Soya Shrine in Hadano is deeply connected to the spring water faith of the Hadano basin. Hadano is known for excellent spring water selected as one of Japan's Top 100 Waters, and this shrine has long been revered as a place of gratitude for water. Spring water still wells up in the precincts today.

Soya Shrine is traditionally said to have been founded around the 5th century, with close ties to the Hata clan, a group of immigrants of continental origin who are believed to have developed the Hadano basin. The Hata people brought advanced agricultural techniques from the Asian continent, and the…