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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. The Usa Shrine has long been the recipient of Imperial patronage; and its prestige is considered second only to the Ise Shrine.
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.
In 859, a branch offshoot was established to spread Hachiman's protective influence over Kyoto; 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.
In 1063, Minamoto Yoritomo established Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū to spread Hachiman's protective influence over Kamakura; 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).
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.
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.
Notes
- ^ Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT): Usa Jinju Shrine
- ^ Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO): Usa-jingu Shrine
- ^ 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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