Sakurami Shrine

Sakurami Shrine, located in Sakura, Utano, Uda City, Nara Prefecture, enshrines Konohanasakuya-hime-no-Mikoto. The Yatsufusa-sugi cedar in the precincts, estimated at over a thousand years old, is traditionally said to have been planted by Jinmu Tenno during his eastern campaign, and is designated a natural monument of Nara Prefecture. The shrine stands in the mountain hamlet of Utano in the southeastern part of the Uda basin. The Jinmu chapter of the Nihon Shoki records Uta-no-shimoagata as a place where Jinmu Tenno stayed before entering Yamato. The upper book of the Kojiki, in the chapter of the heavenly descent, records that Konohanasakuya-hime was wooed by Ninigi-no-Mikoto and gave birth in the fire to Hoderi-no-Mikoto, Hosuseri-no-Mikoto, and Hoori-no-Mikoto; she is the daughter of the mountain deity Oyamatsumi-no-Kami and the symbol of cherry blossoms. According to tradition, the shrine was founded when Jinmu Tenno enshrined Konohanasakuya-hime here during his eastern campaign, and the Yatsufusa-sugi cedar was planted at that time. It was patronized in the Edo period by the Uda Matsuyama domain and received the village shrine rank in the Meiji era. The October annual rite continues local tradition.