Hodosan Jinja Shrine: Inner Shrine 宝登山：奥宮

Official explanation

The inner shrine of Hodosan Jinja, located on the summit of Mt. Hodo (497 m), is the oldest site of worship on the mountain. According to legend, it was founded in 110 CE by Yamato Takeru no Mikoto, a son of Keikō, Japan’s legendary twelfth emperor.

Yamato Takeru had been dispatched to subdue uprisings in the northeast, and on his return, he passed near Mt. Hodo. Struck by the mountain’s beauty and spiritual air, he decided to climb it. The prince and his retainers first purified themselves at a spring near its base—an important ritual before entering the domain of a Shinto deity. Partway up the mountain, they suddenly found themselves surrounded by a raging wildfire. Just as their lives seemed lost, black and white wolves appeared and quenched the flames. The wolves guided the prince and his men to the summit, then vanished.

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Realizing that the creatures had been sent by the deity of the mountain, Yamato Takeru gave heartfelt thanks for his salvation. The prince established a simple shrine called a himorogi (literally, “divine fence”) at the site, dedicating it to Emperor Jinmu, Japan’s legendary first emperor; Ōyamazumi no Kami, one of the Shinto mountain deities; and Homusubi no Kami, the Shinto fire deity. Today, they are still the three official deities of Hodosan Jinja Shrine, and the mystical wolves are honored as divine messengers (gokenzoku).

The Inner Shrine Festival, also called the “Azalea Festival,” is held each year on May 2 to celebrate the origins of the shrine. The divine spirit of Yamato Takeru is carried in a portable shrine (mikoshi) from the main complex at the base of the mountain up to the summit, where prayers and sacred dances are performed in his honor.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.