Sanrizuka Jinja

Quick facts

Address

1-9-2-1 Utsukushigaoka, Kiyota-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido

Spiritual entities

Hachiman (八幡神) · Inari (稲荷大神)

About this place

Sanrizuka Jinja stands in Utsukushigaoka, Kiyota-ku, Sapporo. Its deities are Hondawake, Oyamatsumi and Uganomitama. This district is hill country to the south-east, about twelve kilometres from the centre of Sapporo, and around the first years of Meiji natural forest grew thick across the whole of it. Settlers who came from the main islands felled the standing timber and worked in forestry, breaking the level ground into fields; where there was a water source they grew rice in imitation of Nakayama Kyuzo of Shimamatsuzawa in Hiroshima village, and put spade and hoe to both farming and forestry. Takaya Sentaro, Kitagawa Tokube, Domon Tomekichi and Tokuda Kota became the promoters, and praying for the safety of the district’s somewhat more than forty households and for protection over the prosperity of their trades, took Hachiman-okami and Oyamatsumi as guardian deities and held an annual festival every year from 15 August 1897. As the town grew, the present hall was rebuilt and completed in 1964; Uganomitama was enshrined alongside at the same time and the festival day was changed to 15 September. The Sapporo branch of the Hokkaido Shrine Agency lists the annual festival as 14 September. No benefit that may be prayed for is stated.

Origin and history

This district is hill country to the south-east, about twelve kilometres from the centre of Sapporo, and around the first years of Meiji natural forest grew thick across the whole of it. Settlers who came from the main islands felled the standing timber and worked in forestry, breaking the level ground into fields; where there was a water source they grew rice in imitation of Nakayama Kyuzo of Shimamatsuzawa in Hiroshima village, and put spade and hoe to both farming and forestry.

Takaya Sentaro, Kitagawa Tokube, Domon Tomekichi and Tokuda Kota became the promoters, and praying for the safety of the district’s somewhat more than forty households and for protection over the prosperity of their trades, took Hachiman-okami and Oyamatsumi as guardian deities and held an annual festival every year from 15 August 1897.

As the town grew, the present hall was rebuilt and completed in 1964; Uganomitama was enshrined alongside at the same time and the festival day was changed to 15 September.

What it is locally associated with

• Origin

  An annual festival from 15 August 1897

  The promoters prayed for the safety of the district and the prosperity of its trades, took Hachiman-okami and Oyamatsumi as guardians and held a festival every year from 15 August 1897.

  documented history

• Origin

  Twelve kilometres from the centre

  The record opens by placing the district as hill country to the south-east, about twelve kilometres from the centre of Sapporo.

  documented history

• What people do here

  Rice grown in imitation of Nakayama Kyuzo

  Where there was a water source, the settlers grew rice in imitation of Nakayama Kyuzo of Shimamatsuzawa in Hiroshima village.

  documented history

What carries a full date in this record is the festival. An annual festival held every year from 15 August 1897 — the thing with a starting day is the rite. The only building the account names is the rebuilding of 1964, and since it is a rebuilding an earlier hall must have stood, though its year is nowhere given. Most entries on this list lead with a founding year and leave the rite implied. Here the order is reversed.

The account opens with a distance: hill country to the south-east, about twelve kilometres from the centre of Sapporo. The description of the place begins with how far off it is. Yamaguchi Jinja and Soma Jinja in the same city also began as places of distant worship, put there because the destination was out of reach.

The model for the rice came from outside the district. They grew rice in imitation of Nakayama Kyuzo of Shimamatsuzawa in Hiroshima village, the shrine writes — not a neighbour, but one man from another village, named.

Four promoters are listed, and the households are counted: somewhat more than forty. What was prayed for was their safety, and protection over the prosperity of their trades.

Name and ground have parted company. The shrine is Sanrizuka; the district is now called Utsukushigaoka. As with Kamiteine Jinja and Ashiribetsu Jinja in the same city, it is the name that keeps the older geography.

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Sources

1. 三里塚神社 — 北海道神社庁札幌支部 (accessed 2026-08-16)