Kurume Suitengū 久留米水天宮 | |
Map Type: | Japan |
Coordinates: | 33.3203°N 130.4961°W |
Religious Affiliation: | Shinto |
Deity: | Amenominakanushi Emperor Antoku Taira no Tokuko Taira no Tokiko |
Location: | 265, Senoshita-machi Kurume Fukuoka 830-0025 |
is a Shinto shrine located in Kurume, Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. This shrine is the headquarters for all Suitengū Shrines in Japan.
It is dedicated to four deities:
"Suiten" is the Japanese name of the deity of Hindu origins Varuna, one of a series of Hindu deities whose worship entered Japan together with Buddhism.. When the Japanese Empire enforced the Shinbutsu bunri, the official separation of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, shrines celebrating Suiten identified their dedication to Amenominakanushi.
As a shrine related with water, Suitengū came to be venerated as a guardian shrine for marine traffic and was said to have a connection with the legend of Kappa. These days, it is believed to house the god of safe childbirth.