Wanikawa Shrine

Overview

Wanikawa Shrine stands in the town of Miki, in Kida District, Kagawa Prefecture. It is counted among the several candidate shrines (ronsha) believed to correspond to the 'Wanikawa Shrine' listed in the Engishiki records for Miki District of old Sanuki Province, and its main hall is built in the nagare-zukuri style.

Highlights

• ●The main hall built in the nagare-zukuri style
• ●Its standing as a candidate (ronsha) for the Engishiki-listed Wanikawa Shrine
• ●Its location within the old Miki District of Sanuki Province
• ●The contrast with the similarly named Wanikawa Jinja nearby

History

Because the ancient Engishiki-era shrine named 'Wanikawa Shrine' cannot be pinned down to a single surviving site, this shrine is one of several candidates claiming that identity. Within the same town of Miki there is another shrine, written with different characters but pronounced the same way, Wanikawa Jinja, which is also handed down as a candidate for the same historic shrine. The coexistence of two same-sounding shrines reflects how tangled the region's ancient religious history has become.

Map

34.2565, 134.1645 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Locate Wanikawa Shrine within the town of Miki before setting out
2. 2Walk the grounds and view the nagare-zukuri main hall
3. 3Check signage on-site for background on its Engishiki-era origins
4. 4Visit the similarly named Wanikawa Jinja nearby to compare the two

Did you know?

💡 The main hall follows the nagare-zukuri architectural style, and it is a curious point that the same town of Miki is also home to another shrine read the same way, Wanikawa Jinja, with no settled answer as to which one truly descends from the Engishiki-listed 'Wanikawa Shrine.'

Nearby spots