Last Updated: Aug 4, 2024

Kagoshima’s Kirishima Jingu

One of Kyushu’s Best Shrines

This story was originally published on donnykimball.com and has been syndicated here on Medium.

I’ll be straight with you, Kagoshima Prefecture is pretty cool. Comprising all of southern Kyushu, this part of Japan is blessed both with a rich history and beautiful nature. Though these days, Kagoshima is most well known for the role that it played in the downfall of the Tokugawa shogunate, the region has roots that date back far further than just the Edo period (1603–1868). For example, the prefecture is home to Kirishima Jingu, an ancient shrine that is integrally tied to the core storyline of Japanese mytho-history. Along with some other nearby locations in the area, it’s spots like these that make Kagoshima a prefecture that definitely warrants your consideration.

Before we get into how to visit Kirishima Jingu and the active volcanic mountain range on which it lies, let’s first review the legend behind the shrine for those not in the know. According to Japan’s oldest text, the Kojiki, the grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu, the god Ninigi-no-Mikoto, descended down to Earth here from heaven. With him, Ninigi-no-Mikoto brought the legendary three imperial regalia and eventually went on to establish what became Japan’s imperial line when he married and had children with a local princess.