Originally, the shrine was part of Kiyamagu Shrine, a product of Shinto-Buddhist syncretism with Kiyamaji Temple.
Kiyama Jinja Shrine was built in 816 (the 7th year of the Konin era) and is dedicated to the deities Susanoo-no-Mikoto and Kiyama Gozu Tenno.
Here, the deities are worshipped by many as gods of horses and cattle, a huge harvest of the five grains, and a thriving business, and this is a special place where Shinto and Buddhism coexist.
Together with Kiyamaji Temple, Kiyama Jinja Shrine is known as Kiyamasama. The main shrine is a beautiful traditional Japanese architectural structure with a gabled, hipped roof and sheet copper tiles. Statues of deities that invite and welcome deities from other regions stand at a gate that enshrines deities that guard the sacred grounds from demons. Both the main shrine and the gate are designated as important cultural assets in Okayama prefecture.
