Southern Nara Sightseeing #16 - Uda Mikumari Shrine - α7RIII
I went to the southern part of Nara Prefecture for autumn leaf viewing, so I'm uploading some photos from that trip. I love temples, shrines, and historic buildings (National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties), so there are countless places I want to visit in southern Nara.
I have a habit of taking photos with my iPhone to keep a record of the buildings I see, and then taking photos with my camera as a hobby, so I was busy switching between my iPhone and camera at every stop while enjoying the autumn leaves.
Day 3
1. Hasedera Temple
2. Hoki-in Temple
3. Uda Mikumari Shrine ← This is the one for this post
4. Abe Monju-in Temple
5. Kashihara Jingu Shrine
6. Isono-ni-imasu-takumushitama Shrine
7. Taima-dera Temple
This time, I will introduce Uda Mikumari Shrine.
Uda Mikumari Shrine is a shrine located in Uda City, Nara Prefecture. It is a Shikinaisha (a shrine listed in the Engishiki) and was formerly ranked as a prefectural shrine. The first, third, and second main halls are National Treasures, and the main halls of the subordinate Munakata Shrine and Kasuga Shrine are designated as Important Cultural Properties by the national government.
According to shrine tradition, it was founded in 91 BC (the 7th year of Emperor Sujin), and it is identified as the 'Uda Mikumari Shrine (Dai)' in the Uda District of Yamato Province, as recorded in the Engishiki Jinmyocho compiled in 927 AD during the Heian period. There are several Mikumari shrines in Yamato Province that enshrine deities responsible for the distribution of water, and this shrine, along with Yoshino Mikumari Shrine (which I have already visited), Tsuge Mikumari Shrine, and Katsuragi Mikumari Shrine, are known as the 'Four Mikumari Shrines of Yamato Province.' The most distinctive feature of this shrine is the landscape of five small shrine buildings (three National Treasures and two Important Cultural Properties) lined up in a row. The three National Treasures were built in the late Kamakura period (1320).
The spacious and bright grounds are located on flat land, and the five shrine buildings, including the National Treasures, are built against a low cliff. It is a unique and memorable structure.
