Itakiso shrine — 伊太祁曽神社

Itakiso Shrine holds what may be Japan’s oldest record of a tree saving a human life. The deity enshrined here, Itakeru no Mikoto, is credited in the Nihon Shoki with rescuing the god Ōkuninushi by hiding him inside a tree trunk when his brothers pursued him with murderous intent. This single act of arboreal mercy established Itakiso as the head shrine of forestry and woodworking in Japan — a spiritual center where timber merchants, carpenters, and sawmill operators come to pray before splitting their first log of the year. The shrine sits in the forested hills east of Wakayama city, surrounded by the kind of old-growth camphor and cedar that makes the mythology feel less like story and more like witness.

Itakiso Shrine was established in ancient times, with references appearing in the Nihon Shoki and placement in the Engishiki records of 927 CE as a major shrine of Kii Province. It claims status as one of three shrines vying for recognition as the ichinomiya (first-ranking shrine) of Kii, alongside Hinokuma Shrine and Kamayama Shrine. The shrine’s historical importance derived from its connection to forestry — Kii Province was the primary source of timber for imperial construction projects in Nara and Kyoto. During the Heian period, lumber from the region built the imperial palace, and prayers at Itakiso preceded every major harvest. The current shrine buildings date primarily from reconstruction in 1661, following destruction during the Sengoku period.

Itakeru no Mikoto (五十猛命) is the primary deity, a son of Susanoo who descended from the heavens carrying tree seeds and planted Japan’s first forests. According to the Nihon Shoki, he spread seeds of cedar, camphor, and hinoki cypress across the archipelago, establishing the woodlands that would become the material foundation of Japanese civilization. He is the patron deity of forestry, carpentry, and all who work with wood. His two sisters, Ōyatsuhime and Tsumatsuhime, are enshrined alongside him — they assisted in the planting and are venerated as protectors of plant life and cultivation.

The shrine’s central legend involves Ōkuninushi, who appears in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki fleeing his eighty brothers after they killed him twice and the gods revived him. When the brothers came hunting for him a third time, Itakeru split open a great tree, hid Ōkuninushi inside, then sealed the trunk. The brothers passed without noticing. When they had gone, Itakeru opened the tree and sent Ōkuninushi to safety in the netherworld. This act of salvation became the mythological foundation for the shrine’s authority over trees and timber. A secondary tradition holds that Itakeru, having planted all of Japan’s forests, declared that while cedars and camphor should be used for building ships and palaces, hinoki cypress should be reserved for sacred architecture — a directive that shaped Japanese temple and shrine construction for the next two thousand years.

The main sanctuary follows the Kasuga-zukuri architectural style with a distinctive cypress-bark roof, rebuilt in 1661 after warfare destroyed earlier structures. The approach passes through a dense grove of ancient camphor trees, some exceeding five hundred years in age. The shrine grounds contain a sacred tree called the “Inochi no Matsu” (Life Pine), which according to shrine lore will grant recovery from illness if you crawl through the opening in its trunk. A small museum on the grounds displays historical woodworking tools donated by carpenters’ guilds and samples of rare timber species. Stone lanterns line the pathways, many donated by timber merchants from the Edo period whose names are still legible on the bases.

• Kinensai (Prayer for Harvest Festival, February 17) — Originally an agricultural rite, now adapted to pray for successful timber harvests and safety in forestry work
• Reitaisai (Grand Annual Festival, October 15) — The main festival featuring processions of mikoshi and ritual offerings of newly cut timber
• Mokuzai Kanshasai (Timber Gratitude Festival, November 23) — Carpenters and woodworkers gather to offer thanks for materials and tools, bringing samples of their work as offerings
• Hatsumode (New Year Visits) — Construction companies send representatives to pray for safety in the year’s building projects

Late April to early May, when the camphor trees on the shrine grounds leaf out in bright green and the scent of resin fills the air. The contrast between ancient trunk and new growth makes the mythology of forest planting tangible. October brings the main festival and good weather for walking the forested approach. Avoid the extreme heat of mid-summer unless you come at dawn — the tree canopy provides some relief but the humidity can be punishing.