Bingo Ichinomiya Kibitsu Shrine

This shrine is said to have been built in 806 and is the first shrine in Bingo Province. Locals call it “Ikkyusan” (Ichikyu-san) and it is well known to them.

It is located in the northwestern part of Fukuyama City, on the border with Fuchu City, and is regarded as the general guardian of Bingo Province.
The nearby city of Fuchu is said to have been the site of the national capital of Bingo Province, and the surrounding area was the center of Bingo Province.

The main shrine and worship hall, built in 1648 by Katsunari Mizuno, a military commander and feudal lord, are important cultural properties of Japan, boasting Muromachi style and Momoyama carvings, even though the shrine was built in the early Edo period.

The shrine grounds and the adjacent ruins of Sakurayama Castle and Tobio Castle are designated as national historic sites, and several wooden guardian dogs and swords are designated as national important cultural properties.

Miike Pond
The Mitarashi Pond of Kibitsu Shrine is located across Prefectural Route 26. Although the pond has been reclaimed and shrunk to nearly one-third of its original size, it is still the largest of the shrine’s otearashi ponds, and has the longest all-stone taiko bridge in Japan.

Shonchu Hikari
In February and September, a mysterious phenomenon called “Shonchu Hikari” can be seen, in which the sacred body of the deity reflects the morning sun and pierces through the center of the shrine. The light is seen from about 100 meters away, before the stone torii gate, through the worship hall, Kaguraden, Kami-Zuimimon gate, Shimo-Zuimon gate, and other structures.