Ebisu Shrine (Naha City)

Overview

Ebisu Shrine is a shrine in Naha City, Okinawa. Though it carries the name "Ebisu," its enshrined deity is actually Amaterasu Omikami, making it an unusual shrine. It was founded by a former chief priest of Okinogu, one of the Ryukyu Eight Shrines, and is known for distinctive features such as a cave beneath its main hall.

Highlights

• ●The unusual dedication to Amaterasu Omikami despite the Ebisu name
• ●Its founding by a former chief priest of Okinogu, a Ryukyu Eight Shrine
• ●The distinctive cave that lies beneath the main hall
• ●The surrounding site said to be a former execution ground linked to Heshikiya Chobin

History

Ebisu Shrine was established by a former chief priest of Okinogu, one of the Ryukyu Eight Shrines. Despite the name Ebisu, the deity worshipped here is Amaterasu Omikami. The area near the main hall is said to have once been an execution ground, where the Ryukyuan poet Heshikiya Chobin and others are recorded to have been put to death. The shrine is not affiliated with the Association of Shinto Shrines (Jinja Honcho).

Map

26.2398, 127.6857 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Head from central Naha to Ebisu Shrine to pay a visit
2. 2Learn its origins through the name and the worship of Amaterasu Omikami
3. 3Take in the cave below the hall and the history of the former execution ground nearby
4. 4After the visit, explore the streets of Naha or continue a tour of the Ryukyu Eight Shrines

Did you know?

💡 Named "Ebisu Shrine" yet dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami, the shrine also has a cave beneath its hall and a surrounding history as a former execution ground, tying its name and reality together in surprising ways.

Nearby spots