Kazahaya Jinja, Shinto shrine in Japan

Kazahaya Jinja stands in Kamihongō, Matsudo, on the site of the residence of the Kazahaya clan, whose name the shrine carries. It honours Futsunushi no Mikoto as its main deity, with Takemikazuchi no Mikoto and Ame-no-Koyane no Mikoto enshrined alongside him in the same hall. The shrine holds the former rank of village shrine (sonsha).

The shrine's name comes from Kazahaya Shirō Taneyasu, a grandson of Chiba Tsunetane, who built a residence here and governed Kazahaya Manor. The shrine began as a dedication of Futsunushi no Mikoto on the site of the Kazahaya family's residence, and it served as tutelary shrine for 119 villages. In the Sengoku period the Takagi family, lords of Kogane Castle, granted it land worth 300 koku; later Tokugawa Ieyasu donated 5 koku of tax-exempt land. The Sano family, hatamoto rulers of the area, helped repair the shrine buildings from the Kanbun era and donated a portable shrine for the September 1695 festival. In 1906 it was designated a village shrine.

The shrine enshrines Futsunushi (Katori Daimyojin), Takemikazuchi (Kashima Daimyojin) and Ame-no-Koyane (Kasuga Gongen). Its name comes from Kazahaya Shiro Taneysau, a grandson of Chiba Tsunetane, who built a residence here and governed Kazahaya-no-sho. The Matsudo shishimai, a city-designated intangible folk cultural property, is performed in the Uehon-go area with three lions, a handler called Yajinbo, drums and flutes.

The shrine is easily accessible in Matsudo city and can be reached on foot or by local transportation. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes since there are steps leading to the main hall, and the space is best explored by walking slowly around the grounds.

The shrine is not a major tourist destination but a meaningful place for local residents, where neighbors regularly show their respect. Locals often visit briefly on their way somewhere else, giving the site an ordinary, everyday quality that reflects how smaller shrines function in daily Japanese life.