Okuyama Hanzo-bo Boshu Jinja

Okuyama Hanzo-bo Boshu Jinja, enshrined in the deep mountains of Okuyama in Inasa Town, Kita Ward, Hamamatsu City, is a rare shrine that retains strong traditions of the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism. Hanzo-bo is said to be named after Hattori Hanzo, a retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and is known as a guardian deity of the martial arts and fighting prowess. Because of its location in the deep mountains of Okuyama, it is said to have flourished as a sacred site of ascetic practice. Even today, practitioners of martial arts and those involved in competitive endeavors visit to pray for victory, and it continues to be loved by many as a place for strengthening body and spirit, a shrine of unique charm.