Shinto shrine
Koganeyama Jinja
黄金山神社（こがねやまじんじゃ）
Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture
A shrine on Kinkasan, an outlying island in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, dedicated to Kanayamabiko no Kami and Kanayamabime no Kami, who preside over gold. It is also known as a sacred site of Benzaiten, and the custom of sanrō (okomori, staying in retreat at the shrine) continues today.
English pages are the site’s own translations of its Japanese pages. The sources cited are in Japanese. 日本語で読む
Prayers associated with this place
Enshrined kami: Kanayamabiko no Kami, Kanayamabime no Kami
History and things to know
According to shrine tradition, in Tenpyō 21 (749) the governor of Mutsu Province presented to the imperial court the first gold produced in Japan; to celebrate this, the two kami were enshrined on Kinkasan two years later, founding the shrine. In the era of Shinto–Buddhist syncretism it was called Kinkasan Daikinji, with Benzaiten as its guardian deity, and it flourished as one of the three great sacred sites of Tōō, alongside Dewa Sanzan and Osorezan. With the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in Meiji 2 it returned to the name Koganeyama Jinja, and the ban on women was also lifted.
Introduced by this site, based on materials from the shrine or temple and public bodies.
Related kami and buddhas
Before you visit
Kinkasan is an outlying island, reached by boat from Ayukawa Port or Onagawa Port. The inner hall at the summit (Ōwatatsumi Jinja) is a separate shrine from the main shrine.
Official website of the shrine or temple (may be in Japanese)
Sources (in Japanese)
- 黄金山神社「御祭神・御本尊・由緒の公式案内」（2026-10-21 確認）
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