is a Shinto

Shinto

or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...

 shrine located in the town of Yōrō

Yoro, Gifu

is a town located in Yōrō District, Gifu, Japan, on the eastern side of the Yōrō Mountains.As of July 2011, the town has an estimated population of 31,058. The total area is 72.14 km²...

 in Yōrō District

Yoro District, Gifu

is a district located in Gifu, Japan.As of July 2011, the district has an estimated population of 31,058. The total area is 195.52 km².-Merger:*On March 27, 2006, the town of Kamiishizu, along with the town of Sunomata from Anpachi District, merged into the city of Ōgaki....

, Gifu Prefecture

Gifu Prefecture

is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

.

History

The actual year of construction is unknown, but it is thought that it was built during the Yōrō

Yoro

Yoro is the capital city of the Yoro department of Honduras....

 era of the Nara period

Nara period

The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784...

. The shrine's existence was recorded during the Heian period

Heian period

The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...

, but it was referred to as "Yōrō Myōjin" (養老明神).

In 1504, its name was changed to "Yōrō Tenjin" (養老天神). "Yōrō Shrine" did not become the official name until the start of the Meiji period

Meiji period

The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...

a few centuries later.