Saiki Jinja (妻木神社)
Saiki Jinja's torii Saiki Jinja In the southern part of the Saiki area of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, lies a small forest surrounded by patches of rice fields, farmland, and residential streets. A stone torii (shrine gate) stands at the western edge of the forest, marking the entrance to the Shinto shrine of Saiki Jinja (妻木神社). Although the present shrine was established in 1970, its origins trace back to three local shrines founded during the Tensho era (1573–1592): Suwa Jinja (諏訪神社), which enshrined Takeminakata-no-Mikoto (建御名方命); Kashima Jinja (鹿島神社), which enshrined Takemikazuchi-no-Mikoto (武甕槌命); and Tenjin-sha (天神社), which enshrined Sugawara no Michizane (菅原道真). Plans to merge the three shrines had been under discussion for many years. After the establishment of Tsukuba Science City was approved in 1963, the project gained momentum, and in 1970 the three shrines were merged to form Saiki Jinja. In addition, there are six small subordinate shrines standing surrounding S...
