Daikai Jinja

Daikai Jinja predates the founding of the much larger Sumiyoshi Taisha nearby, with records reaching back over 2,000 years. It was originally dedicated to Watatsumi, the god of the sea, venerated by sailors seeking protection before voyages. Two thousand years ago, Osaka Bay came right to the shrine's western gate, though centuries of silt and land reclamation have pushed the shore far away. The shrine's founding head priest, Tamomi no Sukune, was later commissioned by Empress-regent Jingu to oversee the construction of Sumiyoshi Taisha. Today, the sea deities Toyotamahiko and Toyotamahime are enshrined here, and the quiet atmosphere contrasts with the busier shrine complex nearby.