Okayama Shrine

Okayama Shrine, located in Kita Ward, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture, is a historic Shinto shrine formerly ranked as a prefectural shrine. Its enshrined deities include Ōkibitsuhiko no Mikoto, Yamato Totsuhimo Mosu Hime no Mikoto, Imohime no Mikoto, Yamato Takeru no Mikoto, Ōyamakui no Mikoto, Ukanomitama no Mikoto, and Ikeda Mitsumasa, who is revered as the deity of martial peace. The shrine’s worship encompasses legendary heroes, gods of agriculture and land protection, and the deified image of a feudal lord.

According to tradition, the shrine was founded during the Jōgan era of the Heian period and originally stood atop the Okayama Hill, later the site of Okayama Castle. In 1573, when Ukita Naoie built the castle, he relocated the shrine to its present location and designated it as the castle’s guardian shrine, granting it land for its upkeep. Ukita Hideie later built the main hall, while Kobayakawa Hideaki constructed the worship hall. During the Edo period, the Ikeda clan continued to venerate the shrine, granting it a 300-koku stipend, reflecting its political and cultural significance in the domain.

Originally named Sakaorimiya, it was renamed Okayama Shrine in 1882. In 1941, the shrine buildings were repaired and the administrative office rebuilt, but in 1945, wartime air raids destroyed almost all structures except for the Zuishinmon gate and some auxiliary shrines. Postwar reconstruction was carried out in stages: the main hall was completed in 1958, the worship and offering halls in 1975, and the current administrative and gathering halls in 1989, restoring the shrine’s dignity as a symbol of local faith and culture.