Amatsu Shrine

Coordinates: 37°2′24.5″N 137°51′51.3″E / 37.040139°N 137.864250°E / 37.040139; 137.864250
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Amatsu Shrine
天津神社
Amatsu Shrine, July 2013 Map
Religion
AffiliationShinto
DeityNinigi-no-Mikoto
Nunakawahime
FestivalApril 10, Oct 24
TypeIchinomiya
Location
Location1-3-34 Ichinomiya, Itoigawa-shi, Niigata-ken
Amatsu Shrine is located in Niigata Prefecture
Amatsu Shrine
Amatsu Jinja
Amatsu Shrine is located in Japan
Amatsu Shrine
Amatsu Shrine (Japan)
Geographic coordinates37°2′24.5″N 137°51′51.3″E / 37.040139°N 137.864250°E / 37.040139; 137.864250
Glossary of Shinto

Amatsu Shrine (天津神社, Amatsu jinja) is a Shinto shrine located in the Ichinomiya neighborhood of the city of Itoigawa, Niigata, Japan.[1] It is one of the three shrines claiming the title of ichinomiya of the former Echigo Province. [2] The main festivals of the shrine are held annually on April 10 and October 24.[3]

Enshrined kami[edit]

The kami enshrined at Amatsu Jinja are:

History[edit]

Amatsu Jinja claims to have been founded during the reign of the semi-legendary Emperor Keikō (71 to 130 AD) in the Kofun period. Historical records state that Emperor Kōtoku (596-694 AD) had prayers said at this shrine, and its name appears in the Engishiki records compiled in 927 AD as the major shrine of ancient Kubiki County in Echigo, although it is by no means certain that the current Amatsu Shrine is the same shrine mentioned in these ancient records. In 1611, the Tokugawa shogunate awarded the shrine a stipend of 100 koku for its upkeep. After the Meiji Restoration and the establishment of State Shinto, the shrine was originally designated as a "county shrine", but was later raised in status to that of a prefectural shrine (県社). [4]

The Heiden of the shrine is an irimoya-style 7 x 5 bay building with a thatch roof built in 1662. The Haiden is a gabled 3x2 bay structure with a copper roof built in 1797.

The Bugaku performances held during the shrine's annual festival on April 10-11 are registered as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan.[5]

The shrine is located a ten-minute walk from Itoigawa Station.[6]

Subsidiary shrine[edit]

Within the shrine grounds is the Nunagawa Shrine (奴奈川神社, Nunagawa jinja), which also appears in the Engishiki records. The building is a one-bay structure with a Nagare-zukuri roof and was built in 1798.[4]

Gallery[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Kotodamaya.com, "Amatsu Jinja"; retrieved 2012-10-24.
  2. ^ "Nationwide List of Ichinomiya," p. 2 Archived 2013-05-17 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-3-13.
  3. ^ Shibuya, Nobuhiro (2015). Shokoku jinja Ichinomiya Ninomiya San'nomiya (in Japanese). Yamakawa shuppansha. ISBN 4634150867.
  4. ^ a b Yoshiki, Emi (2007). Zenkoku `Ichinomiya' tettei gaido (in Japanese). PHP Institute. ISBN 4569669301.
  5. ^ "天津神社舞楽" [Amatsu Jinja Bugaku] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  6. ^ Okada, Shoji (2014). Taiyō no chizuchō 24 zenkoku `Ichinomiya' meguri (in Japanese). Heibonsha. ISBN 4582945619.

External links[edit]