Ōasahiko Shrine

photo by Saigen Jiro · CC0

photo by 663highland · CC BY 2.5

In 1919 German prisoners built a stone bridge behind the shrine.

Ichinomiya (the first shrine) of Awa Province, revered as such for centuries: in its grounds grows a sacred camphor tree more than a thousand years old, a natural monument of the city of Naruto. In 1919 the German prisoners from the nearby Bandō camp (remembered today at the Naruto Doitsukan museum, one kilometre away) built behind the shrine a stone arch bridge that still stands. More than 150,000 visitors come during the first three days of the year.

According to tradition it was founded when Amenofutodama led the ancestors of the Awa-Inbe clan to settle in Awa Province. It already appears among the shrines of major rank in the Engishiki, the early 10th-century administrative register that lists the shrines recognised by the state. Eight secondary shrines, dedicated to food, mountains, commerce and learning, surround the main structure.

ℹ️ Open roughly 6:00–17:00. The entry fee is not stated: check it on the official site. 15–25 minutes by car from the nearest motorway exits.

🚉 Bando · 29 min walk

Sources: naruto-kankou.jp · ja.wikipedia.org

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