Arao-jinja Shrine and Tanaja-jinja Shrine were originally in seperate locations, but were later combined. This is why there are two main halls and gates.
Arao-jinja Shrine was built approx. 600 years ago in the Muromachi Period (1336-1573) near the Ojira River at the foot of Mount Nakayama. It enshrined the legendary prince, Yamato Takeru and Mizuhanome-no-mikoto, the God of Water. According to the Records of the Kai Region, the shrine was named “Arao,” which means it was built near the rough (ara) Ojira River (o), because the river often caused flooding.
Due to the frequent flooding, the villagers moved to Daigahara and other locations. Without people in the area, however, there was no one to care for Arao-jinja Shrine. Because of this, it was combined with Tanaka-jinja Shrine in Daigahara-shuku in 1914. It is unknown, however, when it was originally founded. Tanaka-jinja Shrine enshrined Omunachi-no-mikoto and Hime-okami. Hime-okami has been worshiped as the Goddess of Easy Delivery from ancient times.
The old Koshu-kaido Road was once used by a group of special people tasked with harvesting and delivering Uji tea that had been ordered each year by the Edo shogunate (ocha-tsubo dochu). The group passed Daigahara-shuku in late June, and stayed overnight in the worship hall at Arao-jinja and Tanaka-jinja Shrine. In the precinct, there is a stone in a shape of a tiger’s head called toraishi (tiger stone). During the autumn festival each year, a unique Toragashira no Mai (tiger dance) inspired by this stone is dedicated to the shrine.
Arao-jinja Shrine was built approx. 600 years ago in the Muromachi Period (1336-1573) near the Ojira River at the foot of Mount Nakayama. It enshrined the legendary prince, Yamato Takeru and Mizuhanome-no-mikoto, the God of Water. According to the Records of the Kai Region, the shrine was named “Arao,” which means it was built near the rough (ara) Ojira River (o), because the river often caused flooding.
Due to the frequent flooding, the villagers moved to Daigahara and other locations. Without people in the area, however, there was no one to care for Arao-jinja Shrine. Because of this, it was combined with Tanaka-jinja Shrine in Daigahara-shuku in 1914. It is unknown, however, when it was originally founded. Tanaka-jinja Shrine enshrined Omunachi-no-mikoto and Hime-okami. Hime-okami has been worshiped as the Goddess of Easy Delivery from ancient times.
The old Koshu-kaido Road was once used by a group of special people tasked with harvesting and delivering Uji tea that had been ordered each year by the Edo shogunate (ocha-tsubo dochu). The group passed Daigahara-shuku in late June, and stayed overnight in the worship hall at Arao-jinja and Tanaka-jinja Shrine. In the precinct, there is a stone in a shape of a tiger’s head called toraishi (tiger stone). During the autumn festival each year, a unique Toragashira no Mai (tiger dance) inspired by this stone is dedicated to the shrine.