Imibe Jinja

Imibe Jinja in Niken-ya-cho, Tokushima City, is the successor of the ancient Shikinaisha Myojin Taisha, now listed as a Beppyo Jinja with the former rank of Kokuhei Chusha. The principal deity, Ame no Hiwashi no Mikoto, is the ancestral god of the Awa Imibe clan, revered as the guardian of hemp weaving. After the shrine location was obscured by medieval warfare, lengthy Meiji-era disputes led to the current site being selected in 1885 and the enshrining completed in 1892. The Miki family, descendants of the Imibe clan, continues the tradition of presenting ararae hemp cloth at imperial enthronement ceremonies.