Car: Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes by car from central Kumamoto City.
Public Transportation: Take the JR Kyushu Hisatsu Line from Kumamoto Station to Hitoyoshi Station, then the Kumagawa Railway Yūmae Line to Sagara Station. The shrine is about a 15-minute walk from the station. Show route
Toshima Sugawara Shrine is situated on a plain near the confluence of the Kumagawa River and its tributary, the Kawanabegawa River. Legend says it was founded during the Kōan period (1278-88) of the Kamakura period and is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, known as the god of scholarship.
The shrine's name, "Toshima" (Ten Islands), originates from the ten islands scattered in the pond on the shrine grounds. This pond, with its ten islands, also gave its name to the surrounding area.
From the Muromachi period onward, Toshima Sugawara Shrine was revered by the Sagara clan, who ruled the Hitoyoshi-Kuma region. In particular, the main shrine building, constructed in 1589 by Fujiwara Yorifusa, the 20th head of the Sagara clan, is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. It's a three-bay, gabled-roof style building with wooden shingles and a secondary iron roof. Inside, it houses a gabled-roof inner sanctuary.
The worship hall, built in 1763 (Hōreki 13), measures 13.6 meters in width and 3.9 meters in depth. It's a single-story, hipped-and-gabled roof structure with a gabled entrance, thatched roof, a one-bay portico with tiled eaves, and an attached pantry on the east side, also with tiled eaves. Like the main shrine, it is also designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
As Toshima Sugawara Shrine is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, the god of scholarship, many students visit during exam season to pray for success. The shrine grounds are filled with cedar trees, creating a mystical atmosphere. It’s a peaceful and calming space, perfect for a quiet visit.
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