Hio hachiman-jinja, Shinto shrine in Japan

Hio Hachiman-jinja is a Shinto shrine located in Matsuyama set on a hillside among trees with simple wooden structures, stone guardian lions, lanterns, and traditional gates throughout the grounds. A small path leads upward to a viewing platform where visitors can see across the city toward the sea and distant mountains.

Founded in 752 as Kume Hachimangu, when a kami was invited from Usa, the shrine was built up from 765 under Empress Koken's patronage. A fire destroyed the buildings and records during the Oei era (1394-1427); the Kono clan rebuilt them in 1431. After the Kono fell in 1585 the shrine declined until Kato Yoshiaki made it the second of Matsuyama's eight Hachiman shrines.

The shrine is dedicated to Hachiman, the Shinto god of protection and warriors, and continues to draw visitors who come to pray for blessing and good fortune in their families and work. Pairs of stone guardian lions at the entrance and throughout the grounds invite visitors to make wishes on paper strips tied to trees, keeping local traditions active in daily life.

The shrine is easily accessible on foot from the local train station and can be visited at any time, with the quietest hours in early morning or late afternoon. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes as the hillside path involves stone steps, and allow time to walk around the entire grounds at a leisurely pace.

The shrine's name appears in records from 752, when a spirit was transferred from Usa and the site was founded as Kume Hachiman-gu. The grounds also hold the Higashidogo Shrine, renamed in 1974 when it was moved here to protect the hot springs of Dogo, with its main festival on May 3.