The main shrine and worship hall, dedicated to Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto, are national treasures, built in a grand and graceful hibi-irimoya style.
The present main hall and worship hall were begun by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third Seiin Taishogun of the Muromachi Shogunate, at the order of Emperor Go-Kogon, and moved to the present location in 1425.
It is the only one of its kind in Japan to use the Kibitsu-zukuri architectural style, and its main hall is comparable in size to the main halls of Izumo-taisha Shrine and Yasaka Shrine.
The beautiful corridor extending 398 meters from the main hall is a historical structure worth seeing.
Many legends of Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto, who is said to have been the prototype for the legend of Momotaro (the exterminator of demons), remain, and the Narukama ritual is famous in Akinari Ueda’s “Amegetsu Monogatari” (Tales of the Amegetsu Moon).
The shrine is located at the northwestern foot of Kibi-nakayama (175 meters above sea level) on the border between Bizen and Bicchu Provinces, facing north.
Kibinakayama has been regarded as a sacred mountain since ancient times, and Kibitsuhiko-jinja, the first shrine of Bizen Province, is located at the northeastern foot of the mountain.
Doors open at 5:00 p.m., close at 6:00 p.m.
Free to enter the precincts of the temple
10 min. walk from JR Kibitsu Station