Nanba Shrine

Nanba Shrine (難波神社) is a Shinto Shrine in Osaka. It worships Emperor Nintoku. It was made by Nintoku's son Emperor Hanzei. In Ancient Japan the capital city was wherever the emperor liked most. Nintoku had his capital in Osaka. The first theater for Bunraku puppet shows was built at the shrine. It has a summer festival that starts on July 20th and lasts two days. It is called Himuro Matsuri and during the festival crushed ice is given to worshippers. It is believed that those who eat it will be protected from summer heat. Some people think it was the Soja shrine of Settsu Province. Soja shrines are shrines where all the kami of a province can be worshipped at once. History The shrine was built in 415, during the reign of the 18th emperor, Hanzei, in the ancient capital of Matsubara in Osaka Prefecture. On New Year's Day 1071, Emperor Go-Sanjo visited the shrine on his way to the Sumiyoshi-taisha, and he determined that, in addition to Nintoku, Susa-no-O (素盞嗚) and the female deity Uka-no-mi-tama (倉稲魂), for the treatment of illnesses. Later, at the same time as Toyotomi Hideyoshi was building Osaka Castle, Namba-jinja was moved to its current location. In the Edo Period a small Inari shrine on the grounds called Bakurocho-no-Oinari-san was more famous than this one. The Torii and surrounding walls of the place of worship were destroyed during the Pacific War on 14 March 1945 . They were rebuilt in reinforced concrete in 1974. Gallery Related pages Nanba Yasaka Shrine References