page_title: Sukunabikona
section_title: Shrines
hierarchical_section_title: Sukunabikona / Shrines
caption_attribution_description: 日本語: 大洲 少彦名神社 拝殿
context_page_description: Sukunabikona or Sukuna bikona is the Shinto kami of the onsen, agriculture, healing, magic, brewing sake and knowledge. His name means "the small lord of renown." He is often described as being a dwarf and is frequently paired with Ōkuninushi.
context_section_description: In Shinto, it is believed that the god resides within a sacred object housed at the shrine. It is possible for a deity to be in more than one place at a time, as such a Kami may be housed at many shrines, as well as being omnipresent and omniscient.
  Sukuna Hikona is enshrined at, Oarai Isosaki-jinja. In the Montoku Jitsuroku, a book of Japanese history, Ōkuninushi and Sukuna Hikona descended in 856 A.D., proclaiming that they had returned to help the people of the land and a shrine was built to honor their arrival.
  He is one of the Shinto deities enshrined at Mt. Mitake 
  In Noto Province there are Stone Idols said to represent Sukuna bikona and Ohana-mochi.
  
  The Sukuna hikona shrine in Ozu city, Ehime prefecture was registered by the World Monument Foundation in 2014, "Monument List of the Endangered World." 
  He is enshrined at Awashima in Wakayama. Empress Jingu, while on a journey over the sea, encountered a storm and her ship almost sank. She landed on Awashima island and discovered a shrine for Sukuna Hikona. She prayed for protection and promised she would build a larger shrine in his honor if he protected her. She was granted safe passage, and fulfilled her promise. Empress Jingu was then worshipped alongside Sukuna and Okuniushi. In one version, Harisaijo, Amaterasu's daughter, is exiled to the island of Awashima for having a woman's ailment. She encounters Sukuna hino's shrine and vows to help women.
  Empress Jingu is so taken by Sukuna Hikona that she carves a doll in his likeness, a hina-ningyō. This may be the origin of the Hina doll.
caption: Sukunahikona haiden in Ozu city.
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