Located in Yamaguchi Prefecture’s Shimonoseki City, Akama Jingu is a Shinto shrine with a unique appearance that records a key moment in Japanese history. Dedicated to children and the sea, this site is a great option as you explore the nearby Karato Market.
Emperor Antoku
Photo by: PIXTA/ kazukiatuko
Enshrined at Akama Jingu is the young ruler, Emperor Antoku. Almost a thousand years ago, two groups who struggled to attain dominance across Japan and the imperial court were engaged in a conflict called the Genpei War. Although it would only last about five years at the end of the 12th century, it was a significant transition in the history of the country with the victorious Minamoto clan defeating its rival, the Taira clan, bringing an end to the classical Heian period and launching the Kamakura period.
In one of the final engagements of the war, a naval battle that took place at Shimonoseki Strait, the losing Taira brought out the six-year-old emperor to boost morale. Ultimately, the Taira lost the battle and the larger war soon after, but not before the boy’s grandmother drowned him and herself once defeat appeared to be certain to avoid capture as Minamoto forces closed in.
Akama Jingu
Photo by: PIXTA/kazukiatuko
The origins of this Shinto shrine lie in Buddhism as it was founded in 859 as a Buddhist temple. Several years after the untimely death of Emperor Antoku in 1191, his spirit was enshrined at the temple and the location has been linked to the imperial family ever since. With the separation between Shintoism and Buddhism ordered by the Japanese government in the late 19th century, the temple was turned into a shrine and renamed Akama Jingu in 1940. Although the shrine was destroyed during the Second World War, its reconstruction was completed in 1965.
The main hall is the most popular highlight as it is the location of the spirit of Emperor Antoku. Throughout the complex, you’ll also be able to see other memorials and statues devoted to the Taira clan. During the Golden Week holiday period in early May, the shrine hosts its annual festival, the Emperor’s Festival. Here, you’ll be able to see a memorial service to the Taira clan who lost the Genpei War as well as a separate ceremony reserved for the boy emperor complete with children in traditional attire.
