About Kuwano Shrine
Kuwano Shrine has a 900-year history and is dedicated to Kanayamahiko-no-kami, the god of mines, who has been worshipped for his beliefs related to metals and money.In addition, the legend of the white snake has been passed down as an old legend of the shrine, and people have long come to the shrine to seek for blessings because of its origin with the god Kanayamahiko-no-kami and the white snake that is the messenger of the god.Kuwano Shrine is located in a rich natural setting, where the air is quiet and the beautiful Tateyama mountain range can be seen from the shrine grounds on clear days.We invite you to visit Kuwano Shrine and receive the blessings of Kanayamahiko-no-kami and the White Snake to heal your body and soul.
Gods enshrined in shrines
- （ main god ）金山彦之神 ” Kanayamahiko-no-kami “
- 天照皇大神 ” Amaterasu-no-kami “
- 弥都波之美之神 ” Mizuhanome-no-kami “
- 事代主之神 ” Kotosironusi-no-kami “
The Power of God
金山彦之神 ”Kanayamahiko-no-kami”
The god of mines, named after the mountain of gold, is a god of prosperity of money, fortune, and business. Read More
天照皇大神 ”Amaterasu-no-kami”
She is the most famous goddess in Japan, enshrined at Ise Jingu Shrine in Mie Prefecture. She is the ancestral deity of the Imperial Family, and as the “God of the Sun”, if you visit the shrine daily through the altar, She will make you as bright and energetic as the sun. Read More
弥都波之美之神 ”Mizuhanome-no-kami”
She is the goddess of water, the source of human life, and the goddess of safe childbirth as well as agriculture. Read More
事代主之神 ”Kotosironusi-no-kami”
He is also called Ebisu-sama. He is a god of good fortune who provides blessings that are deeply connected to people’s lives. Read More
History of Kuwano Shrine (Legend of the White Serpent)
According to the "Engi of this Village Shrine" recorded in the third year of Tenshō (1575), Kuwano Shrine was founded in the late Heian period, specifically in the second year of Chōshō (1133).
The records indicate that at that time, Nomura Island had not yet been developed. The southwestern region was called Nomura and was densely overgrown with mulberry trees, while the northeastern region was called Shimamura and was characterized by a vast plain with several rivers.
While attempting to cultivate the southwestern region, a white snake measuring several shaku (one shaku is approximately 1.5 meters) resided there, causing fear and sorrow among the people. One day, an old man with a strange appearance appeared and said: "Seeing that you are suffering from the calamity of the white snake, I cannot bear it. If you wish to eliminate it, there is a sacred stone in the mulberry trees. If you worship it as the divine body of this land and pray together, the divine spirit will surely descend and remove the snake, protecting the prosperity of the village."
Following the old man's words, they found a white snake coiled around a stone in the mulberry trees and worshiped it. After that, they were no longer troubled by the snake and were able to cultivate the land smoothly.
The stone in the mulberry trees became the sacred body of Kanayamahiko-no-kami and is now enshrined as the deity of Kuwano Shrine. This legend is also recorded in the legends of Etchu.
The current hall of worship was reconstructed in the tenth year of Meiji (1877) using a single large zelkova tree that grew in the valley of Sendan. To preserve the unique appearance of this zelkova tree for future generations, a large wooden board, three ken in length, four shaku five sun in width, and two sun five bu in thickness, was sawn and displayed in the hall of worship.