Founded 1,300 years ago to honor immigrants from the ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo, this shrine is far more than just a historic site.
What 1,300-Year-Old Immigrants Can Teach Modern Japan ── A Visit to Koma Shrine in Hidaka, Saitama
I recently visited Koma Shrine (高麗神社) in Hidaka City, Saitama Prefecture.
Founded 1,300 years ago to honor immigrants from the ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo, this shrine is far more than just a historic site.
What it preserves is──
a grand and successful story of cross-cultural coexistence.
And now, after my visit, I find myself thinking: this story carries crucial lessons for today's Japan, a nation grappling with population decline and the integration of foreign workers.
01The Story of a King Who Lost His Homeland
The history of Koma Shrine reaches back to the turbulent East Asia of the 7th century.
From around 37 BCE to the late 7th century, the powerful kingdom of Goguryeo flourished across what is now northeast China and the northern Korean Peninsula.
But in the late 7th century, it was crushed in a pincer attack by the allied forces of Tang China and Silla, falling in 668 CE.
Among the refugees was King Jakko of Goma (高麗王若光), who would become the principal deity of the shrine.
Jakko had been dispatched to Japan as an envoy from Goguryeo. But while he was there, his homeland fell. He would never again set foot on his native soil.
Then, in 716 CE──
The Yamato court gathered 1,799 Goguryeo immigrants living scattered across seven provinces (Suruga, Kai, Sagami, Kazusa, Shimōsa, Hitachi, and Shimotsuke) and resettled them in Musashi Province, establishing the new Koma District.
Jakko was appointed as its first governor, devoting his life to developing this untamed land.
After his death, the local people built a shrine to honor his memory── and that is the origin of Koma Shrine.
02The Magnificent Torii and the Legend of "Success Deity"
Standing at the approach to the shrine, you are greeted by a magnificent torii gate set against the blue sky, alongside a stone pillar inscribed with the shrine's name.
The grounds are immaculately maintained. Despite its 1,300 years of history, the air feels remarkably fresh and serene.
This shrine is also nationally famous as the "Success Deity" (Shusse Myōjin).
Why?
Because from the Taisho era onward, an extraordinary number of politicians who visited went on to become Prime Minister.
| Prime Minister | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Reijirō Wakatsuki | 25th & 28th | Took office just 4 months after visiting |
| Osachi Hamaguchi | 27th | Known as the "Lion Premier" |
| Makoto Saitō | 30th | Led coalition after the May 15 Incident |
| Kiichirō Hiranuma | 35th | Veteran from the judicial branch |
| Kuniaki Koiso | 41st | Wartime premier of the Pacific War |
| Ichirō Hatoyama | 52nd, 53rd & 54th | Founder of the LDP |
The list of literary figures who visited is equally impressive: Kōyō Ozaki, Osamu Dazai, Ango Sakaguchi, and Kazuo Dan, among others.
Near the approach to the shrine──
There is even a bridge called "Success Bridge", raising one's hopes for the divine blessing.
03The Emperor's Visit ─ A First in 1,300 Years
In September 2017, the Emperor and Empress (now Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita) made a private visit to Koma Shrine.
This was──
the first imperial visit since the shrine's founding, and it was widely reported in South Korea as well.
Coming at a time of complicated Japan-Korea relations, this deliberately timed visit is said to have carried a message: a tribute to the long history of exchange between the two nations.
04A Lineage of 60 Generations Spanning 1,300 Years
Behind the main shrine stands the Koma Family Residence, designated as an Important Cultural Property by the national government.
Built around the Keichō era (1596–1615), this thatched-roof, hip-and-gable dwelling is one of the oldest surviving private homes in eastern Japan.
The family that lived here is the direct lineage of King Jakko of Goma himself.
What's astonishing is──
The current head priest is the 60th generation descendant of Jakko. For 1,300 years, the bloodline has remained unbroken, with the family continuing to honor their ancestor in the same place.
Such an unbroken family lineage is extraordinarily rare even by world standards.
Along with Kongō Gumi (Japan's oldest construction company, about 1,400 years old), this family represents──
history that is still living, breathing, and being passed on
05The Silent Suitengū Shrine on the Hilltop
At the summit of a small hill within the precincts stands the Suitengū Shrine, a subsidiary shrine.
A 10-minute climb up a mountain path beside the main hall brings you to a quiet shrine surrounded by cedar trees.
The enshrined deity is Emperor Antoku. The shrine is said to have been transferred from the famous Suitengū in Ningyōchō, Tokyo, during the Edo period. It is revered for blessings of safe childbirth, child-rearing, good health, and protection from water-related accidents.
What's worth noting is──
This hilltop was a significant place of worship in the area long before the Edo period. The current Suitengū was enshrined on what was already a sacred site of mountain worship.
The "ancient atmosphere" you sense upon reaching the top is, perhaps, no illusion.
06Why Was Coexistence Achieved Without Conflict?
As I walked the shrine grounds, a question arose in my mind.
1,300 years ago, when 1,799 foreigners suddenly settled here, weren't there any conflicts with the existing Japanese population?
The answer is surprising──
Almost no records of large-scale conflict have survived.
How did ancient people achieve this? I see seven main reasons.
① The Land Was Largely Uninhabited
Koma District was established on the "vacant lands" within Iruma District── mountainous terrain that was still largely undeveloped. The new settlers were not displacing existing Japanese communities. The structural conditions for conflict simply weren't there.
② A Strategic Government Plan
The imperial court didn't simply abandon refugees to their fate. It carefully balanced diplomatic significance (demonstrating respect for Goguryeo people to East Asian neighbors) with practical benefits (developing the eastern frontier).
③ Generous Protections for Immigrants
The immigrants received land and food, and were exempted from taxes for life. From the perspective of existing Japanese residents, they were not "people who came and seized land" but "a special group deliberately settled here by imperial order."
④ Advanced Technology Enriched the Region
The Goguryeo people brought cutting-edge skills of the era: sueki pottery, sericulture, weaving, medicine, and Buddhism. These technologies enriched the entire region and became the foundation of mutual prosperity.
⑤ Development as a Cultural Center
Temples were built in succession within Koma District── an unusual occurrence in Musashi Province. This indicates that the area became not merely a settlement but a cultural and religious hub.
⑥ Jakko's Exceptional Leadership
According to legend, Jakko possessed the education of royalty yet was known for "caring deeply for the villagers". This is why he was deified after death. People do not enshrine someone they hated.
⑦ The Influence Expanded, Not Contracted
Starting with just 100 households at its founding, Koma District grew over the next 1,180 years to encompass Hannō, Hidaka, Iruma, Sayama, Tsurugashima, and Kawagoe.
It did not shrink through conflict── it expanded through shared prosperity. This is the strongest evidence of successful coexistence.
07A Message for Modern Japan
This is where my reflections from the visit became most profound.
Modern Japan, facing a declining birthrate and shrinking population, is rapidly accepting more foreign workers.
At the same time──
Small frictions arising from cultural and lifestyle differences, and concerns about public safety, are increasingly being heard.
What can we learn from the coexistence achieved by ancient immigrants and natives 1,300 years ago?
| Ancient Wisdom | Modern Implication |
|---|---|
| Planned reception systems | Design housing, work, and community integration at a societal level |
| Welcome as "valuable talent" | Shift from "cheap labor" to "partners who enrich us" |
| Trustworthy bridge figures | "Modern Jakkos" who understand both cultures can reduce friction |
| Balance of clustering & mixing | Neither isolation nor forced assimilation── a flexible middle path |
| Respect for other cultures | Honor the cultural identity of newcomers |
| Long-term, generational view | Design for the future including children's education |
And the most important lesson──
Whether the receiving side can hold the conviction that welcoming different people does not weaken society, but enriches it.
The reason Koma District became a 1,300-year success story is that both the imperial court and the local people genuinely believed: "Their presence will make us richer too."
This is, more than anything──
a question of society's mindset.
08A Shrine That Speaks in Silence
Of course, the scale and complexity of society differs enormously between 1,300 years ago and today.
1,799 immigrants and modern Japan's roughly 3.5 million foreign residents are not directly comparable in nature.
The Goguryeo immigrants had lost their homeland forever; today's foreign workers often come intending to send money home and eventually return.
And yet──
What the ancient people accomplished holds essential wisdom for us today.
The magnificent torii, the serene grounds, the green-shrouded Koma Family Residence, the silent Suitengū at the hilltop──
Each place I visited that day seemed to speak quietly, as a living witness to a successful story of cross-cultural coexistence.
If the people of Koma District could achieve this 1,300 years ago, why couldn't we today?
Do we see different people as threats, or as sources of richness?
That choice will shape the next 50, 100 years of Japan── or so I believe.
◆ Koma Shrine ─ Access Information
- Address: 833 Niibori, Hidaka City, Saitama Prefecture
- Access: Approx. 20-min walk from Komagawa Station (JR Kawagoe / Hachikō Line)
- Parking: Free (400 spaces, large buses welcome)
- Hours: Grounds open 24h / Prayer reception 8:30–17:00
- Website: https://komajinja.or.jp/
◆ Nearby Sights
- Koma Family Residence (National Important Cultural Property) ─ Behind the main shrine
- Shōden-in Shōrakuji Temple ─ Ancient temple holding King Jakko's grave
- Kinchakuda ─ Famous for autumn red spider lilies
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