Terukuni Shrine, Shinto shrine in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan

Terukuni Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Terukuni-chō, Kagoshima, built in the nagare-zukuri style with a broad, low-pitched copper roof that sweeps past the walls on both sides. The dark wooden facade is divided into three bays, each hung with a white curtain bearing a circular crest, and two ornate metal lanterns on stone pedestals stand before the shallow entrance steps.

The shrine honors Shimazu Nariakira, 11th lord of Satsuma, who died suddenly in 1858 aged 50. In 1863 his brother Hisamitsu and nephew Tadayoshi built a shrine at the site of the former Tōshōgū, after Emperor Kōmei granted the deity title Terukuni Daimyōjin. It became a prefectural shrine in 1873 and a special imperial shrine in 1882.

The shrine is dedicated to Shimazu Nariakira, the 11th lord of Satsuma, who died suddenly in 1858 at age 50. In 1863 the imperial court granted him the divine title Terukuni Daimyōjin, and the shrine was founded the same year. Its Rokugatō lantern festival on the 16th day of the sixth lunar month is the largest of its kind in Kagoshima Prefecture.

The grounds are accessible on foot and offer a calm space to experience the traditional architecture. It is worthwhile to wear respectful clothing and follow common shrine etiquette when approaching the sacred areas.

The shrine's name borrows the characters 照 (from Amaterasu Ōmikami, 天照皇大神宮) and 神, a wordplay noted in the shrine's own tradition. Its treasure hall keeps letters and documents connected with Shimazu Nariakira, and the shrine is the starting point of the Myōenji-mairi pilgrimage.