While this shrine’s official name is Kemigawa Jinja its homepage is very focused on its three enshrined Kami, and its Shingaku (神額, the sign showing its name at the top of the torii) bears the inscription Shingi (神祇, Gods of Heaven and Earth). It traces its origins to the reign of the 56th emperor, Seiwa (r. 858-876), the grandson of Fujiwara Yoshifusa. When Seiwa was enthroned at the age of eight Yoshifusa seized the opportunity to proclaim himself regent to the young emperor. He was the first commoner to hold this office and was succeeded by other Fujiwaras, making the Fujiwara clan the effective rulers of the country.

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In 869 there was a nationwide plague and prayers for relief were offered throughout the country. As part of this, Susano-o-Mikoto was enshrined in Saga, Shimosa-kuni ( now the north of Chiba-ken) and a sacred mirror of Susano-o was unearthed from the site. In 934 an epidemic broke out in the Saga region; this happened when efforts were being made to bring fallow land under cultivation and the epidemic was deemed to have been caused by divine displeasure at this. A shrine was built as an act of atonement; this may have been called Yasaka Jinja due to the Susano-o connection (Susano-o is the main Kami worshipped at Yasaka Shrines).​​