Unraveling the history of the Mononobe family
Once upon a time, the biggest religious war broke out in Japan. It was in the year 587 when Shotoku Taishi was still a boy. The Mononobe family who followed Shintoism and the Soga family who believed in Buddhism fought against each other.
Mononobe was a clan who controlled military forces with a large number of kin and branch families. However, it was the Soga family who won the largest religious war of ancient Japan.
Moriya Mononobe died, and the Mononobe clan was torn apart to Tohoku, Izumo, Shikoku, and Kyushu.
The Mononobe family members who fled to Izumo were based here at Mononobe Shrine.
The main shrine for the Mononobe family was Isokami Shrine in Nara Prefecture. Isokami Shrine and Mononobe Shrine are considered to be one being front and back. Mononobe Shrine was founded in the year 513 at the height of the Mononobe family’s power. This means it has been more than 1500 years since the founding of Mononobe Shrine.
The Mononobe family who fled to Izumo joined the Kuninomiyatsuko Kaneko family in Iwami, and maintained Mononobe Shrine. The hereditary family of priests since then was present up through the Meiji period. It is truly a prestigious shrine.
