橘本神社, Shinto shrine in Japan

Kitsumoto-jinja is a small Shinto shrine near Kainan, situated beneath Mount Hachifuku and accessible via a quiet path from the nearby Amida Temple. The grounds feature simple buildings, stone lanterns, and a small pathway leading to the main worship area, with a nearby river shaping the natural surroundings.

The shrine's founding date is unknown, but a ridge tag dated 1437 survives. In 1158 Emperor Shirakawa spent a night here during a pilgrimage to Kumano and composed a poem about it. In 1687 Tokugawa Mitsusada, lord of Kishu, repaired the hall; it later fell into ruin, and in 1907 it was moved to the site of Shosaka Oji and merged with two nearby王子 shrines.

The shrine serves as a gathering place where locals offer prayers for harvests and health, bringing symbolic gifts like oranges and sweets to honor the deities enshrined here. These two gods connected to citrus and confections make this location distinctive within Japan's shrine landscape.

The shrine is just minutes by car from the main road and has parking available nearby. Visitors can combine a visit here with walks through the surrounding countryside or trips to other local sites in the area.

The shrine stands on the site of Shosaka-oji, one of the ninety-nine Kumano princes' shrines, and was designated a prefectural historic site on 9 April 1974. It enshrines Tajimamori, who according to the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki brought the first tachibana citrus to Japan from the land of Tokoyo. The old shrine site, Rokuhongi-no-oka, lies to the north and is considered the birthplace of the mandarin orange.