Takeisao-jinja Shrine (Kenkun-jinja Shrine)

This shrine's official name is Takeisao-jinja Shrine, but it is also known as the Kenkun-jinja Shrine. This shrine is to worship the god of fulfillment of major warfare, breaking through, and good fortune. The deity is dedicated to Nobunaga Oda to commemorate the way he lived his life as he pushed forward bravely and unwaveringly towards the unification of Japan. The deity enshrined here is also related to Nobunaga's vassal, Hideyoshi Toyotomi. After Honnō-ji Incident, where Nobunaga lost his life, Hideyoshi performed Nobunaga' s Buddhist memorial service at Daitokuji. In addition, Hideyoshi tried to build a temple dedicated to Nobunaga in Funaokayama, but the plan was scrapped. Although the temple was not built, this mountain was regarded as the spiritual place of Nobunaga. Then, as the Meiji era was ushered in, by the decree of Emperor Meiji, a shrine was built here for Nobunaga's accomplishment which ended the period of Sengoku, or the warring states era, and forged the path to unite Japan as one. A highlight of this shrine is the hall of past worshippers, where portraits of Nobunaga and 18 warriors of Sengoku hang. If you look closely, you’ll find the family crest of the Oda family carved on the side of the pedestal of the main pillar and the shrine dog, in addition to the simplistic beauty of the main hall and the hall of worship based on traditional Japanese architecture, "Oda mo-kou".