Izumi Shrine

Overview

Izumi Shrine stands in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, and belongs to the tradition of Mishima and Oyamazumi worship. According to shrine tradition it was founded in 772, and it is known as an ancient shrine that has weathered long centuries in the northern Lake Biwa region. Set within the lineage of faith devoted to Oyamazumi, the deity who governs mountains and the earth, it opens onto a quiet sacred precinct beyond a simple torii gate.

Highlights

• ●An ancient northern-lake shrine said to date from 772
• ●An enshrined deity in the Mishima and Oyamazumi tradition
• ●A quiet sacred precinct beyond a simple torii
• ●A tutelary shrine bearing more than twelve centuries of history

History

Izumi Shrine is said to have been founded in 772, in the Nara period. Its enshrined deity belongs to the Mishima and Oyamazumi tradition; Oyamazumi, the god who governs the mountains and guards the blessings of the land, has been revered throughout Japan. That a shrine in this lineage came to rest in the northern Lake Biwa area speaks to the deep bond between faith and a way of life long blessed by mountains and water. Across more than twelve centuries it has been carefully preserved as the tutelary deity of the community. Please confirm the detailed history through official sources.

Map

35.4789, 136.2680 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Venture into the northern Lake Biwa area to Izumi Shrine
2. 2Pass through the torii and walk the approach path
3. 3Pray to Oyamazumi for the peace of local life
4. 4Enjoy the scenery of the northern lakeshore nearby

Did you know?

💡 Oyamazumi is known as the god of the mountains, yet through a goddess said to be his daughter he is also regarded as an ancestor of many deities, and is widely worshipped across Japan as a guardian of mountain and sea, farming and fishing. The tradition of a founding in 772 shows how deeply the shrine is rooted in the ancient layers of northern Lake Biwa history.

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