Usa Jingu Shrine ?Usa Shrine, ????? is the head shrine of about 40,000 Hachiman Shrines in Japan. Hachiman Shrines are literally all over Japan, all the way up to Hokkaido. These shrines are dedicated to the deity of archery and war, and became popular with samurai and peasants.

In this article:

Explore Usa Jingu Shrine (photos and info)
How to get to Usa Jingu Shrine
Opening hours and admission cost
Traveler?s tips

The shrine is said to be the first shrine-temple ever, and is a mixture of Shintoism and Buddhism.
Usa Shrine is said to have been founded in 571 AD. Within the Shrine precints are ruins of the Miroku-ji Temple built in 738 AD which can still be seen today. The Hatsusawa Pond contains lotus which were originally planted about 2000 years ago. The Sannogoten Shrine was built in 823 AD. The Saidai-mon Gate near the main hall was constructed from 1592 to 1596. The Shrine is set at the foot of the Omoto-san mountain, surrounded by a serene forest.
Explore Usa Jingu Shrine
Light rain falls on a mild early spring day in Usa (pronounced “ooh-sah“), 1 hour north of Oita City in Oita Prefecture, as we begin our leisurely stroll around the Shrine grounds.
Kuroo-jinja at Usa-jingu. Many smaller “sub-shrines” are found within the grounds, typical of all large shrines in Japan.
After being greeted by our guide – a resident monk at the shrine – my first impression was how mystical this shrine felt being embedded in nature. The light rain...