Inu-no-Miya and Neko-no-Miya are two unusual sacred sites in the mountain village of Takayasu, Takahata Town, Yamagata Prefecture, dedicated to dogs and cats. Few places in Japan have such a distinctive tradition of worship centered on these animals.
The shrines are associated with traditional local legends about dogs and cats that protected the community. Today, people from across Japan visit to pray for the health and well-being of their beloved pets and to pay tribute to dogs and cats that have passed away.
There are also places where visitors can leave photographs, collars, and other personal items belonging to their pets as offerings. Every July, the area hosts a National Pet Memorial Service, where participants pray for the peaceful repose of their pets.
The approach to Inu-no-Miya also features a literary monument commemorating Yukio Togawa’s Naoki Prize-winning work The Takayasu Dog Story. As a result, the site offers an opportunity to encounter not only local religious traditions but also the literary history of the region.
Takayasu is a mountainous area in the southern part of Takahata Town, close to the borders of both Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures.
Two legends have been passed down in the area. One tells of two dogs that defeated a giant tanuki that had been tormenting the village. The other tells of a calico cat that defeated a giant serpent born from the vengeful spirit of the tanuki killed by the dogs.
According to tradition, both shrines originated from the worship of animals that gave their lives to protect local people. Their stories have continued to be passed down through generations.
Inu-no-Miya is associated with a legend set during the Wado era (708–715).
According to the story, an official who had come from the capital ordered the villagers to surrender a child in both spring and autumn as a form of tax. The villagers were devastated and had no idea how to escape this terrible demand.
One day, a blind traveler returning from Monju-do became lost and asked for a place to stay for the night. The house where he stayed happened to be one of the households that was expected to provide a child that year.
That evening, the traveler overheard the officials repeatedly saying, “Do not let the Miken and Yoken dogs of Kai Province know about this.” Hearing this, he sent a messenger to Kai and brought the two dogs back to the village.
Following the traveler’s advice, the villagers invited the officials to a drinking party. Once the officials had become drunk, the two dogs were released. After a fierce struggle, the creatures said to have been responsible for the villagers’ suffering—the giant tanuki and other large tanuki—were defeated.
However, the two dogs were also seriously wounded during the battle. Despite the villagers’ efforts to care for them, both eventually died from their injuries.
According to the legend, the villagers subsequently received a divine message instructing them to enshrine the two dogs as guardians of the village. This is said to have led to the establishment of what is now Inu-no-Miya.
Because of this tradition, Inu-no-Miya came to be revered for safe childbirth and protection from illness and misfortune. Today, it is also visited by people praying for the health of their dogs and by those wishing to commemorate pets that have passed away.
Neko-no-Miya has its own legend, which is closely connected with the story of Inu-no-Miya. During the Enryaku era (782–806), a married couple named Shoemon and Omine lived in Takayasu Village.
The couple had no children and cherished their cat deeply, but their cats repeatedly died from illness. They prayed for a healthy cat, and one night, according to the legend, Kannon, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, appeared in Omine’s dream.
Kannon told her that a cat would be given to them and instructed her to raise it with care.
The following morning, a calico cat appeared in the couple’s garden. They named her Tama and raised her lovingly.
Tama became very attached to the couple and was admired throughout the village as an intelligent cat that caught mice. However, whenever Omine went to the outhouse, Tama would stare at the ceiling, flatten her ears, and growl.
Curious about this behavior, Shoemon disguised himself as his wife and went to the outhouse. Tama reacted in exactly the same way. Suspecting that something was hiding above, Shoemon drew his sword and cut off Tama’s head.
According to the legend, Tama’s severed head flew through the air and bit a giant serpent hiding in the attic.
The serpent was said to be connected with the vengeful spirit of the giant tanuki that had previously been defeated by the Miken and Yoken dogs. In this way, Tama had been protecting the couple and the village from the serpent.
When the couple learned the truth, they deeply regretted what had happened and told the villagers the story. They carefully buried Tama’s remains and built a sanctuary in her memory.
According to tradition, ceremonies were held twice a year, in spring and autumn, to honor her and pray for the safety of the village.
Because of this story, Neko-no-Miya was traditionally revered as a guardian deity associated with sericulture. Today, it is also known as a place where people pray for the health of cats and other beloved pets and commemorate animals that have passed away.
Since 1988, the National Pet Memorial Service has been held every year on the fourth Saturday of July at Inu-no-Miya.
The ceremony was established because many visitors had already been coming to Inu-no-Miya and Neko-no-Miya to leave photographs, collars, and other belongings of their pets and pray for their peaceful repose.
During the ceremony, a Buddhist priest from the temple responsible for the religious rites recites sutras and conducts memorial prayers for pets from across Japan, as well as for the animals of people attending the event.
It provides an opportunity for people to express their gratitude and affection toward dogs and cats that were cherished as members of the family, while praying for their peaceful repose.
Near Inu-no-Miya and Neko-no-Miya is Takahata Inuneko Yasuragi-no-Sato Park, a park established for the memorialization of pets.
The grounds include a pet ossuary, walking paths, and a gazebo, as well as a display wall where memorial plates can be placed to preserve the memories of beloved animals.
The ossuary is built from Takahata stone, a locally associated stone that reflects the character of the region. It is designed as a communal facility for the cremated remains of pets, with separate openings for dogs and cats.
The handles on the ossuary openings are shaped like dogs and cats, adding a thoughtful detail to the memorial space.
After a certain period, the cremated remains are ritually commemorated before being returned to nature, providing a way to remember pets while allowing their remains to become part of the natural environment.
Inu-no-Miya is also associated with Yukio Togawa, an animal writer, novelist, and children’s author, and his representative work The Takayasu Dog Story.
While studying at the former Yamagata Higher School, now part of Yamagata University, Togawa searched for the Japanese wolf and encountered the Takayasu dog, a local breed that had been used in bear hunting.
The Takayasu Dog Story depicts the relationship between “Chin,” a Takayasu dog, and the people around it. The work was based on Togawa’s own experience of raising a Takayasu dog, combined with fictional elements, and is regarded as a semi-autobiographical work of animal literature.
First published in 1954, the novel won the 32nd Naoki Prize. It is also regarded as an important work in the development of serious animal literature in Japan.
A literary monument commemorating the work stands along the approach to Inu-no-Miya. Visitors can therefore discover the history of the Takayasu dog and its connection with the local community through literature as well as through the shrine’s traditional legends.
Inu-no-Miya and Neko-no-Miya are rare sacred sites in Japan where traditional stories about dogs and cats continue to connect with modern practices of pet memorialization and prayers for animal health.
The legends of the two dogs who saved the village, the story of Tama the calico cat, the annual National Pet Memorial Service, Takahata Inuneko Yasuragi-no-Sato Park, and The Takayasu Dog Story all provide different perspectives on the long-standing relationship between people and the animals they cherish.
Surrounded by the peaceful natural landscape of Takahata Town, these sacred sites offer a quiet place to remember a beloved pet, express gratitude for the companionship animals have provided, and discover the legends and literature that have shaped the cultural history of the area.