Suda Hachiman Shrine is a

Shinto shrine A Stuart D. B. Picken, 1994. p. xxiii is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more kami, , the deities of the Shinto religion. The Also called the . is where a shrine's patron is or are enshrined.Iwanami Japanese dic ...

Wakayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Wakayama Prefecture has a population of 876,030 () and a geographic area of . Wakayama Prefecture borders Osaka Prefecture to the north, and Mie Prefecture and Nara Prefecture to ...

formerly

Kii Province , or , was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is today Wakayama Prefecture, as well as the southern part of Mie Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Kii''" in . Kii bordered Ise, Izumi, Kawachi, Shima, and Yamato Pro ...

. It was founded in 859. The

Suda Hachiman Shrine Mirror The in Hashimoto, Wakayama, Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhots ...

was found there. It is a National treasure of Japan. The Shrine is dedicated to

Hachiman In Japanese religion, ''Yahata'' (八幡神, ancient Shinto pronunciation) formerly in Shinto and later commonly known as Hachiman (八幡神, Japanese Buddhist pronunciation) is the syncretic divinity of archery and war, incorporating elements f ...

.https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/common/001561114.pdf Suda Hachiman Shrine is located in Hashimoto City, Wakayama Prefecture, and stands as a significant historical and religious site in Japan. Established likely in the eleventh century, Suda Hachiman is a branch shrine of the prominent Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine situated in Kyoto. It was built on the Suda no Shõ estate. In 1355 it passed rules attempting to protect teapickers working on its land from labor abuses. The shrine is most renowned for its 6th-century cast bronze mirror, designated as a National Treasure of Japan. Measuring 19.8 cm in diameter, the mirror features a detailed design with nine human figures, one mounted on a horse. Its design is reminiscent of Chinese cast-bronze mirrors from the Later Han and Six Dynasties periods. This mirror's first recorded mention is in the 19th-century gazetteer ''Famous Places of Kii Province Illustrated'', serialized in Wakayama City between 1811 and 1851. Its origins are debated; some believe it was discovered during the Edo period (1615-1868), while others think it may have belonged to an older, pre-existing shrine. There are speculations regarding the mirror's origin. Some historians propose it was unearthed in the vicinity during the Edo period (1615-1868) along with other artifacts, while others theorize it could have belonged to an older shrine that was replaced by Suda Hachiman.

References

{{coord, 34.33314, 135.64559, format=dms, type:landmark_region:JP, display=title Hachiman shrines Shinto shrines in Wakayama Prefecture Wakayama Prefecture designated tangible cultural property Designated historic sites of Wakayama Prefecture Prefecturally designated intangible folk cultural property Shrines dedicated to Empress Jingū 859 establishments Fuken-sha