Orii-jinja, Shinto shrine in Japan
Orii-jinja is a tiny Shinto shrine that sits quietly beneath trees along the Uji River. The wooden main building with its sloping nagare-zukuri roof houses three separate altars for Emperor Ojin, Prince Wakiiratsuko, and Emperor Nintoku, while a prayer hall with small chambers and sand mounds attaches to the ancient design.
The shrine was founded in 1060 during the late Heian period and is the oldest surviving shrine building in Japan. Its altars honor Emperors Ojin and Nintoku as well as Prince Wakiiratsuko, a legendary prince who refused the imperial throne and sacrificed himself to the river.
The shrine is known for rabbit-themed amulets that visitors purchase for good luck and health. These small ceramic charms connect to an ancient legend where a rabbit guided a prince through the mountains.
The shrine lies about 15 minutes walk from Uji station and is free to visit daily from morning through late afternoon. A small spring called Kiriharasui at the entrance allows visitors to rinse before praying, and you can purchase small ceramic rabbits or draw fortune-telling papers on the grounds.
A legend tells how a rabbit appeared to the prince and led him through a labyrinth of mountains, making the animal a sacred guardian spirit. To this day, small ceramic rabbits at the shrine hold fortune papers that visitors can draw, keeping this connection alive.
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