Keta Shrine: A History of over 1,300 Years

Culture Guide to Japan Travel

Keta Shrine (Keta Taisha) in Ishikawa Prefecture has a history of considerably over a millennium. Though the date of its establishment is lost in the mists of the past, it is the subject of a poem written on the occasion of a visit there by Ōtomo no Yakamochi, a prominent political figure and poet who lived from around 718 to 785. The poem is included in the Man’yōshū, Japan’s oldest poetry anthology, of which Yakamochi was one of the compilers.

Keta Shrine is located in Hakui, a city on the Sea of Japan coast, and is set in a sacred grove consisting of extensive natural woodlands. Ōkuninushi, the deity (kami) enshrined there, is known as the god of matchmaking, and many women visit to pray for success in finding good mates.

(Originally published in Japanese. Created in cooperation with Kanazawa Cable Television.)

Ishikawa shrine religion Hokuriku Shintō