Kusanagi Shrine

"Old and traditional temple. Great to be here once."

Peter Nguyen

"goodatmosphere"

コウノヒロユキ

"This shrine is said to have been built on the spot where the famous story from the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki (not included in the Nihon Shoki) tells of Emperor Yamato Takeru's eastern expedition. He was tricked by the local kuni no miyatsuko (provincial governor) and attacked with fire on a grassland. He escaped the peril by wielding the sword Ame-no-Murakumo no tsurugi (a sword made of clouds of heaven). When visiting shrines in Kanagawa Prefecture, the accepted theory seems to be that this incident occurred in Sagami Province. However, some shrines claim that it occurred in Shizuoka, in Yaizu, west of Shizuoka City. In short, the name Yaizu comes from "burning it down," and the name Kusanagi comes from "cutting down the grass with the sword Ame-no-Murakumo no tsurugi" (a sword made of clouds of heaven) to stop the fire from spreading. There are also poems about the events that occurred in Ono, Sagami, Sanesashi, and other places. Therefore, this story is now a convenient anecdote that can be used to reference the history of shrines throughout the wide area from Yaizu to Kanagawa Prefecture. However, the Engishiki Shinmeicho (Book of Shinto Shrines) lists Kusanagi Shrine in Suruga Province, which explains why this shrine is called Kusanagi Shrine. There's a "Kusanagi" station on both the Tokaido Main Line and the Shizuoka Railroad, and the road name "Kusanagi Shrine Street" has long been established, making this shrine a well-known shrine in the Shizuoka-Shizuoka area. However, it's surprisingly far from the train station—about 1.5 kilometers from Kusanagi Station, with the latter half of the walk uphill, taking just over 20 minutes. The chief priest seems to be doing his best to manage the shrine, but there's a gift shop in the entrance to the shrine office, and he's often closed despite the announced opening hours. Those coming from far away to pray should call in advance to avoid wasting their time. Ema (votive plaques) depicting the story of Princess Ototachibana and related amulets are also available. Behind the shrine grounds are the Nihon-daira mountains, and beyond them is Suruga Bay. Furthermore, although it's unclear when it began, this shrine also hosts the Ryusei Festival, in which rockets made from bamboo and wood are launched. It's similar to the Ryusei Festival held every October at Muku Shrine in Chichibu, and the Farmers' Rocket launches at Maibara in Omi. While there are some minor differences, the Kusanagi festival is similar to those held in nearby Asahina, Fujieda, and takes place in early autumn, September. The Kusanagi festival is a prefectural designated intangible folk cultural asset and has established itself as a major tourist attraction.
The grounds also include a kyudo (Japanese archery) range, and the shrine is located at the foot of a small hill with a magnificent shrine building. To get there, take the Shizuoka-Shizuoka Bypass to Nagasaki Interchange, turn left south at the intersection, cross the Shizutetsu Mikadodai railroad crossing, turn right west at the intersection with the old Tokaido highway, and then turn left at the intersection where the ancient large torii gate would have stood. If you can't find it, you will see a sign on your left that says "Kusanagi Shrine 1200m," so make sure you don't miss it. If you're coming from the west, look for the Shizuoka University sign."

さんさと