ooshio tenmanguu

Oshio Tenmangu in Himeji enshrines Sugawara no Michizane, said to have visited this area while being exiled to Dazaifu. The deity was merged with the local Iya-myojin and the shrine gradually became established as a center of Tenjin faith. Listed among the twenty-five sacred sites of the Kanko Seiseki pilgrimage, it holds the rank of former gosha. The autumn grand festival on October 14 and 15 features the ancient Hitotsumono ritual and Omengake ceremony. The shaggy lion dances (kejishi) performed at this festival have been designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Hyogo Prefecture.