yagawa jinja

Yagawa Shrine is located in Konan-cho Morijiri, Koka City, Shiga Prefecture. According to tradition, it was founded during the Wado era (708-715), making it a venerable shrine with over 1,300 years of history. The enshrined deities are Susanoo-no-Mikoto, who wards off pestilence and brings good fortune, and his consort Inadahime-no-Mikoto, who grants good marriages and safe childbirth. The shrine has long been a spiritual anchor for farming communities, receiving prayers for abundant harvests and protection from disease. Once a grand shrine with extensive landholdings, it was reduced by the turmoil of the Sengoku period and repeated fires. The current shrine buildings were reconstructed in the late Edo to Meiji period. Sacred trees of several centuries stand in the grounds alongside ancient stone lanterns. Each July, the annual festival sees a procession of portable shrines as locals pray for the harvest and peace.