- What kind of shrine is “Oyama-jinja Shrine”? A shrine dedicated to Toshiie Maeda and his wife Matsu!
- Oyama jinja Shrine” has an unusual structure! Japanese, Chinese, Western and brick construction!
- Access to Oyama-jinja Shrine
- Parking around Oyama-jinja Shrine
- Oyama-jinja Shrine Official Website
- Recommended around Oyama-jinja Shrine
What kind of shrine is “Oyama-jinja Shrine”? A shrine dedicated to Toshiie Maeda and his wife Matsu!
Oyama-jinja shrine” is located in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, and the main deities are Maeda Toshiie, a famous warlord, and his wife Matsu.
The shrine was founded in 1873 by Naonobu Maeda (the 10th head of the Tosamori Maeda family, the first of the eight families of Kaga) and others on March 14, the anniversary of Lord Toshiie Maeda’s death.
Originally, when Lord Maeda Toshiie died in 1599, his son Maeda Toshinaga wanted to enshrine his spirit, but the Maeda family, which was also a feudal lord on the outside, could not do so publicly due to the rise of Tokugawa Ieyasu at the time (the shrine is enshrined in the form of a joint shrine with Utatsu Hachiman Shrine, which enshrines the god Amaterasu).
When the Meiji Restoration took place about 270 years after the death of Toshiie Maeda, the government gave permission for the establishment of the shrine in 1873 (Meiji 6), and Maeda Toshiie could finally be enshrined publicly.
In 1998, his wife Matsu (Hoshunin) was also enshrined, and together they became the main deities of the shrine.
Incidentally, Kanazawa Castle, the former residence of the Maeda clan of the Kaga domain, remains near the shrine as the ruins of a castle.
Oyama jinja Shrine” has an unusual structure! Japanese, Chinese, Western and brick construction!
This shrine, dedicated to Lord Toshiie Maeda, has structures that are not found in ordinary shrines.
First is the “Shinmon” (Important Cultural Property).
This gate was built in 1875 and is a rare example of a gate built in three different styles: Japanese, Chinese, and Western.
Together with Kenrokuen Garden near the shrine, it has become a symbolic structure of Kanazawa City.
The third level of the gate features Japan’s oldest lightning rod, which is still in use today, and was once lit to serve as a target for ships on the Sea of Japan.
Next is the “Main Hall.
The “main hall” was built in 1873 in the Nagare-zukuri style, in accordance with the old fashioned style.
Since it was built in the Meiji era (1868-1912), the fence on the right side of the main hall is made of bricks.
Incidentally, the tamagaki of the main shrine is the first brick structure in Kanazawa City.
Other structures in the area include the Toshinmon Gate (originally the Ninomaru Karamon Gate of Kanazawa Castle) and Kanaya Shrine (which enshrines successive lords of the Kanazawa Domain and their wives).
Access to Oyama-jinja Shrine
11-1 Oyama-cho, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0918, Japan
Parking around Oyama-jinja Shrine
Oyama-jinja Shrine Official Website
Official site：http://www.oyama-jinja.or.jp/