Nijunisha
Encyclopedia
The of Japan
is one ranking system for Shinto shrines. The system was established during the Heian period
. The shrines listed below receive special offerings from the Imperial Court. Most were selected from shrines that were in the immediate vicinity of Kyoto
, the capital of Japan at the time.
law system, the shrines that the Imperial Court would present offerings to for rites such as the kinensai (祈年祭), a service to pray for a good harvest, were mostly decided by the , but once the Ritsuryō system began to deteriorate, the offerings were only given to a select few shrines.
In 965, Emperor Murakami
ordered that Imperial messengers were sent to report important events to the guardian kami of Japan. These heihaku were presented to 16 shrines: 1. Ise; 2. Iwashimizu; 3. Kamo; 4. Matsunoo; 5. Hirano; 6. Inari; 7. Kasuga; 8. Oharano; 9. Miwa; 10: Isonokami; 11. Ōyamato; 12. Hirose; 13. Tatsuta; 14. Sumiyoshi; 15. Nibu and 16. Kibune.
In 991, Emperor Ichijō
added three more shrines to Murakami's list—17. Yoshida; 18. Hirota; and 19. Kitano; and two more were added three years later in 994;—20. Umenomiya; and 21. Gion.
In 1039, Emperor Go-Suzaku
ordered that one more shrine be added to this list, 22. Hie, and this unique number of Imperial-designated shrines has not been altered since that time.
Near the end of the Heian period, there was a movement to add Itsukushima Shrine
to the list, but it did not happen. However, until the end of the Muromachi period
, the Imperial Court made offerings to it, and in the Edo period
, offerings were again made after disasters occurred.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
is one ranking system for Shinto shrines. The system was established during the Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
. The shrines listed below receive special offerings from the Imperial Court. Most were selected from shrines that were in the immediate vicinity of Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, the capital of Japan at the time.
Establishment
Under the RitsuryōRitsuryo
is the historical law system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Chinese Legalism in Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei"...
law system, the shrines that the Imperial Court would present offerings to for rites such as the kinensai (祈年祭), a service to pray for a good harvest, were mostly decided by the , but once the Ritsuryō system began to deteriorate, the offerings were only given to a select few shrines.
In 965, Emperor Murakami
Emperor Murakami
was the 62nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Murakami's reign spanned the years from 946 to his death in 967.-Traditional narrative:...
ordered that Imperial messengers were sent to report important events to the guardian kami of Japan. These heihaku were presented to 16 shrines: 1. Ise; 2. Iwashimizu; 3. Kamo; 4. Matsunoo; 5. Hirano; 6. Inari; 7. Kasuga; 8. Oharano; 9. Miwa; 10: Isonokami; 11. Ōyamato; 12. Hirose; 13. Tatsuta; 14. Sumiyoshi; 15. Nibu and 16. Kibune.
In 991, Emperor Ichijō
Emperor Ichijo
was the 66th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Ichijō's reign spanned the years from 986 to 1011.-Traditional narrative:Before he ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was Kanehito-shinnō....
added three more shrines to Murakami's list—17. Yoshida; 18. Hirota; and 19. Kitano; and two more were added three years later in 994;—20. Umenomiya; and 21. Gion.
In 1039, Emperor Go-Suzaku
Emperor Go-Suzaku
was the 69th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Suzaku's reign spanned the years from 1036 through 1045.This 11th-century sovereign was named after the 10th-century Emperor Suzaku and go- , translates literally as "later;" and thus, he is sometimes called the...
ordered that one more shrine be added to this list, 22. Hie, and this unique number of Imperial-designated shrines has not been altered since that time.
Near the end of the Heian period, there was a movement to add Itsukushima Shrine
Itsukushima Shrine
Itsukushima Shrine is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima in the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan...
to the list, but it did not happen. However, until the end of the Muromachi period
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kemmu restoration of imperial...
, the Imperial Court made offerings to it, and in the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, offerings were again made after disasters occurred.
List of the Shrines
When the Nijūni-sha are considered as a grouped set, they are conventionally presented in order of rank, not in terms of the chronological sequence in which they were designated. The three rank ranked groupings originally derived from a complex array of Heian geopolitical relationships.Upper Seven Shrines
| Shrine Name | Current Name | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jingū (神宮) | Jingū (also Ise Jingū 伊勢神宮) |
Ise Ise, Mie , formerly called Ujiyamada , is a city located in eastern Mie Prefecture, on the island of Honshū, Japan.Ise is home to Ise Grand Shrine, the most sacred Shintō Shrine in Japan, and is thus a very popular destination for tourists. The city has a long-standing nickname—Shinto —that roughly means... , Mie Mie Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province.... |
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| Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū (石清水八幡宮) | Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū | Yawata, Kyoto Prefecture Kyoto Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Kyoto.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Kyoto prefecture was known as Yamashiro.... |
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| Kamigamo Jinja Kamigamo Shrine is an important Shinto sanctuary on the banks of the Kamo River in north Kyoto, first founded in 678. Its formal name is the .It is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan and is one of the seventeen Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which have been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site... (賀茂神社) |
Kamo-wakeikazuchi Jinja (賀茂別雷神社) |
Kamo-wakeikazuchi Jinja a/k/a Kamigamo Jinja (上賀茂神社) |
Kita-ku Kita-ku, Kyoto is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Its name means "North Ward." As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 122,391 people.-Universities:*Bukkyo University*Kyoto Sangyo University... , Kyoto Kyoto is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:... |
| Kamo-mioya Jinja (賀茂御祖神社) |
Kamo-mioya Jinja a/k/a Shimogamo Jinja Shimogamo Shrine Shimogamo Shrine, called Shimogamo-jinja in Japanese, is the common name of an important Shinto sanctuary in the Shimogamo district of Kyoto city's Sakyō ward. Its formal name is Kamo-mioya-jinja... (下鴨神社) |
Sakyō-ku Sakyo-ku, Kyoto is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It was created in 1929 when it was split off from Kamigyo-ku.It is located in the north-east corner of Kyoto city. In the east it borders the city of Ōtsu in Shiga Prefecture. In the south Sanjō Street separates it from... , Kyoto |
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| Matsunoo Jinja (松尾神社) | Matsunoo Taisha Matsunoo Shrine is a Shinto shrine located at the far western end of Shijo Street, approximately 1.3 kilometers south of the Arashiyama district of Kyoto, Japan. It is home to a spring at the base of the mountain, Arashiyama, that is believed to be blessed.... |
Ukyō-ku Ukyo-ku, Kyoto is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The word , as opposed to , refers to the western half of the ancient capital of Heiankyō – the palace faced south, hence west was to the right... , Kyoto |
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| Hirano Jinja (平野神社) | Hirano Jinja Hirano Shrine The is a Shinto shrine in the city of Kyoto. This shrine is known and popular for its gardens and many trees.-History:The shrine was established in the year 794 by Emperor Kammu when the capital was transferred to Heian-kyō from Nagaoka-kyō. From the earliest years, the shrine has been often... |
Kita-ku, Kyoto | |
| Inari Jinja (稲荷神社) | Fushimi Inari Taisha Fushimi Inari-taisha is the head shrine of Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain also named Inari, and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines.... (伏見稲荷大社) |
Fushimi-ku Fushimi-ku, Kyoto is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Famous places in Fushimi include the Fushimi Inari Shrine, with thousands of torii lining the paths up and down a mountain; Fushimi Castle, originally built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, with its rebuilt towers and gold-lined... , Kyoto |
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| Kasuga Jinja (春日神社) | Kasuga-taisha | Nara City Nara, Nara is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture... , Nara Prefecture Nara Prefecture is a prefecture in the Kansai region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara.-History:The present-day Nara Prefecture was created in 1887, making it independent of Osaka Prefecture.... |
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Middle Seven Shrines
| Shrine Name | Current Name | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Ōharano Jinja (大原野神社) | Ōharano Jinja Ōharano Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Nishikyō-ku, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.Ōhorano is dedicated to the Fujiwara tutelary kami, Amenokoyane, who was said to have assisted in the founding of the state.-History:... |
Nishikyō-ku Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Its name means "west capital ward" and it is situated on the western edge of the city, to the south of center. The ward was established on October 1, 1976 separating from Ukyō-ku... , Kyoto |
| Ōmiwa Jinja (大神神社) | Ōmiwa Jinja Ōmiwa Shrine , also known as , is a Shinto shrine located in Sakurai, Nara, Japan. The shrine is noted because it contains no sacred images or objects because it is believed to serve Mount Miwa, the mountain on which it stands. For the same reason, it has a , but no . In this sense, it is a model of what the... |
Sakurai Sakurai, Nara is a city in Nara, Japan.As of 2007, the city had an estimated population of 63,321 with a density of 630.01 persons per km². The total area is 98.92 km².The city was founded on September 1, 1956.... , Nara |
| Isonokami Jinja (石上神社) | Isonokami Jingū Isonokami Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the hills of Tenri in Nara prefecture, Japan. It is one of the oldest extant Shinto shrines in Japan and has housed several significant artifacts.... |
Tenri Tenri, Nara is a city located in Nara, Japan. Tenri is the only city in Japan to be named after a religious group, the new religious movement Tenrikyo which has its headquarters in the city and believes it to be one among other energy centers of the world. Tenrikyo had recommended the name Yamabe, which is the... , Nara |
| Ōyamato Jinja (大和神社) | Ōyamato Jinja Ōyamato Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Tenri, Nara in Japan.The shrine became the object of Imperial patronage during the early Heian period. In 965, Emperor Murakami ordered that Imperial messengers were sent to report important events to the guardian kami of Japan... |
Tenri, Nara |
| Hirose Jinja (廣瀬神社) | Hirose Taisha Hirose Shrine , also known as Hirose Taisha, is a Shinto shrine located in Kawai, Nara prefecture, Japan.The shrine became the object of Imperial patronage during the early Heian period. In 965, Emperor Murakami ordered that Imperial messengers were sent to report important events to the guardian kami of Japan... |
Kawai Kawai, Nara is a town located in Kitakatsuragi District, Nara, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 19,691 and a density of 2,381.02 persons per km². The total area is 8.27 km².-Public schools:*****-External links:*... , Nara |
| Tatsuta Jinja (龍田神社) | Tatsuta Taisha Tatsuta Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Sangō, Nara in Japan. The shrine is also known in Japanese as .The Shrine became the object of Imperial patronage during the early Heian period. In 965, Emperor Murakami ordered that Imperial messengers were sent to report important events to the guardian kami of Japan... |
Sangō Sango, Nara is a town located in Ikoma District, Nara, Japan.As of October 1, 2007, the town has a population of 23,228 people, 11,079 males and 12,094 females and a density of 2,640 persons per km². There is a total of 9,281 households. The total area is 8.80 km².... , Nara |
| Sumiyoshi Jinja (住吉神社) | Sumiyoshi Taisha Sumiyoshi Taisha , also known as Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine, is a Shinto shrine in Sumiyoshi ward in the city of Osaka, Japan. It is the main shrine of all the Sumiyoshi shrines in Japan... |
Sumiyoshi-ku Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka is one of 24 wards of Osaka, Japan. It is located on the southern part of the Uemachi Plateau, in the southern most part of Osaka City, and is separated from Sakai City's Sakai-ku and Kita-ku by the Yamato River... , Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... |
Lower Eight Shrines
| Shrine Name | Current Name | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Hie Jinja (日吉神社) | Hiyoshi Taisha Hiyoshi Shrine , also known as or Hie jinja, is a Shinto shrine located at Ōtsu in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.The shrine became the object of Imperial patronage during the early Heian period. In 965, Emperor Murakami ordered that Imperial messengers were sent to report important events to the guardian kami of Japan... |
Otsu Otsu Ōtsu, or Otsu, may refer to:* Ōtsu, Shiga, Japan** Ōtsu Station, a railway station on the Tōkaidō Main Line ** Ōtsu incident, an assassination attempt on Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich of Russia... , Shiga |
| Umenomiya Jinja (梅宮神社) | Umenomiya Taisha Umenomiya Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Ukyō-ku in Kyoto, Japan.-History:The shrine became the object of Imperial patronage during the early Heian period. In 965, Emperor Murakami ordered that Imperial messengers were sent to report important events to the guardian kami of Japan... |
Ukyō-ku Ukyo-ku, Kyoto is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The word , as opposed to , refers to the western half of the ancient capital of Heiankyō – the palace faced south, hence west was to the right... , Kyoto |
| Yoshida Jinja (吉田神社) | Yoshida Jinja Yoshida Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Sakyō-ku in Kyoto, Japan. It was founded in 859 by the Fujiwara clan.-History:The shrine became the object of Imperial patronage during the early Heian period. In 965, Emperor Murakami ordered that Imperial messengers were sent to report important events to the... |
Sakyō-ku Sakyo-ku, Kyoto is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It was created in 1929 when it was split off from Kamigyo-ku.It is located in the north-east corner of Kyoto city. In the east it borders the city of Ōtsu in Shiga Prefecture. In the south Sanjō Street separates it from... , Kyoto |
| Hirota Jinja (廣田神社) | Hirota Jinja Hirota Shrine ' is a Shinto shrine in Nishinomiya City, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Nishinomiya literally means "shrine of the west," and the town is in fact named after Hirota Shrine.-Location:... |
Nishinomiya Nishinomiya, Hyogo is a city located in Hyōgo, Japan, between the cities of Ōsaka and Kōbe. On April 1, 2005, the city of Nishinomiya celebrated its 80th anniversary. It is best known as the home of Kōshien Stadium, where the Hanshin Tigers baseball team plays home games and where Japan's annual high school baseball... , Hyōgo Hyogo Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :... |
| Gion-sha (祇園社) | Yasaka Jinja Yasaka Shrine ', once called , is a Shinto shrine in the Gion District of Kyoto, Japan. Situated at the east end of Shijō-dōri , the shrine includes several buildings, including gates, a main hall and a stage.-History:... (八坂神社) |
Higashiyama-ku Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto ' is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It was created in 1929 when it was split off from Shimogyō-ku. During the years 1931 to 1976 it also covered the area of present-day Yamashina-ku, which was an independent town until its merger into the city in 1931... , Kyoto |
| Kitano Jinja (北野神社) | Kitano Tenman-gū Kitano Tenman-gu ' is a Shinto shrine in Kamigyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan.-History:It was built in 947, to appease the angry spirit of bureaucrat, scholar and poet Sugawara no Michizane, who had been exiled as a result of political maneuvers of his enemies in the Fujiwara clan.... (北野天満宮) |
Kamigyō-ku Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Located in the center of the present-day city of Kyoto, Japan it previously occupied the northern region of the ancient capital of Kyoto. The Kamo River flows on the eastern border of the ward... , Kyoto |
| Niukawakami Jinja (丹生川上神社) | *Niukawakami Jinja Niukawakami Shrine , also known as Nibukawakami Jinja, is a Shinto shrine located at Nara in Nara, Japan.-History:The shrine became the object of Imperial patronage during the early Heian period. In 965, Emperor Murakami ordered that Imperial messengers were sent to report important events to the guardian kami of... Shimosha (lower shrine) Niukawakami Jinja Nakasha (middle shrine) *Niukawakami Jinja Kamisha (upper shrine) |
Shimoichi Shimoichi, Nara is a town located in Yoshino District, Nara, Japan.As of September 1, 2007, the town has an estimated population of 7,404 and a density of 119.40 persons per km². The total area is 62.01 km².... , Nara Higashiyoshino Higashiyoshino, Nara is a village located in Yoshino District, Nara, Japan.As of October 1, 2007, the village has an estimated population of 2,426 and a density of 18.40 persons per km². The total area is 131.60 km².-Geography:... , Nara Kawakami Kawakami, Nara is a village located in Yoshino District, Nara, Japan.As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 2,286 and a density of 8.49 persons per km². The total area is 269.16 km².-External links:*... , Nara |
| Kibune Jinja (貴船神社) | Kibune Jinja Kibune Shrine , also known as Kifune Jinja, is a Shinto shrine located at Sakyō-ku in Kyoto, Japan.-History:The shrine became the object of Imperial patronage during the early Heian period. In 965, Emperor Murakami ordered that Imperial messengers were sent to report important events to the guardian kami of Japan... (also Kifune Jinja) |
Sakyō-ku, Kyoto |
- Note: At the time when the Nijunisha were chosen, the current Niukawakami Nakasha was the only Niukawakami Shrine. It became the middle shrine (nakasha) only after the shrine in Shimoichi and KawakamiKawakami, Narais a village located in Yoshino District, Nara, Japan.As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 2,286 and a density of 8.49 persons per km². The total area is 269.16 km².-External links:*...
were united with it.