Yaku Shrine

Listed in a tenth-century register of official shrines, a designation that endures today as a mark of distinction. The enshrined deity worshipped here is Hikohohodemi no Mikoto (Yamasachihiko), who in Shinto cosmology is the great-grandson of the supreme deity Amaterasu Omikami, and the grandfather of Japan’s first emperor. Two tuff-stone statues of the Nio kings, protectors of the Buddha, date back to 1831 and are rich with the patina of age. The inner sanctuary is a small shrine set among the boulders on the summit of Mt. Miyanoura, which, at 1,936 meters, is the tallest peak in Kyushu. The shrine’s annual festival, held on April 29, is a highlight of the community calendar.