The shrine's legend connects it with the legendary hero Yamato Takeru, whose son, Inugami no Mitasuki was sent as an emissary to Sui China in 614 AD and the first Japanese embassy to Tang China in 630 AD. He was also the ancestor of the Inukami clan, from which Inukami District, Shiga (where the shrine is located) takes its name.
The shrine's folklore associates it with the legendary Yamato Takeru, whose son, Inugami no Mitasuki, was sent as an ambassador to Sui China in 614 AD and the first Japanese delegation to Tang China in 630 AD. He is also the progenitor of the Inukami clan, from which the Inukami District, Shiga (where the shrine is located) gets its name.