Sazareishi Shrine

 

Located right in the middle of the Itoshima Plain, Sazareishi Shrine is surrounded by large Yayoi settlements and important tombs dating back 2,000 years.

This seems to have been the "capital" of the oldest "country" of Japan mentioned in the ancient Chinese chronicles. 

In historical times the shrine was very powerful and controlled numerous branch shrines in the area and was destroyed by warfare many times.

In  1587 Hideyoshi confiscated most of the shrines lands, and therefore income, and it declined in power.

The two main kami are Iwanngahime, and her sister Konohanasakuyahime, daughters of Oyamazumi.

They were offered as brides to Ninigi, sent by Amaterasu, but he sent Iwanagahime back to her father as she was ugly. In retaliation, Oyamazumi made the lifespans of the imperial line shorter, like mere mortals. Konohanasakuyahime is generally considered to be the goddess of Mount Fuji.

The previous post in those series on day 75 of my first Kyushu walk was on the nearby Ibara Sumiyoshi Shrine.