Isono Shrine [Ehime]

【Isono Shrine summary】

Isono-jinja Shrine was founded in 158 A.D. during the reign of Emperor Seimu, and is incredibly old. It is said to have been the first major shrine in Iyo Province during the Nara Period (710-794). The main deities are Amaterasu Omikami and Takekunikoriwake no Mikoto. Takekuni Korikobetsu no Mikoto is a member of the ancient Japanese imperial family as described in the “Chronicles of Japan,” and His Majesty the Emperor of Japan visited the shrine as a Crown Prince. As it is said to be the Ise-san of Iyo (Iyo), the atmosphere is similar to that of Ise Jingu Shrine and Tsubakidai Shrine. (Iyo is the name of the country since ancient times that is now Ehime Prefecture, and was the name of the old country until the establishment of Ehime Prefecture in 1873.)

Jingu (Inner Shrine of Ise Jingu) [Mie] Tsubaki ohkamiyashira Shrine [Mie]

【Isono Shrine  precincts】

The Ichino-torii gate is very fine and the approach to the shrine is quiet and serene. However, I am personally concerned about the placement of the torii and shrine, but does anyone know?

The magnificent twin camphor trees, which are the sacred trees of the shrine, were magnificent. The thick branches, separated from the trunk, stretch out in all directions toward the sky, making them very rare and mysterious. The stone engraved with the name of the shrine, “Isono-taisha,” also gives a sense of the age of the shrine. There are two former Shinto shrines in Ehime Prefecture: Oyamazumi Shrine and Isono-jinja Shrine.

大山祇神社【愛媛県】

The temple grounds are rich in nature and have a serene appearance. The path from the gate to the hall of worship is covered with white sand, which made me wonder if it was really okay to walk here. There was a dedicated path to the left, so I headed this way.

You can tell that this is an approach road that people pass through without saying anything. However, this kind of arrangement and construction is unusual.

The shrine pavilion is in the Shinmei-zukuri style, with magnificent and beautiful Senki and Bonito trees. The air was quiet and still, and I felt very mystical. What is the gilded statue next to the hall of worship?

【Isono Shrine statue of Princess Kibana-Kaiyahime no Mikoto】

In front of the hall of worship is a bronze statue of Konohana Sakuya Hime, a goddess of childbirth and child-rearing. Konohana-sakuyahime is a goddess in Japanese mythology, the wife of Amaterasu’s grandson, Ninigi no Mikoto. She is said to have been the model for Kaguyahime in “Taketori Monogatari (The Tale of the Bamboo-Cutter),” which is said to be the origin of the name of the beautiful cherry blossoms. This statue of Princess Kaguyahime no Mikoto was created by Shinya Nakamura and installed in March 2013.

【Isono Shrine Access】