Sumiyoshi shrines are dedicated to water gods and were often built to gain their protection of watercraft. Hiroshima’s Sumiyoshi Shrine is located on the bank of the Honkawa River and is dedicated to the Sumiyoshi Sanjin or Sumiyoshi Ōkami; Uwatsutsu-no-onomikoto (表筒男命), Nakatsutsu-no-onomikoto(中筒男命) and Sokotsutsu-no-onomikoto (底筒男命). It was originally built in 1733 to harness their goodwill in protecting the castle town’s important river traffic during the time of the Asano clan. The shrine is known for hosting one of Hiroshima’s “big three festivals”, the Sumiyoshi Summer Festival and it also has a reputation for coming up with some inventive marketing ideas.
