Sado Province Ichinomiya
Watatsu Jinja
度津神社
Watatsu Jinja is the ichinomiya — the leading shrine — of the former Sado Province, in present-day Niigata. It has a car park (about 20 spaces); the sources we checked do not give a fee. Its principal annual festival (reisai) falls on April 23 every year. The nearest other ichinomiya is Yahiko Jinja, 46 km to the east in a straight line.
Getting there
新潟県佐渡市羽茂飯岡 550-4
This shrine is on an island
It is on Sado and can only be reached by boat or plane. Ports, operators and crossing times →
The address is given in Japanese on purpose. Show it to a taxi driver, or copy it into a car navigation system — an English transliteration will not be recognised.
For a car navigation system
- Phone
- Japanese car navigation searches by phone number. This is the fastest way to enter a destination.
- Coordinates
- From OpenStreetMap, as 度津神社. Not checked on the ground
- Address
How to rent and drive a car in Japan →
Car hire Ad
Search rental cars on Tabirai (English)
Opens the English site of Tabirai, a Japanese car rental booking service. We have not compared its prices or cars. This is an affiliate link (A8.net): if you book, the site earns a commission at no extra cost to you.
By train and bus
The source, word for word (bus stop names included):
バス路線もあるのですがバス停「一の宮前」の定期運行がなくなり、バス停「一の宮入口」から神社までは徒歩20分ほどと、散歩好きなら楽しめるぐらいの距離なので車移動の方がアクセスは便利かもしれません。
Taken from a local tourism body (新潟県観光協会公式ブログ たびきち「度津神社」「梨の木地蔵」（にいがた観光ナビ）, checked 2026-10-08). Station and stop names stay in Japanese so you can match them to signs. Fares and timetables are not given — they change.
Parking
It has a car park (about 20 spaces); the sources we checked do not give a fee.
料金は確認できず
The note above is in Japanese; it usually records dates when the car park is closed, and the fee.
History in brief
- Moved
- The shrine is said to have moved to its present site after a flood in 1470 washed away its grounds and old documents.
Summarised from a local tourism body (度津神社｜にいがた観光ナビ, checked 2026-10-08). Traditions are given as the shrine tells them, not as established history.
Enshrined deities
- Isotakeru-no-Mikoto 五十猛命 3 ichinomiya enshrine this deity →
The Niigata Prefecture tourism association says the shrine enshrines Isotakeru-no-Mikoto, worshipped by the islanders as a guardian of travel.
Our English summary of the Japanese description. Spelling as given by the prefectural shrine office or local authority.
Festivals
- Principal annual festival
-
4月23日 例祭
source
Other festivals and rituals
- やぶさめ
- 4月23日
Nearest ichinomiya
The closest is Yahiko Jinja, about 46 km to the east in a straight line, the ichinomiya of Echigo Province. After that come Kota Jinja (78 km south) and Amatsu Jinja (100 km south-west).
Straight-line distances between the shrines, not road distances. Across mountains or water, the drive is much longer.
Why this shrine is called an ichinomiya
Listed by the pilgrimage association
It appears on the map published by the Ichinomiya Pilgrimage Association. We have not yet checked other primary sources.
- 全国一の宮巡拝会『全国一の宮神社所在地』（平成30年5月・改訂版 第4版） (checked 2026-09-09)
More on how the shrines of this province relate to one another is on the Sado Province page.
Historical rank
- Province
- Sado Province (Hokurikudō)
- Prefecture
- Niigata
- Engishiki (927)
- Shōsha
- Former state rank (1871–1946)
- Kensha
Sources
- https://niigata-kankou.or.jp/spot/8800 (checked 2026-09-09)
How we handle spellings, festival selection, former ranks and map accuracy is set out once on the About page.