Iminomiya Shrine

**Iminomiya Shrine** is a Shinto shrine located in Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture . It is located in the Chofu area, which was once a castle town. The shrine is believed to have been built on the site of Toyoura no Miya, a temporary imperial palace where Emperor Chuai is said to have stayed during his conquest of Kumaso.

## Overview

Iminomiya Shrine is a Shikinaisha, which was previously recognized as Kokuheishosha. It is thought to be the Ninomiya of Nagato Province and is currently a beppyo shrine under the Association of Shinto Shrines. The shrine's precincts include two small islands, Manju Island and Kanju Island, which are designated as a national natural monument.

During the Kyushu sumo wrestling tournament, Shoko Kaiketsu prayed for victory at Arakuma Inari Shrine and won the championship. Since then, he has visited the shrine every November 3rd during the three-day sumo wrestling event. Next to the shrine, there is a sumo wrestling museum where visitors can see Kaiketsu and Kuniyasu Ono's kesumemawashi (sumo wrestler's loincloth), the championship cup, and a large ginkgo tree.

## Enshrined deity

- Main Hall 1st Hall: Emperor Chuai, 2nd Hall: Empress Jingu, 3rd Hall: Emperor Ojin

## Betsugu/Setsumatsusha

- Wakamiya Shrine: Emperor Nintoku
- Kora Shrine: Landlord Okami Takenouchi no Sukune
- Yasaka Shrine: 42 pillars, including Susano-otoko (to be enshrined at the shrine )
- Arakuma Inari Shrine: Ukanomitamajin and Munakata Three Goddesses
- Soja Shrine: Tenjinjigi
- Morimiya Shrine: Emperor Ojin

## History

In 192, Emperor Chuai visited Kumaso to conquer it. In the following year, Toyoura no Miya was built. In 195, Sun Gongman, the 11th generation of the First Qin emperor, settled in Japan and brought rare silkworm eggs as a gift. It is believed that the Toyoura-no-miya Shrine (now Iminomiya-jinja Shrine) was where these silkworm seeds were introduced.

In 199, Empress Jingu established a shrine at the site of Toyoura Palace to enshrine Emperor Chuai, who died in Kashii, Tsukushi. This was done because the emperor doubted the oracle from Amaterasu Omikami and the three gods of Sumiyoshi. Later, Empress Jingu and Emperor Ojin were also enshrined during the reign of Emperor Shomu. The shrine was called the Sanden-separate. During the Middle Ages, due to a fire, all the shrines were enshrined in 'Iminomiya', which became the name of the shrine. In the Engishiki Jinmyocho, it is listed as 'Iminomiya Shrine, Toyoura District, Nagato Province,' and is listed as a small shrine.

In 1336, Ashikaga Takauji visited Iminomiya Shrine to pray for victory, and in 1337, he offered Horaku waka poems. The Chofu Mori family strongly supported the shrine, and a precinct shrine called Toyokou-jinja Shrine was established to enshrine the lords of the domain (now enshrined together with Miyazaki Hachimangu Shrine near the Chofu coast as Toyokou-jinja Shrine). The shrine has been highly respected as the god of literary and military prowess, victory, and safe childbirth by the common people since ancient times.

## Festivals

- Fireworks Festival - January 15th
- Silkworm Festival - March 28th
- Island Festival - April 2nd
- Spring Festival - May 15 (Nearest Sunday)
- Summer Festival - July 14th - 16th
- Kazukata Garden Festival - Every night from August 7th to 13th
- Autumn Festival - October 15 (Sunday nearest you)
- Three-day sumo - November 3
- Gosai Ritual - December 7th Evening - 15th Dawn
- Reisai - December 15th

## Related books

- Edited and supervised by Motohiko Yasutsu and Yoshihiko Umeda, Shinto Dictionary, Jinja Shimposha, 1968, p.11
- Edited by Eiji Shirai and Masanori Toki, "Jinja Dictionary" Tokyodo Publishing, 1979, 46 pages
- Shunpei Ueyama et al., "Overview of Japan's 'Shrines'" Shinjin Oraisha, 1992, pp. 248-249

## Other websites

- Iminomiya Shrine - Official Homepage
- Iminomiya Shrine-  Chofu Tourism Association

## Infobox (shinto shrine)

- **image**: Iminomiya Shrine in Shimonoseki.JPG