Kaehime Shrine

Overview

Kaehime Shrine is a Shikinaisha, a shrine listed in the Engishiki Jinmyocho, the register of deities compiled in the Heian period. Situated in what was Itano District of the old Awa Province, in present-day Tokushima Prefecture, it is known as a venerable ancient shrine whose name survives in official records more than a thousand years old. Rather than a flashy tourist facility, it is a shrine of dignity that quietly carries its long history into the present.

Highlights

• ●The ancient distinction of a Shikinaisha listed in the Engishiki Jinmyocho
• ●A setting within the former Itano District of Awa Province
• ●The bearing of an old shrine quietly conveying over a thousand years of history
• ●A serene, uncommercialized environment for worship

History

Kaehime Shrine is a Shikinaisha whose name is recorded in the Engishiki Jinmyocho, compiled in 927. A Shikinaisha is an old shrine officially recognized by the imperial court and entered in this register of deities. Placed within Itano District of Awa Province, the shrine was already recognized as an object of national ritual worship by the Heian period, and the antiquity of its origins overlaps with the very history of Awa.

Map

34.1707, 134.5026 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Travel from the Tokushima City area to the former Itano District
2. 2Visit Kaehime Shrine and reflect on its heritage as a Shikinaisha
3. 3Walk the grounds quietly and savor the air unique to an ancient shrine
4. 4Venture on to historic sites around Itano District and other Awa attractions

Did you know?

💡 The term Shikinaisha refers collectively to shrines listed in the register of deities of the Engishiki, a Heian-period compilation of laws and regulations, and is regarded as proof of officially recognized antiquity. The fact that Kaehime Shrine is one of them shows that it holds a history spanning more than a thousand years.

Nearby spots