Matsuo-jinja Shrine is situated adjacent to the grounds of Koshu Municipal Matsuo Junior High School. It is also called Rokusho Myojin (literally, “Shrine of Six Gods”), because it enshrines six deities, one of which is Oyamakui no Mikoto.
According to records, the shrine was founded during the reign of Emperor Keiko, said to be the father of the legendary hero Yamatotakeru no Mikoto, and was the foremost tutelary shrine in the Matsuo Township after the Middle Ages. The earthen hill behind the main building was said to extend to the rear of Erin-ji Temple in ancient times, and is also considered to be the former site of the residence of the Nikaido Clan which founded Erin-ji Temple.
On the grounds of the shrine, there remains a mound called Shitonetsuka, where Yamatotakeru no Mikoto rested on his way to the land of Musashi, in addition to a Koshinto tower (monument of Koshin worship) inscribed with the date April 1732, and a memorial tower dated February 16, 1673, among other historical ruins.