Sumiyoshi Shrine is located in Shioji, Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture. It was formerly classified as a village shrine and is known as the original shrine, or motomiya, of the many Sumiyoshi shrines found throughout Japan. The shrine has preserved a distinctive crest bearing the character 元 (“origin”), which represents this tradition and has been passed down through generations.
The shrine is associated with an episode recorded in the ancient Japanese chronicles, the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. According to the tradition, after returning from the Land of the Dead, the deity Izanagi performed a purification ritual at Awagihara, in Tachibana no Odo, in the land of Tsukushi-no-Himuka.
The shrine grounds cover an extensive area that includes the traditional site of Awagihara. To the south stands Eda Shrine, which enshrines Izanagi, the father of the three Sumiyoshi deities. The two shrines are closely connected through this parent-child relationship in Japanese mythology.
This area has been revered since ancient times as the birthplace of the Three Sumiyoshi Deities. The character 元 on the roof of the main sanctuary and the roof of the purification pavilion symbolizes the shrine’s status as the original Sumiyoshi shrine.
Because of its proximity to the sea, the shrine has long been worshipped as a place to pray for the protection of the sea and safe voyages. It is also associated with prayers for protection against smallpox and for freedom from illness.
The principal deities enshrined here are the Three Sumiyoshi Deities:
Uwatsutsu-no-O-no-Mikoto
Nakatsutsu-no-O-no-Mikoto
Sokotsutsu-no-O-no-Mikoto
According to mythology, these three deities came into being when Izanagi performed purification at Awagihara after returning from the Land of the Dead. They are traditionally associated with the sea and maritime safety.
According to the shrine’s own tradition, Sumiyoshi Shrine was founded during the reign of Emperor Kōan, the sixth emperor of Japan. Its history is therefore said to extend back approximately 2,400 years.
The Kojiki and Nihon Shoki describe Awagihara as the place where Izanagi performed purification after returning from the underworld. The shrine is traditionally believed to have been established to enshrine the Three Sumiyoshi Deities born during this ritual.
Emperor Jimmu is said to have worshipped the Three Sumiyoshi Deities and prayed for safe passage by sea before beginning his eastern expedition from Kōguya, a subsidiary shrine of Miyazaki Jingu. This tradition has led to the suggestion that Sumiyoshi Shrine may already have existed during the time of Emperor Jimmu.
Empress Jingū, the consort of the 14th Emperor Chūai, is also said to have prayed for the divine protection of Sumiyoshi Shrine during her expedition to the Three Korean Kingdoms.
In the early Kamakura period, the poet and Shinto scholar Urabe Kanenao composed a poem referring to the appearance of the Sumiyoshi deity from the tidal waters of Aoki-ga-hara. In the early Edo period, the Shinto scholar Tachibana Mitsuyoshi visited the shrine and recorded his impressions in his travel account, Shokoku Ichinomiya Junkeiki.
In 1662, a massive tsunami caused by the Outer-Sho earthquake, known in Japanese as the Tohsho Earthquake, inflicted severe damage on the shrine. Its influence temporarily declined, but efforts to restore and revive the shrine have continued in more recent times.
The approach to Sumiyoshi Shrine passes through three torii gates: the First Torii, Second Torii, and Third Torii. Beyond them stands the worship hall. The nearby Suminoe River adds to the quiet, peaceful atmosphere of the area.
Among the scenic features of the grounds are a plum garden to the east of the main sanctuary and an area densely planted with black pine trees. These natural surroundings provide a pleasant setting for a leisurely visit.
The grounds also contain a memorial monument for those who died in war and a stone monument commemorating the byorō palm tree.
Several subsidiary shrines stand within the grounds, including Soreisha, a shrine dedicated to ancestral spirits.
Sumiyoshi Shrine holds performances of Sumiyoshi Kagura on the traditional spring Shanichi festival day and on New Year’s Day. Kagura is a form of sacred music and dance offered to the deities, and the shrine’s performance tradition has a long history.
Costumes made in 1840 (Tenpō 11) have been preserved and remain as evidence of the tradition’s age. In the Sumiyoshi district, four kagura preservation groups continue to pass the local performances on to the next generation.
The shrine also hosts an annual Sumiyoshi Shrine Dedication Kendo Tournament, in which participants offer their martial arts practice in a traditional religious setting.
Historian Hida Sachi, who was involved in compiling the Miyazaki Prefecture Shrine Records, presented an interpretation of the Three Sumiyoshi Deities in his book One of the Largest Archaeological Sites in History: A Diary of Rediscovering the Myths of Ancient Hyuga.
According to this theory, the three deities may have been associated with limonite, an iron ore that was abundant in ancient Hyuga. The interpretation also suggests a possible connection with tatara iron smelting furnaces, which supported the production of iron tools in the region in ancient times.
From Miyazaki City, visitors can take Miyazaki Kotsu bus route 19, the Zoo Line, and get off at the Phoenix Natural Zoo bus stop. The Second Torii is a few minutes’ walk from there. Alternatively, getting off at the Sumiyoshi Shrine Entrance bus stop brings visitors close to the First Torii.
Sumiyoshi Shrine is approximately 2 kilometers east in a straight line from Hyūga-Sumiyoshi Station on the JR Kyushu Nippo Main Line.
In the past, visitors could also reach the shrine using the Sumiyoshi Village-operated human-powered railway. This small railway operated from August 1, 1914 (Taisho 3), until 1929 (Showa 4). It ran for 2.01 kilometers between Jiroga-Beppu Station, the former name of Hyūga-Sumiyoshi Station, and Sumiyoshi Shrine, carrying worshippers by small rail carts.