Mitomo Shrine
shrine
朋友神社(みともじんじゃ)
The Shinto deity Sukunabiko no Mikoto, the god of medicine and knowledge, is worshipped at the Mitomo Shrine.
Mitomo Shrine in Nikko enshrines Sukunabiko no Mikoto, the deity of medicine and knowledge. According to the Kojiki, Japan's oldest written chronicle from 712, Sukunabiko helped the principal deity of Nikko Futarasan Shrine rule Japan. The shrine's exact founding date is unknown, but a stone water basin at the entrance is engraved with the Chinese characters for 1753, placing it here for at least 270 years. Visitors wash their hands at the basin before praying, a purification ritual showing respect to the deities. It is a brief, quiet stop among Nikko's shrines, but the deep historical lineage gives it weight.
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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