Kogane Shrine: A Shinto Shrine of Prosperity in Gifu, Japan
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.2
- Popularity
- Medium
- Country
- Japan
- Primary era
- Early Modern
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Early Modern, Modern
- Civilizations
- Japanese, Tokugawa
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Sanctuary
On this page11 sections
History
Kogane Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Gifu, Japan, traditionally founded in AD 135 during the reign of Emperor Seimu. Shinto is Japan’s indigenous religious tradition, centered on reverence for kami, or sacred beings associated with places, nature, ancestors, and legendary figures. Kogane Shrine has long been associated with prayers for financial and material prosperity, although its foundation date belongs to tradition rather than an archaeologically established chronology.
Traditional foundation and sacred associations
Tradition connects the shrine’s origin with Mononobe no Omi Kabura no Mikoto, who was appointed by the imperial court as kuni no miyatsuko, a local provincial governor. He is said to have established the provincial government in this area and founded the shrine through his devotion to Kogane Okami.
The identity of Kogane Okami varies between traditions. The name refers either to Nunoshihime-no-mikoto alone or to Nunoshihime-no-mikoto together with the shrine’s other three enshrined deities. Nunoshihime-no-mikoto is traditionally described as the wife of Inishiki-Irihiko-no-mikoto and the mother of Ichihaya-no-mikoto.
A further tradition explains the shrine’s association with wealth. After a military expedition to Oshu, Inishiki-Irihiko-no-mikoto was falsely accused of treason and killed in Mino. His wife, Nunoshihime-no-mikoto, came to the area to honor him and used her personal resources to support the town’s development. She was later worshipped as a deity who brought prosperity and became associated with the title Kogane Okami.
These family traditions also link Kogane Shrine with two other important shrines in Gifu. Inishiki-Irihiko-no-mikoto is enshrined at Inaba Shrine, while Ichihaya-no-mikoto is enshrined at Kashimori Shrine. Their traditional relationship gives the three shrines a close religious connection.
Medieval recognition and domain patronage
In 869, the shrine’s rank rose from Senior Sixth Rank, Upper Grade, to Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade. The Mino Provincial Register of Deities lists it among the eighteen shrines of Atsumi District, naming the deity as Kogane Okami at Senior Third Rank.
The shrine buildings were reconstructed in 1617 after Kogane Shrine received special veneration as the ujigami, or tutelary deity, associated with the birth of the heir of Okudaira Nobumasa, lord of Kano Domain. Successive Kano lords continued to show devotion to the shrine, including members of the Matsudaira and Nagai families. In 1787, four tan of tax-exempt land, described as forty tsubo and approximately forty ares, were donated to Kogane Shrine.
Modern status and rebuilding
From the beginning of the Meiji period, Kogane Shrine served as the principal tutelary shrine of Kami-Kano Village, whose territory included the area around its present location. The shrine became a prefectural shrine in 1928. In 1959, the Gifu Prefecture Shinto Shrine Association designated it a Kinpeisha, a shrine selected for special official participation by the prefectural Shinto administration.
The buildings reconstructed in 1617 were destroyed by the Nobi earthquake of 1891. They were rebuilt in 1905, but the Gifu air raid of July 9, 1945, destroyed them again. Another rebuilding followed in 1958, while the present shrine buildings date from 1988.
Kogane Shrine’s annual grand festival takes place on April 5. The Gifu Festival is celebrated jointly by Kogane Shrine, Inaba Shrine, Kashimori Shrine, and many other shrines in Gifu. An autumn festival and Niiname-sai, a harvest ceremony in which newly harvested rice and other produce are offered to the kami, are held on November 23. Since 2001, a photo-burning ceremony has taken place each year around June 1.
Remains
The present complex combines shrine buildings, a large steel torii, and associated civic and park spaces. The principal shrine follows the Nagare-zukuri style, whose curved roof projects forward beyond the main building. The current buildings date from 1988, following the earlier structures’ destruction by earthquake and wartime bombing.
Shrine buildings and entrance feature
Principal shrine
The principal shrine building is constructed in the Nagare-zukuri style. This form is defined by a curved roof whose front extends beyond the main structure, creating the characteristic projecting roofline of the building. The present shrine belongs to the rebuilding completed in 1988.
Steel torii
A special steel torii, the gateway marking the entrance to a Shinto sacred space, stands approximately 8 meters high and 8 meters wide. Built in 1987, it originally had a dark-brown finish. Repainting work in 2015 changed its color to gold.
Associated facilities and grounds
Kogane Hall
Kogane Hall is an associated facility used for civic communication and community interaction. It forms part of the shrine’s wider group of buildings and spaces.
Kogane Park
Kogane Park lies south of the shrine. Its facilities include the Gifu City Culture Center, a former streetcar, a children’s play area, and other park amenities.
