Kumata Shrine

Kumata Shrine

Kumata Shrine (杭全神社) in Hiranomiyamachi, Hirano Ward, Osaka, has three main halls standing side by side, the first of 1690 and the second and third of 1513, each designated as an Important Cultural Property (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The second and third were designated in 1949 and the first in 1977.

According to OSAKA-INFO EXPERIENCE, the shrine is said to have begun in 862 when Sakanoue no Masamichi enshrined Susanoo, and the deities of the third and second halls were added later as Kumano worship spread.

Three Main Halls

The first hall, at the left, is a one-bay kasuga-style hall that was the third main hall of Kasuga Taisha in Nara, moved here after a periodic rebuilding; little altered, it is one of the oldest surviving former Kasuga halls of known history (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The central second hall is a three-bay nagare-style hall and the third, at the right, another one-bay kasuga-style hall, all roofed in cypress bark. Each property is described on its own page.

Visiting

According to OSAKA-INFO EXPERIENCE, the shrine is open 8:00–17:00 and is 5 minutes on foot from JR Hirano Station on the Yamatoji line.