Hikosan Jingū

Hikosan Jingū 英彦山神宮
Hikosan Jingū Shrine at the summit of Mt. Hiko.

Hikosan Jingū (英彦山神宮) is a Shinto shrine located in Soeda, Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. Located on the boundary between Fukuoka and Oita Prefectures, Hiko-san has been venerated from ancient times as a sacred mountain. It was also a center of training for the Shugendō sect of Buddhism. The shrine is located on the Fukuoka Prefecture side of the mountain. The Jō-gu is located in the innermost part of the shrine grounds on the top of Naka-dake, the center peak of the three Hiko-san peaks. The sanctuary is said to have been built in 740. The Hōhei-den, a large lecture hall built in 1616, and the Kane-no-Torii, a bronze Shinto gateway built in 1637, have both been designated Important Cultural Properties by the Japanese government.

History

The shrine was originally built in 740 as a center of training for the Shugendō sect of Buddhism. However, the Shugendō temple was abolished by the separation of Shinto from Buddhism, introduced after the Meiji Restoration. Reisen-ji (霊泉寺), the head temple of the Tendai Buddhism, was converted into Hikosan Jinja (英彦山神社). In 1975, it was renamed to its present name, Hikosan Jingū.

Gallery

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  Hōhei-den (Important Cultural Property)
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  Kane-no-Torii (Important Cultural Property)
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  Omotesandō, very steep stone stairways approaching to the shrine.
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  Hikosan Kaen Slope car, a monorail system run from Kane-no-Torii to Hikosan Jingū, was open in 2005.

See also

• Mount Hiko
• Shugendō
• List of Shinto shrines

External links

• Hikosan-jingu Shrine - Japan National Tourism Organization Official Website (in English)