元三島神社
Tōkyō-to, Taitō-ku, Negishi 1-7-11
東京都台東区根岸1-7-11
January 27, 2026
homepage (Japanese)
Motomishima Jinja
Nearest station: Uguisudani Line: Yamanote (JY06), Keihin-Tohoku (JK31)
Enshrined Kami:
Main
(Note: numbers in parentheses after kami names
refer to position in How Many Kami table)
Ōyamatsumi-Kami 大山祇神
Others
Yamatotakeru-Mikoto 和足彦命
Mishimahime-Mikoto 身島姫命
Kamitsuhime-Mikoto 上津姫命
Shimotsuhime-Mikoto 下津姫命
In-ground Subordinate Shrines:
Inari Jinja 稲荷神社
Annual Festival:
2nd Saturday and Sunday of May
The origins of this shrine date to 1281. An immediate vassal of the Kamakura Shogunate, Kawano Michiari (河野通有), was about to lead troops during the second Mongol invasion of Japan and he prayed for success at a local shrine, Oyazumi Jinja. His prayers were answered and he was successful at what became known as the Battle of Koan (弘安の役) in 1281. He subsequently had a dream in which he was instructed to build a jinja in Toshima district, Musashi Province enshrining the spirit of Oyazumi Kami. This he did. The Oyazumi Kami enshrined through the bunrei process was the one at Oyazumi Jinja in Shikoku.
In 1650 the shrine was forced to relocate by the Bakufu and it moved to Kanesugimura Village in what is now Negishi in Taito-ku. In 1710 it was again forced to move, this time to what is now Kotobuki in Taito-ku. This is the present day Mishima Jinja. However, this left the residents of Kanesugumura Village without a jinja and after some discussion it was decided to again enact the bunrei process and the current Motomishima Jinja was thus founded. In the same way another Mishima Jinja was founded in Taito-ku, this one in Shitaya.
The original shrine hall was rebuilt in 1871but was destroyed by the firebombing of 1945. Some reconstruction work was carried out in 1947 but the buildings were so dilapidated that the shrine had to be rebuilt: this work was finished in 1976.
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