Takachiho Shrine
高千穂神社
An ancient shrine ringed by giant cedars in Takachiho, a setting of Japanese myth. Every night at 8 pm, an hour of myth-based kagura dance is performed.
The heart of Takachiho's shrines
Takachiho Shrine stands in the town of Takachiho in Miyazaki Prefecture. It is said to have been founded about 1,900 years ago, in the reign of Emperor Suinin, and is regarded as the soja (the central shrine that oversees a district's shrines) of the Takachiho Hachijuhassha, the 88 shrines of the Takachiho area.
It enshrines the Takachiho Sumegami, six deities headed by Ninigi no Mikoto, who is said to have descended from heaven, and the Jissha Daimyojin: Mikeirino no Mikoto, elder brother of Emperor Jimmu, and the deities of his family.
The ogre-slaying legend and the main hall
According to legend, Mikeirino no Mikoto defeated an oni (ogre) named Kihachi who had been terrorising the area, and then set up his palace here. The story appears in the shrine's festivals and decorations.
The present main hall was rebuilt in 1778 and was designated a national Important Cultural Property in 2004. It is decorated with carvings full of local character, including a scene of Kihachi's defeat. The iron komainu (lion-like guardian statues that protect a shrine) in the grounds are also a national Important Cultural Property.
The Wedded Cedars and nightly Takachiho Kagura
In the grounds stand the Meoto-sugi ("Wedded Cedars"), two cedar trunks joined at the base. It is said that if you walk around them three times holding hands with someone dear to you, you will be happy.
Kagura is song and dance offered to the gods. The villages of Takachiho have kept alive Takachiho no Yokagura, all-night kagura danced from autumn into winter, which is a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. In the shrine's kagura hall, a selection of four representative dances from it, called Takachiho Kagura, is performed for one hour from 8 pm every night. The four pieces are the dances of Tajikarao, Uzume, Totori and Goshintai.
Tickets and getting there
Most seats for Takachiho Kagura can be booked online in advance (from 30 days before the performance). A small number of seats are also sold at the venue's ticket window on the day. There are days with no performance, such as over New Year and the days of the Shinwa no Takachiho Kagura Matsuri (Takachiho Myth Kagura Festival) in late November, so check the official website.
The shrine is about a 15-minute walk from Takachiho Bus Center. It is also close to Takachiho Gorge, so you can walk the gorge by day and watch kagura at night. There is a free car park.
Tips
- If you want to see the evening kagura, plan to stay the night in Takachiho so you don't have to worry about getting back.
- The kagura hall has tatami-mat seating for about 300 people. Even if the online seats are gone, you can try for tickets at the window on the day.
- There is no nightly performance over New Year (31 December and 1 January) or on 22 and 23 November, the days of the kagura festival.
Sources
Updated 28 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.
