Nara | The Legend of Emperor Jimmu Explore the Architectural Aesthetics of Chuta Ito at Kashihara Shrine

This is the site where Emperor Jimmu ascended the throne, and now it serves as a shrine dedicated to him, the founding father of Japan. According to legend, Emperor Jimmu lived to the age of 127, and his life is steeped in myth. It is said that he was the youngest child of the mountain deity Hikohohodemi and the sea goddess's sister, Tamayorihime. Originally residing in Miyazaki Prefecture, he once told his brother that Miyazaki was not the center of Japan and set out to find it. This journey is famously known as the "Eastern Expedition of Emperor Jimmu." The center he discovered was in Kashihara, Nara. Another theory suggests that Emperor Jimmu was actually Xu Fu, a historical figure who settled in Japan with young boys and girls. The similarities between the Eastern Expedition and Xu Fu's settlement have intrigued historians, prompting further investigation. As for Kashihara Shrine, it was initially established near the emperor's tomb during the late Edo period. In 1922, the government funded the construction of the shrine, designed by Chuta Ito, a pivotal figure in Japanese architecture. While it was common at the time to study in Europe, Ito chose to explore China, India, and Turkey, dedicating his life to the study of traditional Japanese and Asian architecture. The shrine's construction involved over 70,000 trees, with more than 20,000 donated from across Japan. The site expanded to cover 1.22 million square meters, with over a million volunteers participating in the project. In addition to Kashihara Shrine, Ito also designed Heian Shrine and the now-demolished Taiwan Jiantan Shrine. He believed that the transition from Western stone architecture to Eastern wooden architecture was significantly influenced by India. This belief is reflected in his design of Tsukiji Honganji Temple, which incorporates Indian architectural elements. 📍Address: 〒634-8550 Nara Prefecture, Kashihara City, Kume-cho 934 🚗 Accessible via Kintetsu Kashihara Shrine Station, a 10-minute walk away.