Chusha Shrine
shrine
中社
Chusha Shrine, located centrally between Okusha and Hokosha shrines, is dedicated to Ame no Yagokoro Omoikane, the deity of wisdom and intelligence.
Chusha Shrine honors Ame no Yagokoro Omoikane, the Shinto deity of wisdom who, according to legend, devised the kagura dance that coaxed the sun goddess Amaterasu out of her cave. That same dance is reenacted once a month on a stage inside the main building, above which a dragon ceiling painted by Kawanabe Kyosai, Japan's first political caricaturist, looks down on visitors. The Treasure Hall holds Important Cultural Properties from the Nara and Heian periods. Outside, a perfect triangle of three cedar trees over 800 years old frames the wooden torii gate at the center, and 300 cedars line the approach to the adjacent Okusha Shrine.
Purify your hands at the temizuya before approaching the main hall. Left hand first, then right, then pour water into your left hand to rinse your mouth.
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