Awa Shrine
| Awa Jinja 安房神社 | |
|---|---|
 Precincts of Awa Jinja | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Shinto |
| Deity | Ame-no-Futodama |
| Location | |
| Location | Daijngū, Tateyama, Chiba |
  Shown within Japan | |
| Geographic coordinates | 34°55′20.80″N 139°50′12.25″E / 34.9224444°N 139.8367361°E |
| Website | |
| www1 | |
 Glossary of Shinto | |
The Awa Shrine (安房神社, Awa Jinja) is a Shinto shrine in the city of Tateyama in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is one of two shrines claiming to hold the title of ichinomiya of former Awa Province. The main festival of the shrine is held annually on August 10.
Enshrined kami
The primary kami of Awa Jinja is the Ame-no-Futodama-no-mikoto (天太玉命).
Secondary enshrined kami include:
- Ame-no-hiritome-no-mikoto (天乃比理刀咩命)
- Kushiakarutama-no-mikoto (櫛明玉命)
- Ame-nohiwashi-no-mikoto (天日鷲命)
- Taokihooi-no-mikoto (手置帆負命)
- Hikosashiri-no-mikoto (彦狭知命)
- Ame-no-mahitotsu-no-mikoto (天目一箇命)
- Ame-no-tomi-no-mikoto (天富命)
- Ame-no-oshihi-no-mikoto (天忍日命)
There are also numerous small subsidiary shrines to various kami within the shrine grounds.
History
The date of Awa Shrine’s foundation is unknown. Shrine tradition and the Kogo Shūi records of 807 AD gives the founder as a member of the Inbe clan, (the precursors to the Nakatomi clan) during the reign of the legendary Emperor Jimmu. The shrine is mentioned several times in the early Heian period Rikkokushi and it is mentioned again in the Engishiki records.
It has been styled as the ichinomiya of Awa Province since at least the end of the Heian period, and enjoyed the patronage of the Satomi clan, and subsequently the Tokugawa shogunate until the end of the Edo period.
After the Meiji Restoration, it was granted the rank of Kanpei Taisha (1st ranked Imperial Shrine) under State Shinto in 1875.[1] The present Honden dates from 1881.
During archaeological investigations in 1931, numerous Jōmon and Kofun period artifacts were recovered, including a number of bronze mirrors, clay vessels and the skeletons of 22 people.
See also
Notes
- ^ Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan, pp. 125.
References
- Plutschow, Herbe. (1996). Matsuri: The Festivals of Japan. London: RoutledgeCurzon. ISBN 1-873410-63-8
- Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan. Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. OCLC 194887