An emperor drowned aged 8 in 1185: he rests here, and here Hōichi the Earless is born.
The shrine keeps the memory of Emperor Antoku, drowned in the Kanmon Strait in the naval battle of Dan-no-ura in 1185, aged only eight. The Suiten-mon gate, in pagoda style inspired by the palace of the sea dragon, recalls the worship of the child emperor as a deity of the waters. In the grounds, the mound of the Seven Mori gathers the graves of Heike generals who fell in the battle, and the shrine's predecessor temple, Amida-ji, is the original setting of the legend of Hōichi the Earless, made famous in the West by Lafcadio Hearn.
Shinto shrine created by transforming the Buddhist temple Amida-ji during the forced separation of Shinto and Buddhism (Meiji); it stands in Shimonoseki, on the spot where, according to tradition, the young emperor's body was recovered.
ℹ️ A few minutes' walk from Karato Market and the Kanmon Kaikyō.
🚉 赤間神宮前 · 1 min walk
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Nearby
Karato Market600 mphoto by そらみみ · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kaikyōkan — Shimonoseki Aquarium800 mphoto by なしはな · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kanmon Pedestrian Tunnel1.1 kmphoto by そらみみ (Soramimi) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mojiko Retro (historic port district of Moji)2.2 kmphoto by そらみみ (Soramimi) · CC BY-SA 4.0