Usa Jingu

History

Usa Jingu is the head shrine of all Hachimangu and Hachiman shrines across Japan, said to number more than 40,000. It enshrines Hachiman Okami, believed to be the divine spirit of Emperor Ojin, and its origins trace to 725, when shrine buildings were first constructed on the present site. Together with Iwashimizu Hachimangu in Kyoto and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu in Kamakura, it is counted among the “Three Great Hachiman Shrines of Japan,” and it has long received deep reverence from both the imperial court and the warrior class.

Hachiman Okami was long worshipped by bow-wielding warriors as a god of martial fortune, and in time also came to be widely revered as a deity of protection from misfortune and victory in competition.

During the Nara period, the shrine is said to have helped secure the gold and copper needed to build the Great Buddha of Todaiji, further deepening the imperial court’s reverence for it; in 749, Hachiman Okami is said to have traveled to the capital to pay respects before the completed Great Buddha. Usa Jingu is also known as the site of the “Usa Hachiman Oracle Incident” of 765, in which the imperial envoy Wake no Kiyomaro, dispatched in response to a movement to install the monk Dokyo on the imperial throne based on an oracle from the shrine, brought back a countervailing oracle declaring that the throne must be reserved for members of the imperial bloodline, thereby blocking the attempt.

Highlights

The main sanctuary is built in the distinctive “Hachiman-zukuri” architectural style, which originated at this very shrine, and is designated a National Treasure. Kurehashi, a bridge with an unusual roofed structure spanning the Yorimo River within the grounds, is one of Usa Jingu’s most iconic sights.

Visiting Tips

As at Izumo Taisha, the customary way to pray at Usa Jingu is “two bows, four claps, one bow.” The expansive grounds contain two separate worship areas, the Upper Shrine (Jogu) and Lower Shrine (Gegu), and it has long been customary to visit both in what is called “ryomairi.”

Annual Festivals

• Goshinkosai (Natsukoshi Matsuri): Held every year from July 31 to August 2, this is considered Usa Jingu’s most magnificent festival, in which the three enshrined deities are carried by mikoshi in procession from the Jogu main sanctuary to the Tongu shrine within the grounds.
• Chushusai (Hojoe): Held every October, this festival is said to have originated as a rite to console the souls lost in the suppression of the Hayato Rebellion.

Nearby Food & Sightseeing

The shrine grounds are covered by an expansive sacred forest, offering a rich sense of nature in every season. Around the approach, restaurants serving Oita’s famous tori-ten (deep-fried chicken tempura) and Usa’s specialty karaage fried chicken are scattered about.

• Hachan-do Jingu-ten: An okonomiyaki and teppanyaki restaurant about a 4-minute walk from Usa Jingu.
• Usa Jingu Mori no Chaya Kakumasa: A cafe about a 4-minute walk from Usa Jingu, convenient for a break between prayers.
• Usa is said to be one of the birthplaces of the dedicated karaage restaurant, and many shops serving Usa-style karaage can be found around the approach to the shrine.