Kishitsu Shrine

Overview

Kishitsu Shrine stands in Ono, Hino, Gamo District, Shiga Prefecture. Its main sanctuary enshrines Kishitsu Shusshi, a figure recorded in the Nihon Shoki as a seventh-century immigrant from Baekje who settled in Gamo District of Omi Province. The site draws interest for its links to the history of continental immigrants to Japan.

Highlights

• ●Stone shrine enshrining Kishitsu Shusshi
• ●Octagonal stone pillar identified as a memorial stele
• ●Quiet grove evoking immigrant-era history
• ●Information boards written also in Korean

History

According to a ridge tablet from the 1429 construction of the sanctuary, a monk named Shakuichi Dojin first built a Fudo hall here. In 1806, Saisho Kaichu, a physician of the Nishōji domain, examined an octagonal stone pillar beside the hall and identified it as the memorial stele of Kishitsu Shusshi. After the Meiji-era separation of Shinto and Buddhism, the Fudo hall was renamed Nishinomiya Shrine, and in 1903 Endo Muneyoshi published a study that made the stele widely known, leading to Kishitsu Shusshi being enshrined. In 1950 the shrine was named Kishitsu Shrine after the stele.

Map

35.0299, 136.2844 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Pay respects at the stone sanctuary
2. 2View the octagonal stone pillar (stele)
3. 3Read the Korean-annotated information board
4. 4Stroll through the quiet grove to finish

Did you know?

💡 Through ties linked to the father of Kishitsu Shusshi, Kishitsu Fukushin, Hino and Eunsan-myeon in Korea concluded a sister-city agreement in 1990.

Nearby spots