Stone Lantern of the Three Monkeys (Hie Shrine)

These stone lanterns are located on the right side of the approach to Hie Shrine; one of them was donated in the 4th year of Kanbun (1664) by Yokoyama Tarōbei and 11 other residents of Shimo-Kiyoto Village.According to the inscription, the shrine was founded in Tenshō 7 (1579) by Nakajima Chikugo-no-kami Nobutaka, providing a significant clue to the history of Kiyoto’s development.

Carved into the lanterns are monkeys—the messengers of Sannō Gongen—depicting the “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” poses. The other lantern was erected in the 7th year of the Hōei era (1710). Both lanterns were originally placed as a pair along the approach path.

Designated on January 14, Showa 61.