Iwa Shrine

Iwa Shrine is the ichinomiya of former Harima Province, located in Ichinomiya, Shiso City, Hyogo Prefecture. The principal deity is Onamuchi-no-Kami (Ōkuninushi), the great kami of nation-building, medicine, and matchmaking. According to the Harima Fudoki (Nara period), the shrine's name derives from a word spoken by Ōkuninushi upon completing the creation of the land. A founding legend in the reign of Emperor Kinmei (6th century) describes the deity's appearance to a local chief, with cedar and cypress trees growing overnight to mark the sacred site. Listed as a Myōjin Taisha in the Engishiki (927), the shrine served as the spiritual center of Harima Province for centuries. Destroyed repeatedly by fire, it was rebuilt with support from the Imperial Court and successive feudal lords, and elevated to a national medium shrine in 1875. The main hall's unusual north-facing orientation is explained by the presence of the sacred "Tsuruishi" (Crane Stone) in the precinct. The 53,000-square-meter grounds contain towering cedar trees and are recognized as a major spiritual site (power spot) in the Harima region. The shrine's isolation in the deep mountains of Shiso City, combined with its ancient aura, makes it one of the most impressive ichinomiya in the Kinki region.

Iwa Shrine is located in Shiso-shi, Hyogo. The full address is: 407 Ichinomiya-cho Sugyona, Shiso-shi, Hyogo.

The enshrined deities are: Okuninushi no Mikoto.