Yuge Shrine

Yuge Shrine stands on Yuge Island, one of the islands of Kamijima in the Inland Sea. Beyond the grounds a pine grove opens onto the sea, and below it lies a shallow beach that fills with bathers in summer.

The island belonged to the Mononobe, one of the great clans of early Japan. A branch of them called the Yugebe came to live here, built a hall and worshipped their ancestor Nigihayahi as their clan deity. That is the shrine's beginning.

The buildings were put up again in 1431, and the shrine took the name Kushi at that time. In 1790 the Yoshida house, which had authority over shrines, changed it to Yuge-gu, and in 1871 it became Yuge Shrine.

Four smaller shrines stand in the grounds, to Kojin, Tenjin, Sumiyoshi and Sai no Kami.