Mitami Shrine (美多彌神社)

Mitami Shrine stands in what is now Senboku New Town, a planned community built in the 1960s on the southern edge of Sakai City. But the shrine predates this development by more than a millennium. It appears in the Engishiki, the 927 CE registry of officially recognized shrines, which means it was already ancient when the imperial court catalogued it. The shrine survived the transformation of its surrounding rice paddies into residential blocks, and today its camphor trees and stone lanterns form an island of continuity in a landscape designed for the future.

Mitami Shrine’s inclusion in the Engishiki indicates it was established no later than the early Heian period, though local tradition suggests origins in the Nara period or earlier. The shrine served the agricultural communities of what was then Otori District in Izumi Province. Its name, written 美多彌 (sometimes simplified to 美多弥), contains characters meaning “beautiful,” “many,” and “increasingly” — interpreted as a prayer for abundant harvests. The shrine maintained its position through the medieval period despite wars and political upheaval. In the modern era, as Sakai industrialized and Senboku New Town was constructed in the 1960s, the shrine was preserved and integrated into the new urban plan, becoming a designated cultural landmark of Sakai City.

Susanoo no Mikoto is the primary deity enshrined at Mitami. He is the storm god and younger brother of Amaterasu, known for his violent temperament and eventual redemption through the slaying of the eight-headed serpent Yamata no Orochi. At Mitami, Susanoo is venerated in his agricultural aspect as a protector of crops and communities. The shrine also enshrines Ōkuninushi no Mikoto, the deity of nation-building and relationships, and Inadahime no Mikoto, the rice princess whom Susanoo saved from the serpent and later married. Together, these three kami represent a complete cycle of protection, prosperity, and harmonious relationships that sustained the agricultural society of ancient Izumi.

The shrine’s connection to Susanoo links it to the foundational myth of Yamata no Orochi. According to the Kojiki, Susanoo descended from the heavens after being banished by his sister and encountered an elderly couple weeping because a serpent with eight heads had devoured seven of their daughters, and the eighth, Inadahime, was next. Susanoo agreed to slay the beast in exchange for the girl’s hand. He prepared eight vats of sake, which the serpent drank before falling asleep. Susanoo then cut the creature to pieces, discovering the sacred sword Kusanagi no Tsurugi in its tail — one of the three imperial regalia of Japan. Local tradition holds that Mitami Shrine was established to honor Susanoo’s protective power and to invoke the same safeguarding of the community from natural disasters, particularly floods and crop failures that could devastate the rice-growing plains of Izumi.

The shrine follows a modest Shinmei-zukuri architectural style with a main hall (honden) and worship hall (haiden) connected by a covered corridor. The grounds are enclosed by ancient camphor trees (kusunoki) estimated to be several hundred years old, their massive trunks wrapped in sacred ropes (shimenawa). A stone torii gate marks the entrance, flanked by guardian lion-dogs (komainu). The precinct includes several smaller subsidiary shrines dedicated to harvest deities and local protective spirits. Despite the modern apartment blocks visible beyond the shrine walls, the interior maintains a traditional atmosphere with gravel paths, stone lanterns, and a small pond fed by a natural spring. The shrine office offers omamori (protective amulets) focused on household safety and agricultural prosperity, reflecting its historical function.

• Reitaisai (Annual Grand Festival) — Held in October, featuring traditional kagura dance performances and processions with portable shrines (mikoshi) carried through Senboku New Town
• Hatsumode (New Year Visits) — January 1-3, when local residents come to pray for the year ahead
• Setsubun — Bean-throwing ceremony in early February to drive away evil spirits and welcome spring
• Autumn Harvest Thanksgiving — November ritual offering the first rice to the kami, maintaining the shrine’s agricultural heritage despite the urban setting

October during the Reitaisai offers the most vibrant experience, when traditional music and dance animate the grounds. Early morning visits on weekdays provide quiet contemplation beneath the camphor trees, particularly beautiful in June when new leaves create filtered green light. Autumn brings momiji color to the surrounding park areas, and the November harvest festival connects visitors to the shrine’s agricultural roots. Avoid the first three days of January unless you enjoy crowds.