A Shinto priest was taking out a staff from a small shrine next to the main gate

When you visit a Buddhist or Taoist temple in the Chinese cultural sphere, you will find a variety of deities enshrined in a small area, each claiming to provide benefits in this world. Since worshippers visit the deity that corresponds to the worldly benefits they seek, many deities are enshrined in order to accommodate all kinds of worldly benefits. I was thinking to myself, "This structure is perfect for the Chinese, who have an image of being greedy," but then I realized that Japanese Shinto shrines are similar. In addition to the main deities, there are also shrines and auxiliary shrines that enshrine other deities with different benefits.

In the precincts of Mishima-taisha Shrine, which I visited on that day, there are also a number of minor shrines and auxiliary shrines. There is Wakamiya Shrine, which enshrines Emperor Ojin and Empress Jingu, as well as Mirume Shrine, and Itsukushima Shrine stands in the pond. While wandering around the shrine grounds, I noticed a small shrine near the main gate. I wondered if this shrine was also a subordinate shrine or a regent shrine.

After a while, a Shinto priest appeared and stopped in front of the small shrine. As I watched with curiosity, the priest reverently took out a large staff from the inside of the shrine. The priest, holding the staff in his hand, closed the door again and went away. What I thought was a shrine next to the main gate may have been just a storage box.

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