Daioukyo Tenman-gū

Oonogo Tenmangu in Joso, Ibaraki, was founded in 929 (Encho 7) by Sugawara Kagehira, the third son of the deified scholar Sugawara Michizane. Kagehira arrived as the Governor of Hitachi Province carrying his father's remains, which he enshrined at this location. Because it was founded by Michizane's own descendants and enshrines his actual remains, the shrine is counted among the Nihon Santen (Three Great Tenmangu of Japan). It is said to be the oldest Tenmangu shrine east of the Kanto region. Visitors come from across the country during exam season to pray for academic success, and the shrine remains a place of pilgrimage for those seeking the scholarly virtues embodied by Michizane.