Suda Hachiman Shrine

Suda Hachiman Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Wakayama Prefecture formerly Kii Province. It was founded in 859. The Suda Hachiman Shrine Mirror was found there. It is a National treasure of Japan. The Shrine is dedicated to Hachiman.

Suda Hachiman Shrine is located in Hashimoto City, Wakayama Prefecture, and stands as a significant historical and religious site in Japan.

Established likely in the eleventh century, Suda Hachiman is a branch shrine of the prominent Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine situated in Kyoto. It was built on the Suda no Shõ estate.

In 1355 it passed rules attempting to protect teapickers working on its land from labor abuses.

The shrine is most renowned for its 6th-century cast bronze mirror, designated as a National Treasure of Japan. Measuring 19.8 cm in diameter, the mirror features a detailed design with nine human figures, one mounted on a horse. Its design is reminiscent of Chinese cast-bronze mirrors from the Later Han and Six Dynasties periods.

This mirror's first recorded mention is in the 19th-century gazetteer Famous Places of Kii Province Illustrated, serialized in Wakayama City between 1811 and 1851. Its origins are debated; some believe it was discovered during the Edo period (1615-1868), while others think it may have belonged to an older, pre-existing shrine.

There are speculations regarding the mirror's origin. Some historians propose it was unearthed in the vicinity during the Edo period (1615-1868) along with other artifacts, while others theorize it could have belonged to an older shrine that was replaced by Suda Hachiman.