Ootori Taisha was established 1900 years ago in the ancient province of Izumi, located in what is now southern Osaka. It is known as an Ichinomiya, the principal shrine of an ancient province. The enshrined deities are Yamato-Takeru no Mikoto and Ootori-Murajino-Mioyanokami, both of whom appear in old Japanese folktales. Yamato-Takeru no Mikoto, who stabilized the country, is known as the Kami of Bravery and Victory and is even mentioned in Japan’s oldest historical texts, Nihon Shoki and Kojiki. Ootori-Murajino-Mioyanokami was the patron deity of the ancient province of Izumi. In the Heian Era, father and son Taira no Kiyomori and Taira no Shigemori prayed for victory at Otori Taisha and went on to make significant changes to the government as commanders of the samurai army. An old war tale tells the story of Kiyomori dedicating a waka poem to the shrine, and his son Shigemori, offering his favorite horse. It is said that Yamato-Takeru no Mikoto transformed into Ootori (prodigious bird) and swooped down into the shrine’s grounds. After one night, the grounds became covered with thousands of plants, known today as Chigusa no Mori.