A distinctive seaside shrine with exquisite wood carvings
Located on a hill overlooking a port built in the mid-Edo period (1603–1867) on the Sea of Japan, Kanzaki-jinja is a somewhat unknown treasure of Tottori Prefecture .
Quick Facts
The main hall was built over six years by Sonosaburo Ogura, shrine carpenter to the Tottori clan, and completed in 1853. The worship hall was completed in 1879 by Heijiro Ogura, the grandson of Sonosaburo.
Sailors and fishermen visited the shrine to pray for safe voyages and bountiful catch
The shrine honors the guardian deity of cattle and horses, who was widely worshipped by farmers
How to Get There
The most convenient way of reaching the shrine is by car.
By train, it is a 20-minute walk from Akasaki Station on the JR Sanin Main Line, and there is also a town bus.
Historical context
The shrine is dedicated to Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the Shinto god of the sea. The deity was said to have defeated Yamata no Orochi, a serpent who terrorized the neighboring province of Izumo. The main hall is decorated with many elaborate carvings, including a 16-meter-long dragon on the ceiling, which is a sight to behold.
* The information on this page may be subject to change due to COVID-19.