Yagumo Jinja (八雲神社)

Yagumo Jinja

Yagumo Jinja (八雲神社) is a Shinto shrine located in the Nango district of Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. Locally, it is also known as Tenno-sama (天王様).

Torii and komainu

In the Shinpen Sagami-no-kuni Fudokiko, a topographical record of Sagami Province (which covers most of present-day Kanagawa Prefecture) completed in 1841, the shrine is recorded as Tenno-sha (天王社), enshrining the kami (deity) Gozu Tenno (牛頭天王). During the Meiji period (1868–1912), following the implementation of shinbutsu bunri (the separation of Shinto and Buddhism), the enshrined kami was replaced by Susanoo-no-Mikoto (素盞嗚尊), who had been identified with Gozu Tenno.

A komainu cub

While the exact founding date is unclear, local legend suggests that as the area developed, the community enshrined the ubusunagami (guardian deity of one's birthplace), laying the foundation for the shrine's origin.

A pair of komainu (guardian lion-dog) statues, donated in 1930, stands in front of the torii (shrine gate). A small cub can be seen climbing up beneath the un-gyo (closed-mouth) komainu statue.

Carving of Susanoo-no-Mikoto slaying Yamata no Orochi

Above the wooden plaque bearing the characters "八雲社" (read from right to left), a carving depicts the legendary scene of Susanoo-no-Mikoto slaying Yamata no Orochi, the eight-headed and eight-tailed serpent. Above Susanoo-no-Mikoto's head is the face of the kami Kushinadahime (奇稲田姫). According to the myth, Kushinadahime had seven siblings, all of whom were consumed by Yamata no Orochi, and she was next in line to meet the same fate. Upon hearing of her plight, Susanoo-no-Mikoto took her as his wife. To protect her, he transformed her into a comb and placed it in his hair, concealing her from the serpent.

Other wooden carvings at the shrine include dragons beneath the front eaves, birds — likely green pheasants — on the front doors and decorative waki-shoji (side panels).

According to the signage at the site, the shrine once attracted many travelers praying for safe journeys, particularly during the Shoho (1644–1648) and Keian (1648–1652) eras, when the nearby area of Chayamachi was designated as a shukuba (post station) along the Tokaido Route under the Edo shogunate. However, alternative sources, including the Yokohama National Highway Office, indicate that Nango was home to a tateba — an informal rest stop located between shukuba, often featuring tea stores known as chaya. 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 which were two stories high, contributing to the area earning the name Chayamachi.

Visitors traveling to Oyama Afuri Shrine were also known to stop at Yagumo Jinja to offer prayers from afar. As a result, the shrine was also referred to as Sekisonzan (石尊山).

In 1762, the area became a shogunal demesne, and the presence of a nearby shooting field reportedly brought frequent visits from high-ranking officials.

The shrine underwent reconstruction in 1831 under the supervision of Shigeta Hachirozaemon (重田八郎左衛門), the local headman at the time, and was later renovated in January 1877. After a fire in December 1887, the honden (main sanctuary) was rebuilt in 1888, followed by the haiden (worship hall) in July 1900. The 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake caused severe damage, leaving only the honden standing. Restoration was completed in March 1933, and the roof was repaired in July 2001.

War memorial cenotaph

A war memorial cenotaph (戦歿者慰霊碑) was erected on the shrine grounds on March 15, 1962. A memorial ceremony is held annually on the Sunday closest to March 15.

References:

• International Association of Chigasaki (IAC). (2010, November 1). HISTORY OF CHIGASAKI Yagumo Jinja Shrine in Nango 南湖の八雲神社. Chigasaki Breeze. https://www.city.chigasaki.kanagawa.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/002/769/31nov2010.pdf
• jinsan0716. (2022, May 6). 茅ヶ崎市の寺社旧蹟を巡る（その29）・八雲神社(1/2). JINさんの陽蜂農遠日記. https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/hitoshisan/diary/202205060000/4
• Sato, David. (2019, January 23). 戦歿者慰霊碑（八雲神社）. 東京湾要塞. https://tokyowanyosai.com/sub/ibutu/sekihi/irei-454.html
• 神奈川県神社庁. (n.d.). 茅ヶ崎市 八雲神社. 神奈川県神社庁. https://www.kanagawa-jinja.or.jp/shrine/1206089-000/
• 茅ヶ崎郷土会. (2019, March 14). 南湖の中町 八雲神社の例大祭. 茅ヶ崎郷土会. https://chigasaki-kyodokai.com/?p=5532