Hayatani Shrine

Hayatani Shrine, in Kamihirara, Hatsukaichi, is an ancient shrine known as the nigu (second-ranked ichinomiya) of Aki Province. It stands close to Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima. The enshrined deity is Akihayatamao no Mikoto, who is recorded in the Kokuzo Honki as the ancestor of the Aki Kuni no Miyatsuko.

The date of its founding is unknown, but the shrine is said to have a history of more than 1,800 years. It appears in the Nihon Koki in 811 and in the Engishiki Jinmyocho in 905. In the Engishiki Jinmyocho it was ranked a Myojin Taisha and, as the foremost of the three shrines of Aki Province (Hayatani, Itsukushima and Take), received the reverence of the imperial court. It is thought to have once been the ichinomiya of Aki, and to have come to be called the second after Taira no Kiyomori revered Itsukushima Shrine. Its court rank was raised in the 9th century, and prayers were offered here during the rebellion of Fujiwara no Sumitomo in 935.

In the Sengoku period the Ouchi and Mori clans held it in esteem, and in the Edo period the Asano lords of the Hiroshima domain also revered it. Given this history, the shrine is worshipped as the guardian of Aki Province and of the Sanyodo road, and as a deity of traffic safety, industry and long life. In October 2024 a festival marking the 1,800th anniversary of its founding was held, with an offering from the imperial court.

The grounds are equipped with a main hall, a worship hall and a gate, and a stele relating to the Aki Kuni no Miyatsuko also stands there. The Treasure House holds treasures such as komainu guardian dogs and the Sonkai documents. Under the modern shrine ranking system it was a Kokuhei Chusha (mid-ranked national shrine), and after the war it became a Beppyo shrine of the Association of Shinto Shrines. Faith in traffic safety is especially strong, and the shrine is so well loved that people say "if you buy a car, go to Hayatani." Car purification rites are held at any time during the day, with no reservation needed, and prayers for safety have also been offered for Hiroden trams and buses. The main annual festival is held on October 12.

Allow about 30 minutes to an hour for worship and a stroll around the grounds. Free parking is available, which is convenient for visitors by car. Nearby are Miyajima's sights such as Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima Aquarium and Mt. Misen, which can be combined in the same itinerary.