Umenomiya-taisha Shrine (梅宮大社)
Umenomiya-taisha Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City. It was listed in the Register of Deities of the Engishiki, included as one of the Twenty-Two Shrines and was ranked as a Kanpei Chusha (middle-scale government shrines) under the old shrine classification system. It is now an independent shrine that is not a part of the Association of Shinto Shrines. The deities are worshipped as gods of rice-wine brewing and conception and smooth childbirth. It was formerly named Umenomiya-jinja Shrine. The tablet on the torii simply reads 'Umenomiya'.
Enshrined deities
The main deities enshrined within the main building are Sakatoke-no-Kami (Oyamatsumi) - the father of rice-wine manufacturing who first made Japanese sake and offered it to the gods, who is enshrined with his daughter Sakatokego-no-Kami (Konohanano Sakuya Bime) and her husband Owakugo-no-Kami (Ninigi), and his grandson Kowakugo-no-Kami (Hoori). The aidono building enshrines the subordinate deities the Emperor Saga, his son the Emperor Ninmyo, his wife TACHIBANA no Kachiko (Empress Danrin) and her father TACHIBANA no Kiyotomo.
Umenomiya-taisha Shrine came to be worshipped for conception and smooth childbirth after the Empress Danrin spread sand from the shrine on the floor of the delivery room in which she gave birth to the Emperor Ninmyo.
History
Umenomiya-taisha Shrine originated with a shrine founded for the ujigami (guardian deity) of the Tachibana clan in Sagara County, Yamashiro Province by Agata no INUKAI no Michiyo. The shrine was moved to Nara by Agata no INUKAI no Michiyo's daughters Empress Komyo and Murono Okimi when the capital city was relocated to Heijo-kyo, and was again moved further up Kizu-gawa River. When the capital was relocated to Heian-kyo, the shrine was moved to its current location by Empress Danrin of the Tachibana clan. The Jinmyocho (Register of Deities) of the Engishiki (procedures of the Engi era) classifies the shrine as a Myojin Taisha and it became included as one of the Twenty-Two Shrines as an ujigami of the maternal relatives of the Emperor Ninmyo. During the regency period, religious rites were conducted at the shrine by the Fujiwara clan as instead of the Tachibana clan.
In 1871 it was ranked as a Kanpei Chusha as Umenomiya-jinja Shrine.
Access
Take Kyoto City Bus Number 3, 28, 29, 67 or 71 to "Umenomiya-jinja mae" bus stop and walk for 3 minutes. Take the Hankyu Arashiyama Line to Matsunoo Station (Kyoto Prefecture) and walk for 10 minutes.