Kumamoto · JP

Kaminabe Otohime Shrine (Naga Shrine Otohime-gū)

Deep in a quiet residential neighborhood of eastern Kumamoto, Kaminabe Otohime Shrine guards one of the oldest threads in Japanese mythology. Its principal deity, Tamayori-hime — the youngest daughter of the creator gods Izanagi and Izanami and mother of Japan's first emperor — is the original "Otohime" (princess) of the Kojiki, the same mythic figure who likely inspired the sea-palace princess of the Urashima Tarō tale. Founded in 663 AD by imperial decree, this modest shrine carries a pedigree that stretches back over thirteen centuries. What makes the visit special is how the ancient and the living coexist here. A small community kagura tradition — officially designated as an intangible cultural property of Kumamoto City — still fills the shrine's hall with dance and drumming every autumn. Meanwhile, the grounds hold intricately carved wooden worship halls, stone lanterns, sacred trees, and a 230-year-old cherry tree, all nestled along the bank of the Shiro River where the first shrine was supposedly discovered.