Yagumo Jinja (八雲神社)

Yagumo Jinja (八雲神社)

Torii and komainu of Yagumo Jinja

Yagumo Jinja (八雲神社) is a Shinto shrine located the Nango District of Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, enshrining the kami Susanoo-no-Mikoto (素盞嗚尊).  While the founding date of the shrine remains unclear, local legend suggests that as the area developed, the residents enshrined the Ubusunagami, laying the foundation for the shrine's origin.

The wooden carving above the sign, which reads "八雲社" from right to left, depicts Susanoo-no-Mikoto slaying Yamata no Orochi, the legendary eight-headed and eight-tailed serpent.

Wooden carving, in the center, depicting Susanoo-no-Mikoto slaying Yamata no Orochi

The signage at the shrine indicates that Yagumo Jinja attracted many travelers seeking safe passage during the time when the nearby Chayamachi (茶屋町) was designated as a shukuba (post station) of the Tokaido Route by the Edo shogunate during the Shoho (1644-1648) and Keian (1648-1652) eras.  However, various alternative sources, including the Yokohama National Highway Office's website, suggest that a substantial resting place, called tateba, once existed in Nango.  Tateba were situated between shukaba, often featuring tea stores known as chaya (茶屋).  Nango, known for its view of Mount Fuji to the left when traveling from Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to Kyoto along the route, flourished with numerous chaya, many of them two stories high, contributing to the area earning the name Chayamachi.

Front door of the haiden

Many visitors to Oyama Afuri Shrine (大山阿夫利神社) also made a stop at Yagumo Jinja to offer prayers from a distance.  As a result, Yagumo Jinja was also known as Sekisonzan (石尊山).

In 1762, the area became a shogunal demesne and with the nearby shooting field, it is said that high-ranking officials also frequently visited the shrine.

Records indicate that the shrine building was reconstructed in 1831 by Shigeta Hachirozaemon (重田八郎左衛門), the head of the area at the time, and underwent renovation in January 1877.  After a destruction by fire in December 1887, the honden was rebuilt in 1888, followed by the haiden in July 1900.  The 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake caused extensive damage to the shrine, leaving only the honden standing.  Reconstruction efforts resulted in the restoration of the shrine building in March 1933.  The roof underwent repairs in July 2001.