MK Deep Dive: Motoise Kono Shrine - Where the Divine Departed, but Never Left

In northern Kyoto, near the pine-lined coast that meets the Sea of Japan, there’s a shrine once believed to be the home of the gods. Long before Ise became Japan’s spiritual heart, before the grand halls of Mie echoed with prayer, there was Motoise Kono Shrine. This isn’t just a historical stop—it’s where the story begins. It’s where the sun goddess Amaterasu first paused, and where Toyouke Ōmikami, the deity of food and industry, lived before joining her in Ise. That’s why it’s called “Motoise”—the Former Ise. And even today, the story still lingers in the air.

Perched near Amanohashidate—a sandbar so beautiful it's known as one of Japan’s Three Scenic Views—Motoise Kono Shrine holds both physical and spiritual significance. It was once the highest-ranking shrine in the ancient Tango Province, and it still stands apart today. As a Myōjin Taisha and the Ichinomiya of the region, it’s deeply tied to the imperial bloodline through the Amabe clan, whose genealogy—Japan’s oldest—is considered a National Treasure, though it remains mostly sealed and unseen.

The shrine’s architecture echoes that of Ise: solemn halls built in the Shinmei-zukuri style, forked finials on the rooftops, and sacred railings lined with five-colored, flame-shaped jewels known as suedama—a rare honor shared only with Ise Grand Shrine. At the gate, a pair of komainu guardian dogs from the Kamakura period await, one marked with scars and bound by an iron ring. Legend says it was punished by the warrior Iwami Jūtaro after causing mischief on Amanohashidate. Even the stories here feel aged and weathered, like stones shaped by centuries of wind.

Behind the main shrine lies Manai Jinja, the hidden heart of the complex—once the original home of Toyouke. Here, sacred waters called Ame no Manai no Mizu still flow from an ancient spring, said to have descended from the heavens in a golden bowl. Behind the hall, clusters of stones known as iwakura mark the places where gods were believed to dwell—long before shrines were ever built.

This is a place where everything—air, stone, and water—feels sacred. Not carefully curated, but truly alive.

And in the quiet space between forest and sea, luxury isn’t in what’s added. It’s in what’s been left untouched.

Let MK Be Your Personal Guide to the Divine Edge of Kyoto

As part of MK’s Epic Scenery Course (8hrs), Motoise Kono Shrine offers not just a destination, but a shift in perspective. From the celestial legends of Amanohashidate to the sacred waters of Manai Shrine, this journey moves with quiet gravity. Your private English-speaking driver-guide will lead you through sites where history, mythology, and landscape converge.

Ride in the unmatched comfort of MK’s Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II EWB, where elegance is unspoken and the road unfolds like a prayer. Whether you stand beneath the five-colored suedama or peer into the stillness of an ancient spring, let MK guide you where few tread—but the gods once did.

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