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BASICS

What Is an Ichinomiya? Japan's Provincial First Shrines, Explained

An ichinomiya is the foremost shrine of an old Japanese province. Not a legal system but a custom that grew from provincial governors' visits in the 11th-12th centuries. Origins, examples and how to start the pilgrimage.

Contents

MOKUJI

What is an ichinomiya

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When did the ichinomiya emerge

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Representative ichinomiya

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How to start the pilgrimage

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Summary

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Frequently asked questions

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In short, an ichinomiya is the shrine regarded as the foremost in each of Japan’s old provinces. It was never established by law. The ranking emerged from the custom of provincial governors visiting the shrines of the province they were posted to, which is why no document setting out the selection criteria survives, and why some provinces have more than one ichinomiya.

The precinct of Sumiyoshi Taisha, ichinomiya of Settsu province, whose four Sumiyoshi-zukuri halls are National Treasures

Wikimedia Commons / CC0 / photo by Saigen Jiro

These provincial first shrines still stand across Japan, and pilgrims still visit them carrying a dedicated goshuin book. This article is your entry point.

What is an ichinomiya

The foremost shrine of each old province

Under the ritsuryo system Japan was divided into some sixty provinces. Each had one shrine regarded as its foremost, its ichinomiya. Because provincial borders differ from today’s prefectures, a single prefecture may contain several ichinomiya.

Who decided? The governor’s round of visits

The prevailing view traces the ichinomiya to the order in which a newly posted provincial governor visited the shrines of his province. On arrival, a governor’s first duty was to visit the principal shrines and present offerings. Differences in how those shrines were treated hardened into a ranking.

No document defines the criteria, however, and several explanations compete: popular devotion, or a rite by which royal authority renewed its covenant with the province’s foremost deity.

How it differs from ninomiya and sannomiya

Shrines ranked below were called ninomiya and sannomiya, understood as reflecting political and social relations within the province. The pattern varied: Noto province had only a first and second shrine, while Nagato treated its first and second as equals.

The worship hall of Suwa Taisha Kamisha Honmiya, ichinomiya of Shinano province and head of the Suwa shrines

Wikimedia Commons / CC0 / photo by Saigen Jiro

When did the ichinomiya emerge

The 11th to 12th centuries

The prevailing view places the emergence of the ichinomiya in the 11th and 12th centuries, settling in as custom without being recorded in official documents.

The first appearance in writing

The earliest known written reference is to the ichinomiya of Suo province in the Konjaku Monogatarishu, compiled in the first half of the 12th century. It appears already as a word in common use rather than a proclaimed institution.

Why the timing differs by province

Because it was never a uniform system, the timing varied. Sagami province preserves a tradition tracing a dispute over its ichinomiya to the 7th century, which sits awkwardly with the 11th-12th century view.

Representative ichinomiya

Province

Ichinomiya

Today

Sagami

Samukawa Shrine

Kanagawa

Hitachi

Kashima Jingu

Ibaraki

Shimosa

Katori Jingu

Chiba

Izu

Mishima Taisha

Shizuoka

Suruga

Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha

Shizuoka

Shinano

Suwa Taisha

Nagano

Noto

Keta Taisha

Ishikawa

Omi

Takebe Taisha

Shiga

Settsu

Sumiyoshi Taisha

Osaka

Izumi

Otori Taisha

Osaka

Eastern Japan

In the east, Kashima Jingu, ichinomiya of Hitachi and Katori Jingu, ichinomiya of Shimosa form a pair long revered as shrines of martial deities. Samukawa Shrine, ichinomiya of Sagami is known for warding off misfortune from all directions, and Mishima Taisha, ichinomiya of Izu is tied to Minamoto no Yoritomo’s uprising. Suwa Taisha, ichinomiya of Shinano heads the Suwa shrines nationwide.

The worship hall of Kashima Jingu, ichinomiya of Hitachi province and head of some 600 Kashima shrines

Wikimedia Commons / CC0 / photo by Saigen Jiro

Western Japan

In the west, Sumiyoshi Taisha, ichinomiya of Settsu was revered by seafarers, and Takebe Taisha, ichinomiya of Omi enshrines Yamato Takeru. Otori Taisha, Keta Taisha and Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha each represent their provinces.

Takebe Taisha, ichinomiya of Omi province, enshrining Yamato Takeru

Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / photo by Bakkai

How to start the pilgrimage

A dedicated goshuin book

The Ichinomiya Junpaikai distributes a dedicated goshuin book for visiting the provincial first shrines. The association describes the goshuin as proof of a pilgrimage fulfilled, so the growing collection is itself the record of the journey. It is thicker than an ordinary goshuin book, built for a nationwide round.

Begin with one province

There is no need to aim at the whole country at once. The most natural start is the ichinomiya of the province you live in: Samukawa Shrine for Sagami, Suwa Taisha for Shinano.

The hall of Samukawa Shrine, ichinomiya of Sagami province, revered for warding off misfortune from all directions

Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / photo by 五虎将軍

Visit the ninomiya too

After the ichinomiya, walking on to the province’s ninomiya or soja brings the old shrine order into relief. Place names around the provincial seat still carry its memory.

Summary

The worship hall of Katori Jingu, ichinomiya of Shimosa province, long paired with Kashima Jingu

Wikimedia Commons / CC0 / photo by Saigen Jiro

Points for your visit

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Find the old province you live in and start with its ichinomiya

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A dedicated goshuin book turns the round into a record

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Check the shrine’s own notice board for the province name

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Visiting the ninomiya and soja deepens the picture

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Where a province has several ichinomiya, treat each as legitimate

Related spots

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Samukawa Shrine — ichinomiya of Sagami, known for happo-yoke

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Kashima Jingu — ichinomiya of Hitachi, head of some 600 Kashima shrines

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Katori Jingu — ichinomiya of Shimosa, paired with Kashima

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Suwa Taisha — ichinomiya of Shinano, head of the Suwa shrines

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Mishima Taisha — ichinomiya of Izu, where Yoritomo prayed before rising

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Sumiyoshi Taisha — ichinomiya of Settsu, four National Treasure halls

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Takebe Taisha — ichinomiya of Omi, enshrining Yamato Takeru

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Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha — ichinomiya of Suruga

Building a route

The ichinomiya span the whole country, so this is not a trip to finish in one go. Link Kashima Jingu and Katori Jingu in a single day in the Kanto region, or pair Mishima Taisha with Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha along the Tokaido. Connecting neighbouring provinces keeps it manageable.

Frequently asked questions

What is an ichinomiya?

The shrine regarded as foremost in each old province. It was not established by law; the prevailing view is that it emerged from the custom of provincial governors visiting the shrines of their province in the 11th-12th centuries. No document setting out the criteria survives.

How many ichinomiya are there?

The October 2008 edition of the Shokoku Ichinomiya Ichiranzu, issued by the national pilgrimage association, lists 106 shrines. That figure covers member shrines only and is not an exhaustive total.

Why do some provinces have more than one?

Mergers of provinces, change over time, and disputes between shrines. Sagami preserves a tradition of a dispute when Sagamu and Shinaga merged, and Awa province lists several shrines as its ichinomiya. Each is a shrine of standing; there is no need to rank them.

Last updated: 17 July 2026

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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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