Yoshimizu-jinja Shrine (吉水神社)
Yoshimizu-jinja Shrine is a shrine located in Yoshino-cho, Yoshino County, Nara Prefecture. Its old shrine ranking was sonsha (a village shrine). It constitutes a world heritage of "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range."
It was originally Kissuiin, a sobo (monks' lodging house) of Kinpusen-ji Temple. It became a shrine in accordance with the separation of Buddhism and Shintoism of the Meiji period. Emperor Godaigo is its shusaijin (main enshrined deities), and Masashige KUSUNOKI and Yoshimizuin Soshin Hoin (the priest of the Southern Dynasty), who were loyal subjects of the Southern Court, are enshrined as associate gods.
The shrine's biography says that it was founded by EN no Gyoja (a semi-legendary holy man noted for his practice of mountain asceticism during the second half of the seventh century) in the Hakuho era. When Emperor Godaigo visited Yoshino in secret during the period of the Northern and Southern Courts (Japan), he temporarily stayed in an angu (temporary lodging built to accommodate an Imperial visit) established in Kissuiin under protection of Soshin Hoin. After the death of Emperor Godaigo, Emperor Gomurakami had a statue of Emperor Godaigo built and enshrined it in Kissuiin.
This sobo, Kissuiin, became defunct in accordance with the separation of Buddhism and Shintoism of the Meiji period. In 1875, it was succeeded as a shrine to enshrine Emperor Godaigo with a new name of Yoshimizu-jinja Shrine, and was listed as a sonsha.
The shrine is a place remembered in connection with Emperor Godaigo as well as MINAMOTO no Yoshitsune and Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI, and it stores many cultural properties. Its honden (main shrine) used to be a goma-do hall (hall for the goma rites) of Kissuiin. Its adjacent shoin (reception room) has a room for Emperor Godaigo and a room in which MINAMOTO no Yoshitsune was hidden, and the shoin is designated as an important cultural property.
Cultural Properties
Important cultural property
Shoin
Iroiro Odoshi Haramaki (The armor with frightening ornaments)
A work of Godaigo Tenno Shinkan Shosoku