Yaizu Shrine
Enshrined "kami". The primary "kami" of Yaizu is the , the legendary 4th century AD prince of the Yamato dynasty, son of Emperor Keikō, whose legends are detailed in the Japanese chronicles "Kojiki" and "Nihon Shoki". Per one of the legends in the Yamato Takeru cycle, Emperor Keikō sent him to the eastern provinces, whose "Kuni no miyatsuko" had rebelled against the imperial court. His enemies attempted to kill him by setting fire to a grassy plain, but he escaped by using the powers of his magical sword, the "Kusanagi no tsurugi" and two magic stones. The sword, one  of the Imperial Regalia of Japan is kept at Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya, along with one of the magic stones. Yaizu Jinja claims to have the remaining stone, as well as to have been built on the location of Yamato Takeru’s miraculous escape. The remaining three "kami" enshrined at Yaizu Jinja are the three main retainers of Yamato Takeru during his voyage east, including his brother-in-law , and Yaizu Jinja also has numerous small subsidiary shrines dedicated to various "kami" within its precincts. History. The date of Yaizu Jinja’s foundation is unknown. Per shrine tradition it was  founded in 409 AD. In the early Heian period "Engishiki" records dated 927 AD, the shrine is mentioned as one of four shrines in Mashizu District of Suruga Province. The shrine was patronized by the Imagawa clan in the Muromachi period, and given revenues of 500 "koku" for its upkeep. This was reduced to a 70 "koku" stipend in the Edo period by the Tokugawa shogunate. In 1883, Yaizu Jinja was recognized as a “Prefectural Shrine” under the Modern system of ranked Shinto shrines within the State Shinto system.