According to legend,
Empress Jingū climbed atop of the Mount Kagami during the legendary military invasion of Korea in the 3rd century. She put a mirror aside the mountain tops and praying for victory. After that this mirror gave off a ghost light, she was enshrined her own spirit when she heard to hear that tells a story. After she returned to Japan, she suffered the pain of labor in the land. The villagers gave a freshwater spring to her. She recovered her illness, and it was said that she had given birth to the
Emperor Ōjin in
Umi now part of modern
Fukuoka Prefecture. The
Ni-no-miya, or secondary shrine, is dedicated to
Fujiwara no Hirotsugu, the imperial prince and the eldest son of
Fujiwara no Umakai. Hirotsugu petitioned for the removal of
Genbō; and then
Kibi no Makibi and Genbō used this complaint as a
pretext to discredit Hirotsugu. As a result, Hirotsugu initiates a futile
military campaign in September 740. The shrine was built in 750 by Kibi who was exiled to
Dazaifu on the island of
Kyushu, ten years after the execution of Hirotsugu. At the time of Genbō's death, it was popularly believed that he was killed by the
vengeful spirit of Hirotsugu. It was originally called Matsuura-gū or Matsuura-byōgū (松浦廟宮), but
Kūkai has changed its name to Kagami-jinja. In the Tamakazura (玉鬘) chapter of
The Tale of Genji, the song of the mirror god of Matsuura (松浦なる鏡の神
Matsuura naru Kagami no Kami) written by Tayunogen (大夫監), a powerful family in
Higo Province. ==Gallery==