Yatagarasu Shrine

History and Divine Virtue

Yatagarasu Shrine stands in Haibara-Takatsuka, Uda, and enshrines Taketsunumi no Mikoto, the great crow Yatagarasu, said to have led Emperor Jimmu from Kumano into Yamato on his eastern campaign. The Shoku Nihongi records that a shrine to Yatagarasu was established here in 705, the oldest documentary record of a shrine devoted to the crow alone. Uda lies on the route by which Jimmu is said to have entered Yamato, and the shrine stands on that legendary ground. Yatagarasu is also known as the emblem of the Japan Football Association, and the precincts hold statues of the crow, including one clasping a football; players and officials come to pray, and votive plaques for victory are many. Though small and set among cedars, the shrine is worshipped as a place of michihiraki, of asking for guidance when the way is lost, and as a shrine to visit before a contest.

Visiting Notes

• The statue of Yatagarasu holding a football in the precincts is a favorite spot for photographs.
• Yatagarasu is usually depicted with three legs, though the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki do not mention the number.
• The Shoku Nihongi entry for 705 is the basis of the founding date, among the oldest records for any Yatagarasu shrine.
• Reached from Haibara Station by bus or on foot; many visitors combine it with Muro Ryuketsu Shrine.

Deities and Location

Enshrined Deities

Taketsunumi no Mikoto (Yatagarasu)

Location

奈良県宇陀市榛原高塚 (Nara)

Access

From Kintetsu Haibara Station, Nara Kotsu bus to Takatsuka, directly at the stop, or about a 35-minute walk.

Lineage

Michihiraki: Opening the Way, Career & Victory

Visiting hours, goshuin (shrine stamps), and festival dates change; please confirm the latest information through each shrine's official announcements. If you find an error in this entry, we would be grateful if you let us know.