History of Yatsushiro Shrine (Myōken Shrine)
Yatsushiro Shrine has gained the adoration of people as the largest shrine in Yatsushiro. With an ancient history, it is said to have been enshrined in Tsu in Takehara during the Asuka period (680), more than 1,300 years ago.
The gods enshrined at Yatsushiro Shrine are Ame-no-Minakanushi-no-kami and Kuninotokotachi-no-Mikoto, who are deified as the spirits of the North Star and Big Dipper.
The history of Yatsushiro, which prospered as a port town with a thriving trade, is told with the legend that, in the past, the deity Myōken crossed the sea on the back of a mythical creature called Kida (a combination of a turtle and snake).
After the Meiji period, Myōken Shrine was renamed Yatsushiro Shrine, but even today, the shrine is still popularly referred to as Myōken-san by the local people.
