He called himself “Wakasahiko” and descended to the earth upon a white stone, long long ago. He also appeared as a Chinese person astride a white horse. After that, he lived at Jingu-ji Temple for a while, until he settled down here and built Wakasahiko Shrine. Some years later, Toyotama-hime appeared upon that same white stone, and Wakasa-hime Shrine came to be. Then, in the middle of thatching the roof of their child’s room with cormorant feathers, the baby came, and they named him “Ugayafukiaezu” — quite literally meaning “Roof Thatched With Cormorant Feathers.”

What can we understand from hearing this story? For starters, Wakasahiko was Chinese; in other words, he was a foreigner. Here, too, we glean that he was a god who came from the “outside world.” The route Wakasahiko traveled is another interesting detail. Before we get into that, however, did you happen to notice near the shrine entrance an object that looks like a miniature shrine? That is called a “Yōhaijo,” and it is a place where you can pray to the shrine gods from a distance. Wakasa-hime Shrine actually has its own yōhaijo, too, facing in the direction of Wakasahiko Shrine. Now, which way do you think the yōhaijo at Wakasahiko Shrine is facing?

The answer is Jingu-ji, a temple that wears its ancient capital roots so clearly on its sleeve that roof tiles resembling those of the Heijō-Kyō Palace, in what is now Nara, were excavated there. In other words, the yōhaijo was built to look upon the heart of the capital’s administration. It shows a connection to the road Wakasahiko traveled: from Unose to Jingu-ji, then to Wakasahiko and Wakasa-hime Shrines, in that order. This means that he never came from the sea, but rather from the south, where the capital is. Thus, a new god was dispatched from Nara. As Wakasahiko slowly approached Onyu from the south, his influence also spread, and along the way, he captured and annexed the old Onyu Myojin shrine ... or at least, that is one way of looking at it.

Beyond this path, you will find Jingu-ji Temple and Unose. Further beyond is Kyoto and the Imperial Palace at Nara along an ancient path that, perhaps, was traveled by a god, once upon a time.