Nagusa Shrine

Nagusa Shrine is located in Yoka-cho, Yabu City, and is situated halfway up Mt. Myoken. Formerly known as "Myokensha," it flourished as a base for Myoken faith in the Tajima region in the early modern period. In 2010, Nagusa Shrine was designated a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. The large main hall and worship hall, built during the Edo period, are truly magnificent, and feature intricate carvings of dragons, lions, and phoenixes, and making it a valuable structure representing Hyogo Prefecture. Nagusa Shrine also has a three-story pagoda, which was a gift in return for the donation of thick, impressive Myoken cedar wood for the extensive renovation of Izumo Taisha Shrine. The tower is about 23m tall, was built during the Muromachi period, and is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. Within the shrine grounds still stands a giant Myoken cedar tree that is thought to be 250 to 400 years old.