Kobe Minatogawa Shrine: Learning about Kusunoki Masashige

I went to Kobe from Osaka for some business.
When I was a student, I enjoyed my part-time job more than university, and because I wanted the mysterious status of 'working in Kobe,' I worked like a fool at Harborland on the seaside.

Because of that, I rarely went to the mountain side of Kobe Station, and since I only started liking shrines and temples in my 40s, this was almost my first time at Minatogawa Shrine.

I happened to see Minatogawa Shrine when I headed to the north side of Kobe Station to use Times Car Rental, so my wife and I made time to visit.

It was a pleasant day with crisp winter air and a blue sky; excluding the small local shrine I visit regularly, this was my first shrine visit of 2026.

I heard that the grave of Kusunoki Masashige is located to the right of the image I took.

I had heard his name in history class, but I didn't know much about him, and I just thought of him as a puzzle piece word needed for entrance exam study.

There is a large road in front of the gate with heavy traffic, but once you step inside, it becomes so quiet that you might wonder, 'Is there a barrier set up here?'

After greeting and passing through the torii gate, I felt that even more.

It is truly mysterious.

The approach to the shrine has a pleasant atmosphere in many ways!
Knowing that there is such a quiet and pleasant place in Kobe on a weekday, whether I feel it was a waste of the past or I am happy to know it now depends on how I take it.

I am grateful.
Thank you very much.

I paid my respects at the main hall, which is very solemn with a white color scheme.
I am really glad I learned about Minatogawa Shrine, and it is a shrine I want to visit again in the future.

I have become a little curious about how Kusunoki Masashige is involved with such a pleasant place and the land of Kobe.

I don't really take pictures of graves, so I just paid my respects and looked into it myself later.

Please forgive me, as this may include some of my own theories from here on out, haha.

It is said that Kusunoki Masashige was a warlord who rose from a rural mountain village to the center stage of history.

He didn't just succeed through simple military might or physical strength; he used his wits and ingenuity, making the most of limited resources with a small, elite force to confront massive enemy armies through a series of surprise attacks and clever strategies.

After meeting Emperor Go-Daigo and playing a leading role in overthrowing the shogunate, he was forced into a disadvantageous position against a new enemy, Ashikaga Takauji. He shifted his focus from 'victory' to 'protecting something,' made his resolve, and fought to the very end alongside his brother at the Battle of Minatogawa before perishing.

Perhaps it was just the way of thinking for samurai in those days, but he must have held onto his own sense of conviction, or perhaps his sense of justice—a pillar of an unbreakable spirit—until the very end.

It is said that in the end, in Kobe, he and his younger brother swore to 'be reborn seven times and fight for the sake of the country,' and thus brought his life to a close.

After looking into it like this, I've grown a little fond of Kusunoki Masashige.
In the history textbooks I studied in school, 'Ashikaga Takauji' was overwhelmingly the more powerful keyword, but perhaps that is just because he was the victor who left behind results.

We are only taught the cream of the crop of the 'winners are the government army' mentality, and how one feels about that is up to each individual, I suppose.

When you think about it that way, it's truly frightening.

I suddenly remembered 'The Elusive Samurai' that I read in Weekly Shonen Jump.

It is a historical manga by Matsui Yusei, famous for 'Neuro: Supernatural Detective' and 'Assassination Classroom,' and I believe Kusunoki Masashige appears in it as well, with Ashikaga Takauji depicted as a formidable enemy.

Matsui's works, like the school manga that teaches through assassination, always have an interesting, somewhat cynical worldview, and 'The Elusive Samurai' also features Hojo Tokiyuki, who is destined to lose according to historical fact, as the protagonist.

Depending on how it's depicted and the angle from which you view it, the way you perceive things can change indefinitely.
Since it's based on historical fact, the way the story ends should be set and heartbreaking, yet the protagonist, Hojo Tokiyuki, is truly a protagonist, and it's interesting.

This time, I was able to visit Minatogawa Shrine for the first time, meet Kusunoki Masashige, and gain knowledge that gave me much to think about.

I want to be able to properly accept and digest everything, and be able to speak about what is good and bad in my own words.

My gratitude to Minatogawa Shrine and Kusunoki Masashige.
Thank you very much.