is a Shinto shrine located in the Ichinomiya neighborhood of the city of Itoigawa, Niigata, Japan.Kotodamaya.com, "Amatsu Jinja"; retrieved 2012-10-24. It is one of the three shrines claiming the title of ichinomiya of the former Echigo Province."Nationwide List of Ichinomiya," p. 2 ; retrieved 2012-3-13. The main festivals of the shrine are held annually on April 10 and October 24.
Enshrined kami The kami enshrined at Amatsu Jinja are: , known here as Amatsuhikohikoho Ninigi no mikoto; grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu, and the great-grandfather of Emperor Jimmu. , ancestor of the Fujiwara clan , ancestor of the Imbe clan
History Amatsu Jinja claims to have been founded during the reign of the semi-legendary Emperor Keikō (71 to 130 AD) in the Kofun period. Historical records state that Emperor Kōtoku (596-694 AD) had prayers said at this shrine, and its name appears in the Engishiki records compiled in 927 AD as the major shrine of ancient Kubiki County in Echigo, although it is by no means certain that the current Amatsu Shrine is the same shrine mentioned in these ancient records. In 1611, the Tokugawa shogunate awarded the shrine a stipend of 100 koku for its upkeep. After the Meiji Restoration and the establishment of State Shinto, the shrine was originally designated as a "county shrine", but was later raised in status to that of a prefectural shrine (県社).
The Heiden of the shrine is an irimoya-style 7 x 5 bay building with a thatch roof built in 1662. The Haiden is a gabled 3x2 bay structure with a copper roof built in 1797.
The shrine is located a ten-minute walk from Itoigawa Station.
Subsidiary shrine Within the shrine grounds is the , which also appears in the Engishiki records. The building is a one-bay structure with a Nagare-zukuri roof and was built in 1798.
Gallery
Cultural Properties National Intangible Cultural Folk Properties ; held during the shrine's annual festival on April 10–11.
Niigata Prefecture Designated Tangible Cultural Properties , late Heian period , late Kamakura to late Muromachi period; set of 3 , late Heian to Kamakura period; set of 3
See also List of Shinto shrines in Japan Ichinomiya
References
External links
Niigata Prefecture Kanko Navi Itoigawa tourist information