The Asukai family founder was Fujiwara no Masatsune (1170–1221), more commonly known as Asukai Masatsune. He served the imperial court and was one of the six compilers of the eighth imperial poetry anthology, the Shin Kokin Wakashū. Twenty-two of his own poems were included in the anthology, and his grandson, Masaari, was also a highly regarded poet.There is another link between the Atsukai name and literature. The ‘i’ at the end of the name is ‘井’ in Japanese’ it means “well’ (water well); there is a well at the Shimane Jingu hand washing facility, and this is referred to in the 168th entry is Sei Shonagon’s the Pillow Book.

The enshrined kami are two emperors. Sutoku (reigned 1123-1142) and Junnin (1758-1764). After his abdication in 1142, Sutoku continued to play an active role in imperial politics but found himself on the losing side of the Hogen War in 1156 and was exiled to Sanuki Province (the current Kanagawa Prefecture in Shikoku). He became a monk and spent much of his time in copying holy manuscripts which he sent to the imperial court in Kyoto. The court, however, feeling that the manuscripts were in some way cursed-one story had it that they were written in  Sutoku’s own blood which he had bitten off his own tongue to obtain-the court refused to accept them and Sutoku died a bitterly aggrieved man in 1164. The then emperor, Go-Shirakawa, officially ignored Sutoku’s death and decreed that no state ceremonies should be held for someone the court considered to be a criminal. However, after his death a series of natural disasters and calamities ensued and these came to be seen as being caused by Sutoku’s aggrieved spirit. To appease the spirit a temple was built near to where he was buried in Shiramine-ryo (the current Sakaide City in Kagawa Prefecture), and the Imperial Court decreed that memorial services for Sutoku would thereafter be held there.  So aggrieved was Sutoku's spirit that along with Sugawara Michizane and Taira Masakado he is regarded as one of Japan's Three Great Vengeful Spirits.

Jumping forward to the Meiji Restoration, Emperor Meiji’s father had wanted to do something to further console Sutoku’s aggrieved spirit but died before he was able to. Emperor Meiji resolved to carry out his father’s wish. He obtained the consent of the Asukai family to use their land and by Sept 6, 1871 the shrine, housing Emperor Sutoku’s spirit,  had been rebuilt there in what is its current location. The first priest at the new shrine was formerly the priest of the Shiramine Jinja in Sanuki Province. In 1940 it was given Kanpei Taisha ranking, meaning that the Imperial Household Agency would make offerings there, and the name Shiramine Jingu was formally adopted.