- Hikawa Shrine (Saitama)
Nihongo|Hikawa shrine|氷川神社|Hikawa Jinja in the Omiya district of Saitama is a major
Shinto shrine. Standing behind threetorii gates in a wood with many ancientJapanese elm s, it claims to have a 2400 year history. Surrounding the shrine is a large park in which there are many cherry blossom trees, a zoo and a museum.As many as 290 daughter shrines exist across Japan, all named 'Hikawa'. Most are small but all enshrine the same
kami ,Susanoo . [ [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B9%E3%82%B5%E3%83%8E%E3%82%AA] , retrieved from the Japanese Wikipedia, on2008 September 5 ]Omiya itself, literally 'Great Shrine', derives its name from this shrine.
History
According to the shrine's records, the shrine was established by the order of
Emperor Kōshō in 473 BC. A legend recounts thatYamato Takeru , who injured his lege during his crusade to the East, visited the shrine following directions of an old man who appeared in his dream. After worshiping, he was able to stand on his own. It is known that the old name of the region, Nihongo|Ashidate|足立, literally meaning "leg stand", was named after this incidence.The pond within the grounds of the shrine is a remnant of Minuma and considered to have roots in enshrining the water god of Minuma. In 1882 (Meiji 15)), the main shrine structure was renovated. In 1940 (Shōwa 15)), a project financed by the government reconstructed the main shrine structure, the gate tower, and other structures. In 1976 (Shōwa 51), the Large Torii ofMeiji Shrine damaged by lightening in 1966 (Shōwa 41) was fixed and transferred to Hikawa Shrine. [ [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B0%B7%E5%B7%9D%E7%A5%9E%E7%A4%BE] , retrieved from the Japanese Wikipedia onSeptember 5 2008 ]Access
* 10 minute walk from
Tōbu Noda Line Kita-Ōmiya Station orŌmiya-kōen Station
* 20 minute walk fromJR orTōbu Noda Line Omiya Stationee also
*
Hikawa-Maru
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