Kamotsuba-jinja Shrine (鴨都波神社)
Kamotsuba-jinja Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Gose City, Nara Prefecture. The shrine is a Shikinai-sha (Myojin Taisha, shrine listed in Engishiki ["Engishiki" is an ancient book for lows and regulation compiled during the Engi Period, in which shrine listing procedures are included]), designated as a prefectural shrine in the old shrine ranking.
Enshrined deities
Kamotsuba-jinja Shrine enshrines Tsumihayae-Kotoshironushi-no-mikoto (also called Kotoshironushi-no-kami) and Shitateruhime (or Shitateruhime-no-kami) as main enshrined deities, while enshrining Takeminakata-no-kami as an associated god. The Katsuragi clan and the Kamo clan dedicated this shrine. Following Takakamo-jinja Shrine (also called Takakamo-sha Shrine, literally meaning "higher Kamo-jinja Shrine") and Katsuragimitoshi-jinja Shrine (also called Nakakamo-sha Shrine, literally meaning "middle Kamo-jinja Shrine"), Kamotsuba-jinja Shrine is also referred to as 'Shimogamo-sha Shrine' (literally meaning "lower Kamo-jinja Shrine"). As Kotoshironushi-no-mikoto was the deity believed by the Kamo clan, this shrine has become the foundation of the Kotoshironushi-no-mikoto belief. Kamotsuba-jinja Shrine is also referred to as 'an associated shrine of Omiwa-jinja Shrine' because Kotoshironushi-no-mikoto was the son of Okuninushi (chief god of Izumo in southern Honshu Island, Japan, and the central character in the important cycle of myths set in that region) enshrined in Omiwa-jinja Shrine (Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture).
Since it is difficult to find the reason why Shitateruhime-no-kami is enshrined with Kotoshironushi-no-kami, another deity was presumably enshrined at first.
The old name of this shrine was 'Kamomitsuha,' which can be interpreted as 'a deity living in the waterside of Kamo.'
A theory suggests that this shrine initially enshrined the deity of water because Katsuragi-gawa River and Yanagida-gawa River join at this district. Moreover, another theory suggests that Takateruhime-no-kami, the sister of Kotoshironushi-no-kami was enshrined in reality, who was confused with Shitateruhime-no-Kami.
History
According to the shrine's biography, Okamotsubime, the grandchild of Otataneko founded Kamotsuba-jinja Shrine by an Imperial order during the reign of the Emperor Sujin.
This shrine is standing amid the remains called 'Remains of Kamotsuba.'
Lots of earthenware and farming equipments in the Yayoi period excavated from the remains show that the Kamo clan had settled in this district to engage in farming a long time ago.
In Engishiki Shinmyo Cho (a list of shrines in the Engishiki), Kamotsuba-jinja Shrine is listed under 'Kamotsuhayae-Kotoshironushi-no-kami-jinja Shrine enshrining two deities,' ranked among the Myojin Taisha.
In 'Rinji Matsuri' (literally meaning, an extraordinary festival), the third volume of Engishiki, this shrine is listed under 'Kamo-jinja Shrine enshrining two deities.'
Kamotsuba-jinja Shrine was designated as a prefectural shrine in 1927.