Visited in person · Original photography
Origins and founding
The shinomiya, or fourth-ranked shrine, of Sagami Province, and a shikinai-sha listed in the Engishiki. It stands in Shinomiya, Hiratsuka, a district whose name is the shrine’s own rank.
The enshrined deities are Uji no Wakiiratsuko, Oyamakui and Yamato Takeru. Oyamakui was enshrined here in the Meiji era, brought from the village’s Hie Jinja.
The torii at the entrance of the approach. The plaque reads “Sakitori Jinja”.
What to see
The enshrined deity Uji no Wakiiratsuko is regarded as a god of learning, and people come to pray for success in entrance exams. A komainu stands beside the torii at the entrance of the approach, and a large pine rises in the grounds.
A komainu beside the torii; the approach continues toward the shrine buildings.
The shrine building beneath a large pine.
The water basin and ladles at the purification pavilion.
The broad gravel grounds, with the shrine buildings in the distance.
Cultural context
The ranks of the shrines survive in the place names. Kawawa Jinja, the second, stands in the town of Ninomiya; Hibita Jinja, the third, in Sannomiya, Isehara; Sakitori Jinja, the fourth, in Shinomiya, Hiratsuka. A ranking of shrines said to date from the Heian period is still written into today’s addresses.
An approach under a row of trees.
The tree-lined approach, with a torii visible at the far end.