"This small shrine stands quietly on what is said to be the site of the mansion of Kawazu Saburo Sukeyasu, father of the Soga brothers, famous for their vendettas.
Although it is called Hachiman Shrine, the enshrined deity is Amakoyane no Mikoto, and it also enshrines Kawazu Saburo Sukeyasu and his sons, Kawazu Sukenari and Tokimune.
In front of the shrine is a strength stone that Sukeyasu is said to have used in his sumo training, and behind it is a statue of Kawazu Saburo holding the strength stone and training his body. The inscription on the statue was written by Futabayama, a great yokozuna of the Showa era. Statues of the brothers also stand on the opposite side of the approach to the shrine.
In one corner of the temple grounds is Yatsu Akiha Shrine, a subsidiary shrine. This Akiha Shrine was enshrined from Akiha Gongen during the Edo period. In fact, in 1838 (Tenpo 10) during the late Edo period, the surrounding village of Yatsu suffered a devastating fire, destroying 24 households, or roughly one-third of the village. The villagers sought assistance from Ota Sukemoto, lord of the Kakegawa domain in Enshu, who ruled the area, and are said to have been able to rebuild. Akiba Shrine is a fire-prevention deity in Totomi, so it was built here due to the lord's connection, and the people likely devoutly worshipped it to escape another fire.
But why did the Ota clan, who were based in Kakegawa Castle in the far-flung Totomi region (western Shizuoka Prefecture), rule this area, even though they were both in Shizuoka Prefecture?
In fact, in 1729 (Kyoho 13), when the Ota clan was still fiefdom-bound in Tatebayashi, Joshu (Gunma Prefecture), they were granted a territory of over 7,500 koku, including the Kamo and Naka counties of Izu. This Izu enclave temporarily left the Ota clan's hands when they were transferred in 1721, but was granted back to them in 1740.
The then head of the clan, Ota Suketoshi, moved from Tatebayashi to Kakegawa in 1746, but his Izu territory remained intact. Thus, the Ota clan, lords of the Kakegawa domain, held 29 villages totaling over 7,541 koku of land in the Kamo and Naka counties of Mamezu until the end of the Edo period. Most of present-day Kawazu Town was part of the former Kakegawa domain.
According to domain records, Yatsu Village at the time produced 152 koku of land, had 85 households, and a population of approximately 390. Of these, 24 households were destroyed in the fire, making it a devastating disaster that will remain in the memories of the villagers. A signboard explains that the village remains a place of worship to this day."

甲羅

"The stone that Kawazu Saburo, the inventor of the sumo finishing move "Kawazu-kake", is said to have used for training is called Chikaraishi and is placed in the shrine.
I tried pushing this stone (about 320 kg) a little, but it didn't budge.
Kawazu Saburo's Chikaraishi
This stone is the one that Kawazu Saburo used for training morning and evening, and it weighs about 320 kg. Saburo was a very strong sumo wrestler, and it is said that one of the 48 techniques called "Kawazu-kake" was invented by Saburo. Saburo's name was Ito Yuhei and he was a member of the Kano clan, whose ancestors were from the Fujiwara Minami family. Saburo's house was located in this area about 800 years ago."

柴犬村長

"I visited this place to see the remains of Kawazu Castle (Yatsu Castle). It seems the Soga brothers lived here until their mother remarried Soga Taro Sukenobu and they moved to Soga Castle in what is now Soga-Yatsu, Odawara City. Soga-Yatsu, Odawara City, is also home to various historical sites related to the Soga brothers, such as Jomae-ji Temple.
While it was great to visit this place, unfortunately the shrine appears to be undergoing restoration, with scaffolding set up and sheets hanging down, which was also a shame.
However, the "Kawazu Saburo and the Soga Brothers" document, which costs 50 yen per volume and can be found on the right just before the shrine stairs, is very easy to read, with furigana always included for names and place names, making it well worth the money."

chu “お城とお酒と一人旅”