Hikawa Shrine, Shinto shrine in Takahanacho, Japan
Hikawa is a Shinto shrine in Takahanacho, Japan, recognized as the principal sanctuary of Saitama Prefecture. The grounds include several buildings with curved rooflines, old trees, and a wide approach that runs from the southern edge of Omiya Park through the torii gates.
A ruling clan from Izumo brought the worship of Susanoo to this site and founded the sanctuary in the fifth century BC. Over the centuries, it maintained its position as a religious center for the region.
The shrine leads a network of 280 Hikawa shrines across the Kanto region and holds the status of Ichinomiya in Saitama Prefecture.
The complex is reachable on foot from Omiya-Koen Station in about five minutes or from Omiya Station in around fifteen minutes. Visitors can walk through the park to see the main buildings and the pond within the grounds.
The pond within the grounds is a remnant of the old Minuma landscape, which once formed extensive wetlands around the site. This body of water held importance for the worship of a water deity in earlier times.
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