Ogura-jinja Shrine (小椋神社)
Ogura-jinja Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture. It is a Shikinai-sha listed on Engishiki jimmyocho (a shrine listed on the register of shrines in Japan).
Five shrines of Ogura-jinja Shrine, Omiya-jinja Shrine, Wakamiya-jinja Shrine, Imamiya-jinja Shrine and Shingu-jinja Shrine are enshrined in the precincts..
The enshrined deities
Kuraokami-no-kami is enshrined in the Honden (main shrine) of Ogura-jinja Shrine. Izanami no mikoto is enshrined in Omiya-jinja Shrine. Wakahirume no mikoto is enshrined in Wakamiya-jinja Shrine. Onamochi no kami (Okuninushi) is enshrined in Imamiya-jinja Shrine. Sukunabikona no kami is enshrined in Shingu-jinja Shrine.
History
It is said that the shrine was built in 858. At first Omiya-jinja Shrine was built by Imperial Prince Koretaka of Emperor Montoku, and the next year Ogura-jinja Shrine was built by MINAMOTO no Toru. Ogura-jinja Shrine was moved from Takitsubo-jinja Shrine in okunomiya (interior shrine) of Ogura-jinja Shrine to the current place. The shrine had been built 200 years before by the practitioner called Kadayu sennin (hermit) who accompanied Emperor Tenji at the time of the transfer of national capital to Otsu by splitting the goshintai (object of worship housed in a Shinto shrine and believed to contain the spirit of a deity) and moving and enshrining it to the place called Ogi. After that, in 902 Wakamiya-jinja Shrine was built and in 1190 Imamiya-jinja Shrine and Shingu-jinja Shrine were built in the precincts. During the medieval period, the five shrines were called Gosha Daigongen (the Great Avatar of five shrines) and became very popular. The name of Ogura-jinja Shrine changed into Tadokoro-jinja Shrine over the course of time, but the name of the shrine was returned to the current one.
The rites and festivals
The festival of the shrine is held on May 3, and it is called Ogi Festival. In addition, as it rains much at this time of the year and the paths of the portable shrine become muddy like rice fields, it is called Dorota (muddy rice fields) Festival. Some ancient events including yabusame (horseback archery) and the parade of the portable shrines of the five shrines to commemorate MINAMOTO no Mitsunaka, the second generation of Seiwa-Genji (Minamoto clan originated from Emperor Seiwa) are held.
Address
55-38-4,Ogi, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture