Sitting just below Oku-sha, this shrine houses the deity, Kuzuryu. Dragon spirits were worshiped (and feared) at various sites across Asia prior to Buddhist arrival. Like Kuzuryu, they were propitiated for water and rainfall, and when Buddhism arrived in each respective site, they became protectors of the Buddha.
Gakumon Gyoja 学問行者 is said to be the first Buddhist itinerant to climb Togakushi and “open the mountain” (kaizan 開山). According to the mountain’s legend, he threw a scepter from the nearby mountain of Iizuna 飯綱 and it landed at this spot. Kuzuryu arose and introduced himself as protective deity of the mountain.
asceticsandpilgrims 
November 1st, 2011 at 2:48 pm
the motif of throwing the scepter totally reminds me of Kukai and the founding of Koya-san. Any intertextual connection?
November 1st, 2011 at 11:43 pm
right!
My advisor, Suzuki Masataka, commented yesterday that many mountains around Japan have this event as part of their founding myth. I think Saicho also allegedly threw a scepter into the mountains upon his arrival in Kyushu from China.
According to Naito (2009), the direction of the Kuzuryu shrine under Togakushi perfectly aligns with the sunrise on the first day of winter from Mt. Iizuna (the place where Gakumon stood when he threw the scepter). Perhaps coincidental but also shares a pattern of solar worship in connection with other mountains in Japan (threw archeological findings at other peaks). Last point – there’s a spring source next to Kuzuryu shrine. Makes sense, given the dragon’s control of water ; )