酒見神社, Shinto shrine in Japan
Sakami Shrine in Ichinomiya is a Shinto sanctuary with simple wooden buildings, a large wooden torii gate at the entrance, and a main prayer hall with clean, orderly structures. Behind the main hall stands a smaller shrine dedicated to Princess Yamatohime, along with historic sake storage jars and a stone trough that testify to the area's brewing heritage.
According to legend, the shrine was founded when Princess Yamatohime stopped here while searching for a sacred place for the sun goddess Amaterasu. Its transformation into a sake worship site occurred later, when early brewers from the region began their craft here, and the location became one of Japan's oldest sake shrines.
The shrine is deeply connected to the sake brewing tradition of the region, with brewers and farmers visiting to pray for good harvests and safe production seasons. This link to sake making is so important that it is considered one of Japan's oldest sake shrines, and this connection remains alive today in local brewery festivals.
The sanctuary is easily reached on foot from nearby train stations or by bus that stops right at the entrance, situated close to major roads. Visitors should arrive early in the morning to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and follow the traditional practice of purifying hands and mouth at the water basin before approaching the main hall.
The shrine is sometimes called the "reverse shrine" because it unusually faces north, which is rare in Japanese religious history. This unusual orientation sparks discussion about ancient resistance or religious rivalry and makes the location a point of significant archaeological and spiritual interest.
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