Nakatsugu enshrines Tagitsuhime no Kami, the second of the three Munakata goddesses.
It is located on a hill on a straight line between Hetsugu on the mainland and Okitsugu on Okinoshima Island.
A small river called the Ama-no-kawa flows through the precincts of the shrine, and the Vega shrine and the Altair shrine are located across the river.
As mentioned above, Nakatsugu Shrine is the birthplace of the “Tanabata” or the Star Festival in Japan, as the shrine is named after the couple Orihime (Vega) and Hikoboshi (Altair), who are the main characters of the Tanabata Star Festival.
It is believed to be the birthplace of the Tanabata legend in
Japan, and is believed to have divine favor for matchmaking and marriage.
The Star Festival, held annually on August 7, is a beautiful and atmospheric festival with a history of over 800 years.
