S P O T ／ SPOT-187
Shikataka Jinja Shrine (White Deer Tradition)
鹿高神社（白鹿伝承）かたかじんじゃ（はくろくでんしょう）
The site associated with a tradition in which, during the Jinshin War of 672 CE, Prince Oama (later Emperor Tenmu) found himself unable to cross the flooded Uda River, whereupon a white deer appeared and carried him across. The principal deity, 'Shikataka-no-Kami' (Deer-High Deity), is recorded as a historical deity in the Sandai Jitsuroku (Three Reigns' True Records, 879 CE), having been granted the court rank of Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade in the fifteenth year of Jogan (873). The precinct contains a 42-metre keyhole-shaped burial mound (Shikataka Jinja precincts tumulus, mid-sixth century, designated a municipal historic site). The site is also mentioned as 'Kataka' in Motoori Norinaga's Sugagasa Diary (1772). National Route 165 crosses through the approach path — an unusual spatial arrangement.
H I G H L I G H T S
Highlights
- 01A folk tradition holding that Prince Oama crossed the flooded Uda River on the back of a white deer during the Jinshin War of 672 CE
- 02The principal deity Shikataka-no-Kami was granted the court rank of Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade in the Sandai Jitsuroku (Jogan 15, 873 CE) — a 'historically attested deity'
- 03A 42-metre keyhole-shaped burial mound within the precincts (mid-sixth century, designated a municipal historic site)
- 04Mentioned as 'Kataka' in Motoori Norinaga's Sugagasa Diary (1772) — a historically notable site
- 05National Route 165 bisects the shrine approach — an unusual spatial arrangement
A C C E S S ／ M E T A
Essentials
- Location
- Mie Prefecture Nabari City
- Address
- 三重県名張市安部田1942
- Fee
- 無料
- Hours
- 参拝自由
- Status
- 現存（参拝自由）
D E E P D I V E
Deep Dive
Religion
Religion
Primary enshrined deities: Kataka-no-Kami (deity of wisdom and learning) plus Ame-no-Koyane-no-Mikoto, Ebisu-no-Mikoto, and numerous merged deities from consolidated local shrines. The white deer association parallels Kasuga Taisha's sacred deer tradition, though a direct doctrinal connection is folkloric rather than documented.
Architecture
Architecture
The shrine consists of a standard honden (main hall) and haiden (oratory) arrangement. Within the precinct stands the Kataka Shrine keyhole-shaped kofun burial mound (total length 42m, dated to mid-6th century, two corridor-style stone chambers, designated Nabari City Historic Site in 1970). National Route 165 bisects the former approach road, with torii gates standing on both the south and north sides.
Cultural Property
Cultural Property
The Kataka Shrine kofun (burial mound, total length 42m, mid-6th century) is designated as a Nabari City Historic Site (1970). No designation status has been confirmed for the shrine buildings themselves.