Sasamuta Shrine

Sasamuta Shrine stands in the hills of Samuta, south of central Oita City. It is regarded as the Ichinomiya, or first shrine, of Bungo Province, and it is the only top-ranked shrine in Bungo listed in the Engishiki. It was formerly a national shrine of the middle rank and is now a Bekkyo shrine under the Association of Shinto Shrines. The shrine forest around it is dense and quiet.

The deity is Sasamuta no Okami, which the shrine identifies as a collective name for Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi and Ame-no-oshihomimi. Emperor Ojin, Empress Jingu and Takeuchi no Sukune are also enshrined. According to tradition, Empress Jingu stopped at Mt. Sasamuta on her return from Korea and raised a white banner on the summit, and Takeuchi no Sukune built a shrine there. The earliest firm record is from 869, when the shrine received a court rank.

The Mannen Bridge, a stone arch bridge over the Samuta River at the entrance, was built in 1862 and is a prefectural cultural property. The Kogura storehouse of 1886 is designated by the city. The large wisteria on the grounds is said to be over 450 years old and is a city natural monument, and the shrine forest is a prefecturally protected grove. A wisteria festival with kagura offerings is held around Golden Week (May 3 to 5), when the wisteria is in season. The annual festival is on April 15. Allow 40 minutes to an hour. Take a bus to Fujigaoka-minami and walk about 8 minutes. Funai Castle is about 7.6 km away, and Marine Palace Umitamago about 11 km.