ABOUT
About this spot
Ikuta Shrine stands in Shimoyamate-dori, Chuo Ward, Kobe. Its main deity is Wakahirume-no-Mikoto, and it is listed in the Engishiki as a Myojin Taisha, one of the shrines of high rank. Although it is only a short walk from Sannomiya Station in the heart of Kobe, the grounds still hold the sacred grove known as Ikuta no Mori, and locals fondly call the shrine "Ikuta-san". According to the Nihon Shoki, the shrine began in the first year of Empress Jingu's reign (201) when the goddess appeared through divination and was enshrined at Nunobiki. After a great flood at the Nunobiki Falls in 799 the sacred object was being moved, and it is said to have become immovable in the Ikuta forest, so the shrine was established there. One theory holds that the households granted to the shrine, called "kanbe", gave Kobe its name. The shrine has been damaged more than once, by the 1938 flood, the wartime air raids and the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake, and each time it was rebuilt. For this reason it is also revered as a god who revives. Highlights include the main hall, worship hall and tower gate, Ikuta Pond, and more than a dozen auxiliary shrines. A monument at Matsuo Shrine marks the birthplace of the Nada Gogo sake-brewing region. Seasonal events include New Year visits, the Setsubun bean-throwing on February 3, the Kyokusui no En poetry banquet in early April, the Ikuta Festival on April 15 and the grass-ring purification in July. A visit usually takes 30 minutes to an hour. Kitano Ijinkan, Nankinmachi and Shin-Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden are all within about 1 km, so it combines easily with a walk around Sannomiya.
Last updated October 22, 2026