Shinto shrine
Himuro Jinja
氷室神社（ひむろじんじゃ）
Nara, Nara Prefecture
A shrine in Kasugano-chō, in a corner of Nara Park, known as the guardian kami of ice. It enshrines three kami, Ōsazaki no Mikoto, Tsuge no Inaki Ōyamanushi no Mikoto and Nukata no Ōnakatsuhiko no Mikoto, and draws the faith of people involved in the ice-making and cold-storage trades.
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: Ōsazaki no Mikoto, Tsuge no Inaki Ōyamanushi no Mikoto and Nukata no Ōnakatsuhiko no Mikoto
History and things to know
According to the shrine's tradition, it began in Wadō 3 (710), when, in step with the move of the capital to Heijō, the kami was enshrined by imperial order on Mt. Mikasa in Kasuga as the guardian of the icehouse. It is said that from the following year, for about seventy years, ice was presented to Heijō-kyō; in Jōgan 2 (862) the shrine moved to its present site and took the form of enshrining three kami. Every year on May 1, the Ice Offering Festival is held by people in the ice trade.
Introduced by this site, based on materials from the shrine or temple and public bodies.
Before you visit
Opening hours, access, areas open to visitors, and events can change. Please check the latest guidance from the shrine or temple itself before you go.
Official website of the shrine or temple (may be in Japanese)
Sources (in Japanese)
- 氷室神社「御祭神・御本尊・由緒の公式案内」（2026-10-21 確認）
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