kouriyama hachimanjinja

Koriyama Hachimangu enshrines Empress Jingu in Isa City, Kagoshima Prefecture. According to tradition, the shrine was founded in 1194 (the fifth year of Kenkyu) when Hishikari Shigeyoshi, the ancestor of the Hishikari clan, received a divine oracle and invited the deity from Usa Hachimangu. The main hall, restored in 1507 during the late Muromachi period, was designated as a National Important Cultural Property in 1949. During its dismantling and repair, a wooden piece from 1559 was discovered bearing the earliest known written reference to 'shochu' (distilled spirits) in Japan, giving the shrine additional historical significance. Despite suffering damage from typhoons and fires, the shrine continues to be cherished and maintained by the local community.