Ohatsuse Wakasazaki Shrine

A shrine to Emperor Buretsu

A small shrine on a slope east of the tomb of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō, surrounded by bamboo and evergreen trees.

The shrine's name, Ohatsuse Wakasazaki, is the name of Emperor Buretsu, the 25th emperor. The Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) writes it as Ohatsuse no Wakasazaki no Mikoto.

Facing the tomb

The shrine stands where it looks towards the tomb of Tenmu and Jitō to the west. Because a shrine to Emperor Buretsu faces that tomb, people here long believed it was Buretsu's grave.

Today, the occupants of the Tenmu–Jitō tomb (Noguchi no Ōbo Kofun) are considered almost certain, thanks to the Aoki no Sanryōki, a record of the tomb's robbery in the Kamakura period (1185–1333). And the tomb the Imperial Household Agency designates as Emperor Buretsu's is not this one but the Kataoka no Iwatsuki no Oka no Kita no Misasagi in Kashiba City.

Even so, the shrine's name and the direction it faces preserve how local people understood the tomb before its occupants were established.

The shrine grounds

At the top of the stone steps is a granite torii gate, and beyond it the shrine building stands on a stone base. It is enclosed by a wooden fence, and red and white paper offerings hang over the front steps. A pair of stone lanterns stands on either side.

There is no shrine office and no counter selling charms. Even in the daytime it is dim, and you will rarely meet another visitor.

Visiting

About 12 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Asuka Station, and about 150 m east of the tomb of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō. Visitors are free to pay their respects.

This is not a tourist site but a village shrine. Please visit quietly.