Bitchukoku Soja Shrine

Bitchukoku Soja Shrine is a historic Shinto shrine located in Soja City. Its exact date of foundation is unknown, but it emerged as a central place of worship in the late Heian period. At that time, provincial governors customarily visited all shrines within Bitchu Province upon taking office. To simplify these visits, the deities of 324 shrines in the province were enshrined together near the provincial capital, giving rise to Soja-gu (“shrine of all shrines”).

The principal kami is Ōnamuchi-no-Mikoto (another name for Ōkuninushi), a major deity associated with nation-building and good fortune. He is enshrined together with Suserihime-no-Mikoto and a group of eight Musubi deities connected to creation and spiritual power. Numerous auxiliary shrines within the precincts are dedicated to additional kami, reflecting the shrine’s historical role as a comprehensive centre of provincial worship.

During the Muromachi period, the shrine received patronage from influential warrior families, including the Hosokawa and Mori clans. In the Edo period, local merchants contributed to its prosperity through donations. It was designated a prefectural shrine in 1872. After the main hall was destroyed by fire in 1977, it was rebuilt in 1979. In 1994, the historic shrine site was designated an Important Cultural Property of Soja City.

Shrine Precincts

The grounds include several subordinate shrines dedicated to deities of agriculture, scholarship, commerce, maritime safety, protection from misfortune, and healing. A sacred pond of ancient origin, designed in an Izumo-style layout, contains three small islands symbolising divine presence. Stone arrangements associated with earlier ritual practices remain preserved near the pond.

A large evergreen tree known as ogatama-no-ki, traditionally valued in Shinto ritual, stands prominently within the precincts and is noted for its size.

Soja Shrine preserves a significant collection of ema (votive plaques), many dating from the Edo period. These include paintings of historical and literary subjects, festival scenes, and mathematical tablets (sangaku) reflecting the Edo-era tradition of dedicating geometry problems to shrines. The quality and number of surviving works rank among the most notable in Okayama Prefecture.

The shrine is associated with a wide range of blessings, including prosperity, recovery from illness, academic success, safe travel, harmonious relationships, and general fulfillment of wishes. Its annual festivals, many held in October and on traditional lunar calendar dates, continue longstanding local traditions.