Sada Shrine

Sada Shrine, located in Sada-Miyauchi, Kashima-cho, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, is the ninomiya of the former Izumo Province and a Bekkaku Hyo shrine of the Jinja Honcho. Together with Izumo Taisha and Kumano Taisha, it stands among the principal shrines of the former Izumo Province. The three parallel honden in taisha-zukuri are Important Cultural Properties. The principal deity is Sada-no-Okami, identified with Sarutahiko-no-Okami. Attendant deities include Izanagi-no-Mikoto, Izanami-no-Mikoto, Amaterasu-omikami, Susanoo-no-Mikoto, and Ninigi-no-Mikoto. The Izumo no Kuni Fudoki of 733, in the Akika District section, records that Sada-no-Okami's mother Kisakahime-no-Mikoto gave birth to him at the cave of Kaga nearby. Sarutahiko-no-Okami is recorded in the upper book of the Kojiki in the descent of the heavenly grandson as the kunitsu-kami who guided Ninigi-no-Mikoto. Listed in the Izumo Province section of the Engishiki Jinmyocho of 927, it is a shikinaisha. It was patronized in the Edo period by the Matsudaira lords of the Matsue domain. The Gozagae festival in September and the Kamiari festival in the lunar tenth month form the core of Izumo Kamiari rites alongside Izumo Taisha.