The foundation of Keta Jinja is uncertain. The shrine claims that it was founded in 717 AD, but there is no documentary evidence for this.
Noto Province was separated from Etchū in 718, reunited in 741 and separated again in 757. Per historical records, the
Keta Taisha in Noto regarded as the
ichinomiya during this period, but after the final separation of these provinces, a new
ichinomiya needed to be designated within the reduced borders of Etchū. The new shrine was initially called the Shinketa Myōjin, or "New Keta Shrine" in
Nara period records, and its designation as
ichinomiya immediately created a conflict with
Imizu Jinja, an existing shrine which had previously served as the
ichinomiya during the initial separation of the two provinces. In the 927 AD
Engishiki records, the shrine is named the "Ichinomiya Keta Shrine" but is listed as the 13th and most recent of the shrines in Imizu District. The conflict between Keta Jinja and Imizu Jinja would continue for centuries and would never be fully resolved. The Kita Shrine was rebuilt in the
Juei era (1182–1184) by
Kiso Yoshinaka after it had been destroyed by a fire. It was again rebuilt by
Uesugi Kenshin in the
Eiroku era (1558–1570). Under the
Edo Period Tokugawa shogunate, Etchū came under the control of the
Maeda clan, who continued to patronize the shrine until the
Meiji restoration. ==Gallery==