Sakayajinja Shrine

The founding date of Sakaya Shrine is unknown, but one account holds that Empress Jingu placed three sake jars on the hill behind it before setting out on campaign, and founded the shrine on her return in gratitude for their efficacy. The grounds are broad, and according to the Yamashiro Tsuzuki district gazetteer, monks served here from early times and revered the deity as the presiding god of the rite. The main hall, rebuilt in 1876, is a single-bay nagare-zukuri notable for its roof: the combination of a chidori gable with a curved eave gable is found at only a handful of places in the Yamashiro region, such as the main hall of Agata Shrine in Uji. The stone Empress Jingu is said to have brought back with her is held here still.