Nyakuichiōji-jinja, Shinto shrine in Japan
Nyakuichiōji-jinja is a Shinto shrine in Ōmachi built in the Kasuga-zukuri style, distinguished by simple curved rooflines and traditional wooden construction. The grounds contain several protected structures, including an 18th-century Kannon Hall with elaborate carved decorations and three three-storied pagodas topped with thatched roofs.
The shrine was founded hundreds of years ago and became connected to the waterway managed by the Nishina clan during the Kamakura period. The main hall in Kasuga-zukuri style was built in the 1500s and is now protected as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
The shrine grounds display a rare blend of Shinto and Buddhist structures, reflecting how worshippers once practiced both religions together in this place. The Kannon Hall with its carved celestial maidens and the three-storied pagodas nearby show this spiritual mixing even today.
The grounds lie about a ten-minute walk from Kita-Omachi station on the JR Oito Line and are easy to reach. Visitors should take their time walking slowly through the grounds, especially during the large July festival when traditional horseback archery can be observed.
In July, the Nyakuichiōji Festival takes place here, where young boys dressed in historical costumes ride horses and shoot arrows at targets in traditional horseback archery called Yabusame. This festival is one of only a few events of its kind still held in Japan, bringing the community together to pass down old customs.
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