Tosa Shrine, Shinto shrine in Ikku-shinane, Kōchi, Japan
Tosa Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Kōchi with a wooden torii gate of pale unpainted timber, its central plaque reading 土佐一之宮. The main hall, rebuilt in 1571, has a dark curved hip-and-gable roof supported by thick brown timber posts, and a white cloth banner with two black crests hangs across its front.
The shrine's founding is traced to 458, when Emperor Yūryaku exiled the deity Hitokotonushi to Tosa; the shrine counts that year as its origin. In 675 it is first recorded in the Nihon Shoki as Tosa no Ōkami. The main halls were rebuilt by Chōsokabe Motochika between 1567 and 1571, and the tower gate and drum tower were added by Yamauchi Tadayoshi in 1631 and 1649.
The shrine is dedicated to two deities: Ajisukitakahikone, ancestor of the Tosa no Kuni no Miyatsuko, and Hitokotonushi, a god of oracles. Locals call the shrine "Shinane-sama", and its autumn festival, the Shinane Matsuri, is one of the three great festivals of Tosa. The name Ichinomiya, used for the surrounding district, is read "Ikku" in Tosa.
The shrine is walkable and comfortable shoes are recommended for exploring the grounds. Visitors should respect traditional customs such as the water purification ritual before entering certain areas.
The plaque on the torii gate reads 土佐一之宮, and the surrounding district is still called Ichinomiya, pronounced "Ikku" in Tosa. The title refers to Tosa Province, not a prefecture: Tosa Shrine was the province's sole Taisha under the Engishiki, and a 1224 storm record is the first document calling it Tosa's Ichinomiya.
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