Kagamitsukuri ni Masu Amaterumitama Shrine is an ancient Shinto shrine located in Tawaramoto Town, Shiki District, Nara Prefecture. Listed in the Engishiki Jinmyōchō, a tenth-century register of Shinto shrines, it was once recognized as a prefectural shrine, a status reflecting its historical importance.
The shrine is closely associated with the Kagamitsukuribe, a group of skilled artisans who lived in this region during the fourth and fifth centuries and specialized in making and casting mirrors. According to tradition, they established the shrine to worship the ancestral deities who protected their craft.
The shrine enshrines three deities: Amaterukuniteruhikohoakari no Mikoto, Ishikoridome no Mikoto, and Ameno Nukado no Mikoto. Ishikoridome is traditionally associated with the making of sacred mirrors, while Ameno Nukado is regarded as her father and a deity connected with this craft.
The shrine’s name, which refers to a divine spirit of light associated with mirrors, suggests that its original religious tradition was connected with the worship of the sun. The deity known as Amaterumitama is generally distinguished from Amaterasu Ōmikami, the principal solar deity of the Japanese imperial mythology. Kagamitsukuri ni Masu Amaterumitama Shrine is one of several shrines in Japan associated with this ancient form of solar worship.
According to the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, two foundational chronicles of ancient Japan, Emperor Sujin’s sixth year is associated with the transfer of the sacred image of Amaterasu Ōmikami from the imperial palace to Kasanuimura. The move was intended to establish a more appropriate place for the deity’s worship.
Shrine tradition relates that a sacred mirror representing the sun was cast in this area during that period. The mirror was subsequently enshrined in the imperial palace as a sacred embodiment of Amaterasu. The shrine is said to have originated from the worship of this prototype mirror, with Ishikoridome no Mikoto and Ameno Nukado no Mikoto also venerated as ancestral deities of mirror-making.
Although these accounts combine historical tradition with ancient mythology, they illustrate the shrine’s enduring connection with the artisans who produced mirrors and the religious significance attached to their work.
The Heian-period dictionary Wamyō Ruijushō refers to Kagamitsukuri Township in Shiki District of Yamato Province, suggesting that mirror production was an important local industry.
According to the historical compilation Shinshō Kaku Chokufu Shō, the shrine received an endowment of eighteen households in 806. This indicates that it enjoyed official support during the early Heian period.
The shrine was ranked among the major shrines recorded in the Engishiki and received offerings during important court rituals, including the Tsukinami Festival and the Niiname Festival. The Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku also records that the shrine’s rank was raised from Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade, to Junior Fifth Rank, Upper Grade, in 859.
During the medieval period, the shrine was known as Kagamitsukuri Sansho Daimyōjin. Tradition holds that it fell into a period of decline before the establishment of the Tawaramoto Domain in the Edo period. It was later restored and once again attracted devoted worshippers, particularly people connected with the mirror-making industry.
Following the Meiji government’s separation of Shinto and Buddhism, the shrine’s Buddhist temple complex, known as Monraku-in of Iju-san Jingūji, was abolished. Its bell tower, however, has survived and remains a reminder of the site’s former Buddhist associations.
The shrine was designated a village shrine in 1873 and elevated to prefectural shrine status in 1936.
Among the shrine’s traditional treasures is a three-deity, two-beast mirror, a bronze mirror associated with the region’s history of mirror-making. It symbolizes the close relationship between the community’s metalworking traditions and its religious beliefs.
Another notable feature is the Mirror Stone within the grounds. According to tradition, it was used to polish the surfaces of mirrors. The stone offers a tangible connection to the techniques of ancient artisans and the sacred role their craft played in local life.
The grounds contain a main sanctuary consisting of three shrine buildings, traditionally referred to as the First, Second, and Third Sanctuaries. A worship hall and several auxiliary shrines stand nearby, forming a compact sacred precinct with a long history.
Other shrines within the grounds include Kagamitsukuri Wakamiya Shrine, Amaterasu Shrine, Tajikarao Shrine, Sumiyoshi Shrine, and Kasuga Shrine. Several deities are also jointly enshrined in a combined sanctuary, including those associated with Awashima, Omoikane, food, Itsukushima, Kotoshironushi, Sarutahiko, and Ōkuninushi.
Additional sacred sites include Kotohira Shrine, Sayorihime Shrine, Kagitori Shrine, Fuefuki Shrine, and Atago Shrine. The Mirror Pond adds to the historic atmosphere of the grounds.
The surviving bell tower is another noteworthy feature. Its Buddhist bell was cast in 1795, during the Edo period, and was returned after the Second World War. The structure recalls the time when Buddhist worship was practiced alongside Shinto traditions at the site.
The shrine holds an annual Otaue Festival, a traditional rice-planting ceremony intended to pray for a successful harvest and abundant crops. The ritual reflects the agricultural traditions of the region and expresses gratitude for the blessings of the deities.
The festival remains an important part of local cultural life and offers visitors an opportunity to experience a traditional religious observance rooted in the relationship between the community, its land, and its spiritual heritage.
The shrine is approximately a 15-minute walk northeast of Tawaramoto Station on the Kintetsu Kashihara Line. Its convenient location makes it possible to combine a visit with a stroll through the historic streets of Tawaramoto and exploration of the surrounding area.
Kagamitsukuri ni Masu Amaterumitama Shrine preserves the traditions of ancient mirror-making and the solar beliefs associated with this important craft. Its historical records, sacred mirror, Mirror Stone, and collection of shrine buildings offer a glimpse into the religious and industrial heritage of the Nara region.
For visitors interested in ancient Japanese mythology, traditional craftsmanship, and the origins of local shrine worship, this quiet historic sanctuary provides a rewarding opportunity to explore a lesser-known aspect of Japan’s cultural history.