S P O T ／ SPOT-193
Susu Jinja Shrine and the Yamabushiyama Oku-miya
須須神社・山伏山奥宮すずじんじゃ・やまぶしやまおくみや
An Engishiki-listed shrine enshrined at the northernmost tip of the Noto Peninsula, with a founding tradition in the reign of Emperor Sujin and a recorded relocation to the present site approximately 1,200 years ago. The shrine holds five wooden male-deity images designated National Important Cultural Properties and a shrine forest designated a National Natural Monument. The summit of Yamabushiyama (172 m above sea level), where the inner shrine stands, is also advanced by some scholars as the true hon-sha of the Engishiki-listed shrine — an ancient sacred precinct. The site retains traditions associated with Minamoto no Yoshitsune, including the 'Semiori-no-fue' (a flute said to have been dedicated by Yoshitsune as an offering of gratitude for rescue from a maritime disaster), and holds a ritual known as the 'Matachi Shinji' — a ceremony descended from mounted archery — each year on 15 March. The shrine is also a component of the Japan Heritage 'Light-Dancing Peninsula: Noto — The Ecstasy of the Kiriko Festival' (designated 2015).
H I G H L I G H T S
Highlights
- 01National Important Cultural Properties: five wooden male-deity images; National Natural Monument: the Susu Jinja shrine forest
- 02Yamabushiyama (172 m): the summit inner shrine, advanced by some scholarship as the original hon-sha of the Engishiki-registered Susu Jinja — an ancient sacred precinct
- 03Yoshitsune traditions, including the 'Semiori-no-fue' flute — said to have been dedicated by Yoshitsune as thanks for rescue from a maritime disaster
- 04The 'Matachi Shinji' ritual — descended from mounted archery (yabusame) — performed annually on 15 March
- 05A component cultural property of the Japan Heritage designation 'Light-Dancing Peninsula: Noto — The Ecstasy of the Kiriko Festival' (2015)
A C C E S S ／ M E T A
Essentials
- Location
- Ishikawa Prefecture Suzu City
- Address
- 石川県珠洲市三崎町寺家4-2（本社）／石川県珠洲市狼煙町カ74（奥宮）
- Fee
- 参拝無料（宝物殿拝観料 大人300円・要予約）
- Hours
- 境内自由（宝物殿は4〜10月 9:00〜16:00）
- Status
- 現存（能登半島地震による被害あり・復興進行中）
D E E P D I V E
Deep Dive
Religion
Religion
The main enshrined deities are Takakurahiko no Mikoto (Terake Takakuragu), Konohanasakuyahime no Mikoto (Kinbungu), and Mihosusumi no Mikoto (the inner sanctuary). Worshipped as the guardian of the Sea of Japan coast, the shrine's virtues encompass marriage, creation, and protection from calamity. Records from 1697 describe a great lantern hall at the mid-slope of the mountain, guiding ships through the night—a precursor to the Rokko-zaki Lighthouse built in the early Meiji era.
Architecture
Architecture
The main shrine consists of two halls, Takakuragu and Kinbungu. The treasury houses five wooden male deity statues designated as National Important Cultural Properties, the oldest dating to the Heian period. The inner sanctuary is a small shrine on the summit of Yamabushiyama, surrounded by a National Natural Monument grove—primary forest of Castanopsis sieboldii, Machilus thunbergii, and other warm-temperate broad-leaved trees, representing the northern limit of this forest type in Japan.
Cultural Property
Cultural Property
Nationally designated Important Cultural Properties: five wooden male deity statues. National Natural Monument: the shrine grove (northern broad-leaved evergreen forest). The Yamabushiyama grove at the inner sanctuary is a Prefectural Natural Monument. A collection of 73 documents including the oldest one dated 1175 CE is designated a Prefectural Cultural Property.