Ikutama Shrine

Ikutama Shrine is home to Kaguchi, the god of fire and metalworking. During Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s reign in the late 16th century, swordsmiths resided in the neighborhood surrounding Ikutama Shrine. Reminiscent of the olden days, a demonstration of swordsmithing is offered to the deity. Participants in sacred Shinto garb withdraw the bellows from the shrine, prepare metal scraps, and forge a traditional ingot of steel using procedures employed by professional swordsmiths long ago.