The brilliant dawn of the new year 1997 marked the 2000th Anniversary of the founding of Tsubaki Grand Shrine, believed to be the oldest Shinto Shrine in Japan next to the Ise Grand Shrine. Its history may be recounted briefly as followed:

The principal kami (divine being) is Sarutahikoohkami, who is discussed in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters, complied and presented to the Imperial Court in 712 CE) and the Nihonshok ( Chronicle of Japan, dating to 720 CE). At the junction of Heaven and Earth ( Ame-no-yachimata ), the towering figure of Sarutahiko Ohkami, who illuminated earth and heaven with light from his eyes and his back, guided to earth Niniginomikoto, the August Grandson of Amaterasu-Okami, head of the kami of Heaven.

In August of the year 27 of the reign of the 11th Emperor Suinin (29BCE to 70 CE), 3 BCE, Tsubaki Grand Shrine was constituted at the foot of Mt. Takayama and Mt. Hikiyama, as the central shrine of all Sarutahiko Shrines, according to an oracle attributed to the princess Yamato-hime-no-mikoto, daughter of Emperor Suinin.

When the 16th Emperor Nintoku (313 to 399 CE) visited Tsubaki Grand shrine, then known as Chiwaki Grand Shrine, meaning the shrine as the crossroads of heaven and Earth, he had a dream in which one thousand camellia blossomed in one night. In consequence of this, by his decree, the name was changed to Tsubaki Grand Shrine.

When the 30th Emperor Bitatsu (572 to 584 CE) visited Tsubaki Grand Shrine, where he performed a sacred ceremony known as Minie-no-Shinji, in which a trout, caught in the nearby river Gohei was offered to Amaterasu-Ohmika. This is recorded in the archives as the origin of the Minie-no-Shinji which is performed at the Grand Shrine of Ise.

The 45th Emperor, Shomu (724 to 748CE) is recorded as visiting Tsubaki Grand Shrine in order to set Peace for the whole land, tranquility in the four seas, normal weather, and good harvest. Since that time, Tsubaki Grand Shrine became the shrine for Emperor to make prayers. Because of this, Tsubaki Grand Shrine has been a sacred place at which Emperors offered their prayers. Tsubaki Grand Shrine grew in influence, and expanded to include six temples and 400 priests and monks.

When the edict was issued by Emperor Shomu to erect Kokubunji ( National Buddhist Temple ) at sixty locations throughout the country, Tsubaki was appointed as principal solicitor of subscriptions. Therefore Tsubaki Grand Shrine was designated as Kosha ( old shrine) or kokuheisha in the Engisiki, classical record of the Engi era that comprised edicts and rituals of ninth century.

About four hundred years ago, at the time of Tensho era (1573 to1591), the warrior lord Oda Nobunaga's troops attacked and destroyed Tsubaki Grand Shrine, its six temples burning all its archives and killing all its priests. In the 14th year of Tensho, the buildings were reconstructed, and during the subsequent Tokugawa period, the clan chieftains of Kanbe, Kameyama and Komono took Tsubaki Grand Shrine their protective power. Rituals were resurrected and worship was restored enabling Tsubaki Grand Shrine again to become a center of prayer fro peace and prosperity for the nation and the Emperor. In particular, the Kujo clan, one of five Regency Houses called Go Sekke, appointed Tsubaki Grand Shrine as their tutelary shrine.

In 1872, four years after Meiji Restoration, which ushered in Japan's era of modernization., Tsubaki Grand Shrine was ranked as a Gohsha, placing it above village shrine, but below prefectural shrines. In Showa 3, 1928, it was ranked as Kensha, prefectural shrine, and in March 1935, Showa 10, it became the protective shrine of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. A Wake-mitama ,a branch of the spirit of Sarutahiko-Ohkami, was installed on the roof of the Police Headquarters. In 1938, Showa 13, the Shrine Divison of the Ministry of the Interior approved Tsubaki Grand Shrine as the central shrine of the two thousand Sarutahiko Shrines nationwide. It became known as the Chigi Sarutahiko Daihongu (The Great Head Shrine of the Earthly kami, Sarutahiko). Tsubaki Grand Shrine thus became, technically, a Bekkaku-kokuhei-taisha. With the end of the Pacific War, shrine classification by the government came to an end. The Voluntary Association of Shinto Shrines, the Jinja Honcho, referred Tsubaki Grand Shrine as a Beppyo-jinja, a special independent shrine.

In 1968, Showa 43, after 10 years of daily Misogi practice, the 96th High Priest, Yamamoto Yukitaka resolved to rebuild the three main sanctuaries, the Purification Hall, the Kagura Hall and the Honden or Main Hall.

During the subsequent thirty years, additional buildings were added, namely the Sanshuden Kannagara dojo (the old guest house), the Reishoan (tea house), the Shishido ( Lion Hall for roar safety purification) and the Gyomando-sinreiden (the Gyoman Daimyujin Temple).

In addition, the inner shrine at the top of Mt. Nyudogatake, and the Saikan (the residence of the High Priest) were also reconstructed.The Shrine for Ame-no-uzume no-mikoto (wife of Sarutahiko and gurdian Kami of arts) was also reconstructed along with the Tsubaki Kaikan (new guest house) and the Atagosha-honden, (Atago Shrine).

Among other important developments, High Priest Yamamoto revived the Otauesai (Rice Planting Ritual), which had been discontinued for one hundred and twenty years, and the No drama called Uzume.

Early, in 1987, a branch shrine was established by High Priest Yamamoto in Stockton, California, as a point of meeting Japan and the United States, demonstrating not only the vitality of the tradition of Tsubaki Grand Shrine, but the vision of the shrine's leadership for its third millenium.