother Shrine' is believed to derive from this legend. Located in Katsumotoura, a key maritime hub, the shrine has long been venerated by fishermen and seafarers praying for safe voyages. During the Edo period, it received deep reverence as the ichinomiya (first-ranked shrine) of Iki Province.