Hisatsu-hime (比佐津媛)
Hisatsu-hime (比佐津媛) is a goddess enshrined in Yoso-jinja Shrine in Oaza-Hidaka, Hita City, Oita Prefecture. The goddess who appears in Bungo no Kuni Fudoki (records of the culture and geography of the Bungo Province). The name is also written 久津媛.
Summary
No tale can be found which mentions this goddess except for the account in Bungo no Kuni Fudoki where Emperor Keiko returns from the Conquest of Kumaso (a tribe living in the ancient Kyushu district) and comes to Hita County in Bungo Province, a goddess who called herself Hisatsu-hime had changes her figure into a human and goes to meet him, and talks to him about the state of the county.
One opinion is that she was Himiko of Yamatai-koku Kingdom, and another view is that a woman who was in the almost same position about the same period as her was enshrined as a goddess after the death.
Yoso-jinja Shrine
Yoso-jinja Shrine where Hisatsu-hime is enshrined is located in 74-banch, Oaza-Hidaka, Hita City, now. Emperor Chuai, Empress Jingu, Emperor Ojin, Emperor Keiko and Hisatsu-hime are enshrined there. It was erected in 858. Originally, she was enshrined with Emperor Keiko in a shrine named Hisatsu-hime jinja Shrine located at the top of Mt. Yoso, and later a new shrine was erected halfway up the mountain and they have been enshrined together. They were transferred to their present place in 1909.
Others
After the opening of Hisatsu Tunnel bored through the mountainside of Mt. Yoso, the extensive damage to the cedar forests caused by typhoon No.19 in 1991 was attributed to the curse of Hisatsu-hime.
Fudoki notes that it was the origin of the name, Hita.
In spring every year, the festival of Hisatsu-hime is held halfway up Mt. Yoso.
There is another view that once Mt. Yoso had been a place to perform rites, and a woman who had been a mikannagi (female engaging festivals) was later enshrined as a goddess.