Naminoue Shrine

Located in Wakasa, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture. The deities enshrined are the Kumano Sanjin, Izanami-no-Mikoto, Hayatamao-no-Mikoto, and Kotosakao-no-Mikoto. There are eight Ryukyu shrines in Okinawa that are called official shrines and have been given special treatment by the Ryukyu Kings and the Sho royal family, and Naminoue Shrine is the highest ranking of these. It was formerly a small official shrine. The shrine building is on a coral reef jutting out from the coast. According to the shrine's legend, a fisherman found a sacred stone on the beach, which miraculously brought about a good catch, so he placed it on the waves and received a divine revelation that it was Nihon Kumano Gongen, so he petitioned the royal family and founded the shrine. In 1629 (Kan'ei 6), the shrine building burned down, and was rebuilt by King Sho Toyo in 1641. The annual festival is held on May 17th. The shrine is bustling with offerings of Okinawan sumo, karate and other arts.

[Naoki Iio]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

沖縄県那覇(なは)市若狭(わかさ)に鎮座。祭神は伊弉冉尊(いざなみのみこと)・速玉男尊(はやたまおのみこと)・事解男尊(ことさかおのみこと)の熊野三神。沖縄には官社とよばれて琉球(りゅうきゅう)王・尚(しょう)王家から特別の扱いを受けてきた琉球八社があり、波上宮はその最上位にある。旧官幣小社。社殿は海岸に突き出たサンゴ礁の上にある。社伝によれば、漁師が海浜で霊石を得て、豊漁の霊験があったので波上に安置したところ日本熊野権現(ごんげん)との神託があったので王家に奏請し、同社が創建されたという。1629年（寛永6）社殿は炎上、1641年尚豊王により再建された。例祭は5月17日。沖縄相撲(すもう)、空手などの奉納があり、にぎわう。

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