Toyosaka-jinjya Shinto Shrine

This shrine is dedicated to Mori Motonari (1497–1571), a warlord who became one of the most powerful men in Japan during the tumultuous Warring States period and gained control over much of western Japan. Motonari’s spirit was first venerated in Hagi by his grandson Terumoto when he became the first daimyo (feudal lord) of Choshu Domain (present-day Yamaguchi Prefecture). The current shrine building was constructed in 1871, and its name was bestowed by the imperial court. Shinto shrines used to be ranked, and Toyosaka-jinjya Shinto Shrine became an Imperial Shrine of Special Status in 1882 under that ranking system.