Samukawa Shrine, Shinto shrine in Samukawa, Japan
Samukawa Shrine is a Shinto shrine on a low plateau near the Sagami River in the town of Samukawa. Several torii gates lead to traditional buildings, with two sacred cedar trees standing beside the main hall.
The earliest written mentions of the site date from 727. In 923 it received status as the only Myojin-taisha of Sagami Province.
The site honors two deities representing male and female spiritual principles of the region. Visitors today can observe ceremonies where priests perform these traditional rites.
The site sits five minutes on foot from Miyayama Station on the JR East Sagami Line and stays open around the clock. About two million people visit the grounds each year.
The grounds contain a replica of a Kontengi, an ancient astronomical device for observing the heavens. This instrument once helped determine fortunes through celestial observation.
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