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BASICS
Yakumo Shrine Kamakura: 940-Year Exorcism Shrine and the Mikoshi-kuguri Festival
Founded around 1081 by Minamoto no Yoshimitsu, one of Kamakura's oldest shrines for warding off evil. The July "Omachi Festival" mikoshi-kuguri ritual draws crowds for blessings of health. An ideal starting point for exploring the temples and shrines of Omachi.
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Author
Hijiri
| Shrines & Temples
Contents
MOKUJI
1
What Kind of Shrine is Yakumo Shrine?
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2
The Omachi Festival and the Mikoshi-kuguri Tradition
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3
Yakumo Shrine and the Kamakura Warrior Government
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4
Walking the Omachi Temples: A Route from Yakumo Shrine
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5
Summary
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6
FAQ
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The worship hall of Yakumo Shrine in Omachi, Kamakura (photographed April 2015), one of Kamakura's oldest exorcism shrines
Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / photo by Twkz0731
Yakumo Shrine in Omachi, Kamakura, is one of the city’s oldest shrines, with more than 940 years of history as a place for warding off evil and disease. Each July, the “Omachi Festival” features the beloved mikoshi-kuguri ritual — passing beneath the portable shrine for blessings of health. Combined with nearby temples like Ankokuron-ji and Myohoji, Omachi offers a full day of Kamakura history and faith.
What Kind of Shrine is Yakumo Shrine?
The Enshrined Deity: Susanoo-no-Mikoto and Gion Faith
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi: "Susanoo-no-Mikoto Slays the Eight-Headed Serpent" (1887). The principal deity of Yakumo Shrine, Susanoo, is revered across Japan as a protector against pestilence
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain / Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1887)
Yakumo Shrine enshrines three deities: Susanoo-no-Mikoto, Princess Inadahime, and the Hachioji deities. Susanoo is the brother of the sun goddess Amaterasu in Japanese mythology — a fierce deity of storms and the sea, yet also the heroic slayer of the eight-headed serpent Yamata-no-Orochi. He has long been venerated for the power to drive away pestilence, and shrines dedicated to him can be found throughout Japan under names such as Yakumo, Gion, and Tenno.
The deities at Kamakura’s Yakumo Shrine were invited from Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto (formerly Gion-sha), the head shrine of approximately 2,300 Gion-faith shrines nationwide. Yakumo Shrine thus brought this protective deity of plague-warding to the warrior capital of Kamakura.
The Founding Legend: Minamoto no Yoshimitsu and the Prayer Against Plague
Portrait of Minamoto no Yoshimitsu (Shinra-Saburo) from the Edo-period work Honcho Hyakushoden. He founded the precursor of Yakumo Shrine in the Eiho era
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
The shrine was founded in the Eiho era (ca. 1081–1084). The founder was Minamoto no Yoshimitsu, known as “Shinra-Saburo,” younger brother of the famous warrior Yoshiie and ancestor of both the Kai Genji and Hitachi Genji clans. He was renowned not only as a warrior but also as an accomplished musician.
While passing through Kamakura on his way to Oshu to support his brother in the Latter Three Years’ War, Yoshimitsu found an epidemic devastating the local population. He invited the deity of Kyoto’s Gion Shrine to the site, enshrining it to pray for the end of the plague and the safety of the townspeople. The Yoshimitsu Resting Stone in the precinct marks where the founding warrior sat as he established the shrine — a tangible link to nearly a thousand years of history.
The Omachi Festival and the Mikoshi-kuguri Tradition
Passing Under the Portable Shrine to Ward Off Evil
A mikoshi (portable shrine) at Goryo Shrine in Kamakura. Yakumo Shrine also features a mikoshi procession at its summer festival, with the beloved mikoshi-kuguri passing ritual
Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / photo by Mkill
The annual festival, held on the second Saturday of July and the surrounding three days, is known locally as the “Omachi Festival.” Its signature event is the mikoshi-kuguri — “portable shrine passing.” Bearers lower the mikoshi (the palanquin bearing the deity’s spirit) as worshippers walk beneath it. Passing under the mikoshi is believed to bestow the deity’s power directly, ensuring health and protection from evil for the coming year. The ritual is open to all ages and draws both local residents and visitors.
Festival Information
Details
Dates
3 days including the 2nd Saturday of July
Name
Omachi Festival (Annual Festival)
Highlight
Mikoshi-kuguri (portable shrine passing)
Admission
Free, no reservation needed
Access
8-min walk from JR Kamakura Station east exit
Community Bonds Through the Mikoshi Procession
Beyond its religious significance, the Omachi Festival is a celebration of community. Local parishioners (ujiko) carry the mikoshi through the streets of Omachi, retracing a route handed down through generations. In July, Yakumo Shrine is the perfect destination for experiencing a living Kamakura tradition.
Yakumo Shrine and the Kamakura Warrior Government
Venerated by Yoritomo and the Successive Shoguns
The west gate of Yasaka Shrine (formerly Gion-sha) in Kyoto, the parent shrine from which the deity was invited to Yakumo Shrine in Kamakura
Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / photo by Bernard Gagnon
Minamoto no Yoritomo, founder of the Kamakura shogunate, and subsequent shoguns are said to have revered Yakumo Shrine deeply. Located in central Omachi, the shrine served as a spiritual guardian of the warrior capital, protecting against plague and praying for military fortune.
A Precinct That Spans Nearly Ten Centuries
The current main hall dates to the Edo period and survived the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. The Yoshimitsu Resting Stone continues to greet visitors as it has for nearly a thousand years. The surrounding neighborhood — including Betsuganji Temple (a Ji-shu temple with a prefectural Important Cultural Property stone pagoda) and Jogyoji Temple (known for its “cancer-warding” Inari shrine) — makes Omachi one of Kamakura’s richest areas for layered historical faith.
Walking the Omachi Temples: A Route from Yakumo Shrine
Nichiren-linked Temples Within Walking Distance
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi: "Minamoto Yoshimitsu Instructing Toyohara Tokiaki in Music" (1879, LACMA). The founder of Yakumo Shrine was renowned as both a warrior and a master of court music
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain / Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (LACMA)
Within 500 meters of Yakumo Shrine lies a concentration of Kamakura’s finest temples and shrines. Starting at the shrine, the walk through Omachi and Matsuba-ga-yatsu forms a natural pilgrimage circuit connecting Gion faith (Yakumo Shrine) with the birthplace of Nichiren Buddhism:
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Ankokuron-ji (12-min walk) — Site of Nichiren’s hermitage where he wrote the Rissho Ankoku Ron; cave, Mt. Fuji view, hydrangeas
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Myohoji Temple (Moss Temple) (15-min walk) — Famous for its moss-covered stone steps; tomb of Prince Moriyoshi
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Joeiji Temple (Botamochi Temple) (3-min walk) — Named for the rice cake legend of Saint Nichiren’s ordeal
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Betsuganji Temple (5-min walk) — Quiet Ji-shu temple; stone pagoda for Ashikaga Mochiuji (prefectural Important Cultural Property)
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Jogyoji Temple (7-min walk) — Nichiren-sect temple known for its cancer-warding Inari shrine
A Half-Day Course Through Omachi and Matsuba-ga-yatsu
The route Kamakura Station → Yakumo Shrine → Joeiji → Ankokuron-ji → Myohoji takes about 3–4 hours and captures the heart of Omachi’s spiritual landscape. Extend the walk to Choshoji Temple in Zaimokuza for a comprehensive Nichiren pilgrimage.
Summary
Visiting Tips
Item
Details
Access
8-min walk from JR Kamakura Station east exit
Admission
Free (precinct always open)
Annual Festival
3 days incl. 2nd Saturday of July (Omachi Festival)
Mikoshi-kuguri
During festival; free; drop-in welcome
Highlights
Yoshimitsu Resting Stone, Edo-period main hall
Nearby
Ankokuron-ji, Myohoji, Joeiji all within walking distance
Related Spots
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Yakumo Shrine (Kamakura Omachi) — Main shrine; founded ca. 1081 for plague-warding
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Ankokuron-ji — Sacred site where Nichiren wrote the Rissho Ankoku Ron
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Myohoji Temple (Moss Temple) — Famous moss stairway; Nichiren hermitage site
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Joeiji Temple (Botamochi Temple) — Nichiren’s rice cake legend; small, serene temple
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Betsuganji Temple — Ashikaga Mochiuji memorial; stone pagoda
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Jogyoji Temple — Cancer-warding Inari shrine; Nichiren-sect
Recommended Pilgrimage Course
The half-day walk through Omachi and Matsuba-ga-yatsu — Kamakura Station east exit → Yakumo Shrine → Joeiji → Ankokuron-ji → Myohoji — crosses the streams of Gion plague-warding faith and the birthplace of Nichiren Buddhism. A quiet, rewarding alternative to Kamakura’s busier tourist routes.
FAQ
What are the main blessings of Yakumo Shrine in Kamakura?
The principal blessings (goryaku) are warding off evil, dispelling plague, and ensuring good health, drawn from the power of the enshrined deity Susanoo-no-Mikoto. The mikoshi-kuguri ritual at the Omachi Festival is a time-honored practice for cleansing the year’s ill fortune. Many visitors also pray for good relationships and business prosperity.
When does the Omachi Festival (mikoshi-kuguri) take place?
The annual festival is held for three days including the second Saturday of July. The mikoshi procession winds through the streets of Omachi, and the mikoshi-kuguri takes place in the shrine precinct. No reservation is needed; all are welcome.
Are there other places to visit near Yakumo Shrine?
Within easy walking distance are Ankokuron-ji (where Nichiren wrote the Rissho Ankoku Ron), Myohoji Temple (Moss Temple), and Joeiji Temple (Botamochi Temple). The Omachi area alone offers a 3–4 hour circuit of Kamakura history and faith.
Last updated: June 15, 2026
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Author
Hijiri（ひじり）
Shrines & Temples
Toku editorial team — shrines and temples. Former designer who reads temple architecture and gardens through an aesthetic lens, quietly tracing the lineages of sects and doctrines.
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A leading candidate for Kamakura's oldest exorcism shrine, founded between 1081–1084 when Minamoto-no-Yoshimitsu (Shinra-Saburō) invited the kami of Kyoto's Gion Shrine — famed for the 'Omachi Festival' mikoshi procession in July
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Established in 1357 by the priest Nichiei on the site of Saint Nichiren's Matsubagayatsu hermitage of 1253, to memorialize his father Prince Moriyoshi — popularly known as the 'Moss Temple' (Kokedera) for its moss-covered stone steps
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4. Joeiji Temple (Kamakura Omachi)
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6. Jōgyōji Temple (Kamakura Omachi)
Founded in 1313 by the priest Nichihan and known as the 'cancer-warding temple' for its Kasamori Inari shrine — a Nichiren-shu temple whose gate bears a dragon carving attributed to the legendary Hidari Jingorō
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7. Chōshōji Temple (Kamakura Zaimokuza)
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