Hatogamine Hachiman Shrine, Shinto shrine in Tokorozawa, Japan
Hatogamine Hachiman Shrine stands on a wooded hilltop in Tokorozawa, within the Hatogamine Park mixed forest. Its main hall, built before the Muromachi period, uses the simple issha-zukuri style with a streamer-like roof. Two subsidiary shrines, Yasaka Shrine and Kume Suiten-gū, stand nearby, and the grounds also hold several smaller subordinate shrines.
The shrine was founded in 921 as a branch of a larger shrine and has been maintained and repaired by many generations over the centuries. During the Edo period, it received support from influential figures like Tokugawa Ieyasu, who donated wood for its buildings.
The shrine's name Hatogamine comes from Mount Otokoyama near Kyoto, formally called Hatogamine, reflecting its origin as a branch of Iwashimizu Hachimangū. The Suiten-gū subsidiary shrine, dedicated to Emperor Antoku, is known for safe childbirth and hosts a daruma market on January 5. The Yasaka Shrine within the grounds holds its festival on July 15.
The shrine is easily accessible by map or GPS and sits in a quiet area of Tokorozawa with enough space for walking around. Visitors should observe respectful behavior such as rinsing hands and bowing before entering, and early morning or late evening hours offer a more private experience.
The pine now called Kabutokakeno Matsu is not ancient: the original tree died in 1616, and the present one was replanted on its stump and has been replaced over several generations. A stone monument beside it recounts Nitta Yoshisada's campaign against the Kamakura shogunate as told in the Taiheiki.
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