Kakinomoto Shrine (Akashi)

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Kakinomoto Shrine, also known as Hitomaru-san, is a Shinto shrine in Akashi, Hyōgo Prefecture. Its main deity is Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, a famous poet believed to have passed through the Akashi area. He is worshiped as a god of literature and learning, and he is also linked to fire safety and childbirth, with playful word-puns on his name.

Tradition says the shrine was founded in 887 by the monk Kakushō of the Gesshō-ji temple, who built a small shrine for Hitomaro. The shrine and the temple were later moved to their current location to make way for Akashi Castle’s construction. In 1723, the shrine was given the top rank among Shinto shrines, and Hitomaro was titled Kakinomoto Dai-myōjin. Locals call it Hitomaru-san. Within the shrine grounds is a monument ordered by Matsudaira Nobuyuki containing a 1,712-character biography of Hitomaro. It is also said that Hitomaro wrote a poem about the Akashi Strait that survives today.