Usa Jingū: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 17:38, 29 January 2009
| Usa Shrine 石清水八幡宮 | |
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| File:宇佐神宮西大門.jpg. The central gate of Usa-jingu Shrine in Kyushu. |
The Usa Shrine (宇佐神宮) is a Shinto shrine in the city of Usa in Ōita Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Emperor Ojin, who was deified as Hachiman-jin (the god of military power), is said to be enshrined in all the sites dedicated to him; and the first and earliest of these was at Usa in the early 8th century.[2] The Usa Shrine has long been the recipient of Imperial patronage; and its prestige is considered second only to the Ise Shrine.[3]
History
The shrine was founded in 725 during the Nara period; and it is today the center from which over 40,000 branch shrines have grown.[1]
In 859, a branch offshoot was established to spread Hachiman's protective influence over Kyoto;[3] and this Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū still draws worshipers and tourists today.
In 923, the Hakozaki Shrine was established at Fukuoka as a branch of the Usa Shrine.[4]
In 1063, Minamoto Yoritomo established Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū to spread Hachiman's protective influence over Kamakura;[3] and today this shrine attracts more visitors than any other shrine in Japan.
Mikoshi
The mikoshi is a kind of ornate palanquin with long poles for carrying. O-mikoshi, is written with the honorific prefix indicating the sacred nature of this portable shrine. The word mikoshi is written with the characters for kami (deity) and kago, or koshi (palanquin).[5]
The earliest recorded use of a mikoshi was in the 8th century. In 749, the Usa-jinju's mikoshi was used to carry the spirit of Hachiman from Kyushu to Nara, where the deity was to guard construction of the great Daibutsu at Tōdai-ji. By the 10th century, carrying o-mikoshi into the community during (Shinto) shrine festivals had become a conventional practice.
Architecture
The main hall and the Kujaku Monkei are designated amongst Japan's National Treasures.[1]
The structures which comprise the current shrine complex were was built in the middle of the 19th century. This characteristic configuration of the Hachiman-zukuri consists of two main buildings which are situated one in front of the other. The structure in front is called the Ge-in, which is where the deity is said to reside during the daytime. The structure in the rear is called the Nai-in, which serves as the deity's sleeping chamber during the night. [2]
Notes
- ^ a b c d Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT): Usa Jinju Shrine
- ^ a b Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO): Usa-jingu Shrine
- ^ a b c Hardacre, Helen. (1989). [Hardacre, Helen. (1989). Shinto and the State, 1868-1988, p. 12.
- ^ Fukuoka/Hakata Tourist Information website: Hakozaki Shrine
- ^ Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America: Omikoshi procession
References
- Hardacre, Helen. (1989). Shinto and the State, 1868-1988. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 10-ISBN 0691020523; 13-ISBN 9780691020525; OCLC 19067219
External links
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