Togu Jinja Shrine

Visitors taking the main path through Usa Jingu Shrine pass several smaller shrines along the way. One of them is Togu Jinja, an auxiliary shrine dedicated to Uji no Wakinoiratsuko no Mikoto, a son of Emperor Ojin, the 15th emperor of Japan who is deified as Hachiman. Five other siblings of Uji no Wakinoiratsuko are enshrined at Wakamiya Jinja Shrine closer to the Jogu (Upper Shrine), including his elder brother Osasagi no Mikoto, who later became Emperor Nintoku.

A trophy cannon from the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905)

According to one legend, Emperor Ojin made the studious Uji no Wakinoiratsuko crown prince, intending for him to become the next emperor. However, Uji no Wakinoiratsuko felt that it was not right for him to be the first in the line of succession when Osasagi was the elder son. After Emperor Ojin’s death, Uji no Wakinoiratsuko encouraged his brother to ascend the throne, but Osasagi wished to respect their father’s choice, which led to a stalemate between the two. After several years passed without an official ruler, Uji no Wakinoiratsuko grew increasingly concerned for the fate of the country. In the end, he chose to throw himself into the Uji River, committing suicide to clear the way for his elder brother to become emperor.

Gegu (Lower Shrine) and Togu Jinja Shrine depicted in The Illustrated Diary of Minomushi Sanjin (1864)

Uji no Wakinoiratsuko was a bright and intelligent student and is now worshipped as a deity of scholarship. Togu Shrine was first built to enshrine him at the current location sometime before the fifteenth century. Though the shrine was later moved closer to the Gegu (Lower Shrine), the present vermilion-painted hall was reconstructed at its original location in 1936.

Japan Tourism Agency

This English-language text was created by Japan Tourism Agency.