Sights & Sounds of Japan: Akama Shrine (赤間神宮) - Home of Hoichi the Earless

Akama Shrine (赤間神宮) is a Shinto shrine in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is dedicated to Antoku, a Japanese emperor who died as a child in the Battle of Dan-no-ura (aka Dannoura), which occurred nearby in 1185. This battle was important in the history of Japan because it brought an end to Genpei War in which the Minamoto clan defeated the rival Taira clan, and ended the Taira bid for control of Japan.　 Akama Shrine is also home to the Japanese folktale Hoichi the Earless.

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