“Step back in time with me to the Nara period around 700 AD. It is a time when the sacred grounds of \u4e2d\u9808\u7a32\u751f\u795e\u793e were already recognized.
This place we are at is no ordinary Shinto shrine. It is \u4e2d\u9808\u7a32\u751f\u795e\u793e. It is a sanctuary dedicated to Ukamitama-no-Kami. Some texts refer to this deity as Wakumusuhi-no-Kami. It is essentially the same divine entity.
Legend says that since the Keicho era, around 1596 to 1615, \u4e2d\u9808\u7a32\u751f\u795e\u793e became the guardian shrine. It watched over the villagers of Nakahiro. The main hall was rebuilt in 1805. It underwent further renovations in 1900.
However tragedy struck on November 19 1945. A fire consumed \u4e2d\u9808\u7a32\u751f\u795e\u793e completely. Yet from the ashes, it was rebuilt. The current shrine was reconstructed in the autumn of 1964.
Notice the small shrine within these grounds. That is the Inari Shrine. It enshrines Ukamitama-no-Mikoto.
Consider the stone monument. A metal projectile rests atop it. The inscription on the base reads something profound. It marks the commemoration of His Highness Prince Akihito’s birth in Showa 8. That is December 1933. It is a tribute to the present Emperor.
This is \u4e2d\u9808\u7a32\u751f\u795e\u793e. It has been a place of continuous significance. It has been a landmark since ancient times. It represents resilience and rebirth. It embodies the enduring spirit of the community.”