Three Palace Sanctuaries

Three Palace Sanctuaries in the Taisho era in the 1920s

The precincts of the Japanese Imperial Palace in Tokyo (Kokyo) include structures known as the Three Palace Sanctuaries or Kyuchusanden (宮中三殿). They are used in imperial religious ceremonies, including weddings and coronations. The three sanctuaries are:

• Kashikodokoro (賢所) enshrining Amaterasu. (Since 1915, special rolling stock for the ceremonial use of the imperial family is known as Kashikodokoro Jogyosha (賢所乗御車) from the name of this sanctuary.) The Sacred Jewel or Yasakani no magatama, one of the Imperial Regalia of Japan is also said to be in the Kashikodokoro.
• Koreiden (皇霊殿) enshrining the departed spirits of the Japanese imperial family from one year after their death.
• Shinden (神殿) enshrining the Amatsukami (天津神) from Takamagahara and the Kunitsukami (国津神) from Japanese religious myths.

See also

• Culture of Japan
• Japanese mythology
• Jinja (Shinto)
• Religion in Japan

References

• Article on Kyūchū sanden from the Encyclopedia of Shinto