The stage for the Akiba Festival, which boasts a history of more than 200 years
The god of fire, Homusubi no Okami, is enshrined at Akiba Jinja Shrine, which is deeply revered as a shrine that protects locals as they go about their daily lives and as the setting for the Akiba Festival, which boasts a history of more than 200 years.
The origin of the shrine is said to date back to roughly 800 years ago, when a deity was ceremonially transferred from Akiha Jinja Shrine, the main shrine of Mount Akiha in Shizuoka Prefecture. A defeated warrior from the Taira clan, Seigan Sato, who was worshipped as a deity, was ceremonially transferred from Mount Akiha in Enshu and enshrined in a cavern, which is said to mark the origin of the shrine.
The shrine was later relocated to the present Akiba Jinja Shrine in 1794, after having passed through Hosenji Temple and the Ichikawa family, who were responsible for guarding a checkpoint.
In particular, the Akiba Festival, held annually on February 11th, is one of the three major festivals of Tosa, and is designated as an important intangible folk cultural asset by Kochi Prefecture.
The origin of this festival is said to date back to when the shrine was moved to a new location which it was connected with. During the festival, a procession of 200 people parades through the mountain village in early spring, creating a traditional, nostalgic sight that is just like a scene from a picture scroll.
The "torige-hineri" and "tachi-odori", which are the highlights of the festival, are known as courageous and gorgeous dances, and attracts many tourists from both within and outside the prefecture.
