Usa Shrine
Encyclopedia
, also known as , is a Shinto shrine in the city of Usa
in Ōita Prefecture
in Japan
. Emperor Ojin
, who was deified as Hachiman
-jin (the tutelary god of warriors), 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 jingū has long been the recipient of Imperial patronage; and its prestige is considered second only to that of Ise.
. Ancient records place the foundation of Usa jingū in the Wadō era
(708-714). A temple called Miroku-ji was built next to it in 779, making it what is believed to be the first shrine-temple (jingū-ji
) ever. The resulting mixed complex, called , lasted over a millennium until 1868, when the Buddhist part was removed to comply with the Kami and Buddhas Separation Act
. It is today the center from which over 40,000 branch Hachiman shrines
have grown. Usa's Hachiman shrine first appears in the chronicles of Imperial history during the reign of Empress Shōtoku. The empress allegedly had an affair with a Buddhist monk named Dōkyō
. An oracle was said to have proclaimed that the monk should be made emperor; and the kami
Hachiman
at Usa was consulted for verification. The empress died before anything further could develop.
Usa jingū was designated as the chief Shinto shrine (ichinomiya) for the former Buzen province
.
From 1871 through 1946, Usa was officially designated one of the , meaning that it stood in the first rank of government supported shrines. Other similarly honored Hachiman shrines were Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu of Yawata
in Kyoto Prefecture
and Hakozaki-gū of Fukuoka
in Fukuoka Prefecture
.
was in the 8th century. In 749, the shrine'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 mikoshi into the community during shrine festivals had become a conventional practice.
s have extended the reach of the kami at Usa:
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-gū was established at Fukuoka
as a branch of the Usa Shrine.
In 1063, Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū was established by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi
to extend Hachiman's protective influence over Kamakura
; and today this branch shrine attracts more visitors than any other shrine in Japan.
dances meant to commemorate the souls of fish killed by fishermen during the previous year. This syncretic rite fusing Buddhism and Shinto, now performed in many shrines all over the country, took first place here.
.
The structures which comprise the current shrine complex were built in the middle of the 19th century. Their characteristic configuration, called Hachiman-zukuri
, consists of two parallel structures with gabled roofs interconnected on the non-gabled side to form what internally is a single building. Seen from the outside, however, the complex still gives the impression of being two separate buildings. 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.
Usa, Oita
' is a city located in Ōita Prefecture, Japan. Usa is famous for being the location of the Usa Shrine, built in 725, the head shrine of all of Hachiman shrines in Japan.Usa is made up of three areas.*Usa, the area surrounding the Usa Shrine...
in Ōita Prefecture
Oita Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan on Kyūshū Island. The prefectural capital is the city of Ōita.- History :Around the 6th century Kyushu consisted of four regions: Tsukushi-no-kuni 筑紫国, Hi-no-kuni 肥国, and Toyo no kuni...
in Japan
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...
. Emperor Ojin
Emperor Ojin
, also known as Homutawake or , was the 15th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.No firm dates can be assigned to this emperor's life or reign, but he is conventionally considered to have reigned from 270 to 310....
, who was deified as Hachiman
Hachiman
In Japanese mythology, is the Japanese syncretic god of archery and war, incorporating elements from both Shinto and Buddhism. Although often called the god of war, he is more correctly defined as the tutelary god of warriors. He is also divine protector of Japan and the Japanese people...
-jin (the tutelary god of warriors), 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 jingū has long been the recipient of Imperial patronage; and its prestige is considered second only to that of Ise.
History
The shrine was founded in Kyushu during the Nara periodNara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784...
. Ancient records place the foundation of Usa jingū in the Wadō era
Wado (era)
was a after Keiun and before Reiki. This period spanned the years from January 708 through September 715. The reigning empress was .-Change of era:...
(708-714). A temple called Miroku-ji was built next to it in 779, making it what is believed to be the first shrine-temple (jingū-ji
Jingū-ji
Until the Meiji period , the Japanese were places of worship composed of a Buddhist temple and of a shrine dedicated to a local kami. These complexes were born when a temple was erected next to a shrine to help its kami. At the time, deities were thought to be also subjected to karma, and...
) ever. The resulting mixed complex, called , lasted over a millennium until 1868, when the Buddhist part was removed to comply with the Kami and Buddhas Separation Act
Shinbutsu Bunri
The term in Japanese indicates the forbidding by law of the amalgamation of kami and buddhas made during the Meiji Restoration. It also indicates the effort made by the Japanese government to create a clear division between native kami beliefs and Buddhism on one side, and Buddhist temples and...
. It is today the center from which over 40,000 branch Hachiman shrines
Hachiman Shrine
A is a Shinto shrine dedicated to kami Hachiman. It is the second most numerous type of Shinto shrine after those dedicated to Inari.Originally the name was read Yawata or Yahata, a reading still used in some occasions.-Famous Hachiman shrines:...
have grown. Usa's Hachiman shrine first appears in the chronicles of Imperial history during the reign of Empress Shōtoku. The empress allegedly had an affair with a Buddhist monk named Dōkyō
Dokyo
was a Nara Period Japanese monk of the Dharma character school. As he was born in the family of Yuge, in the lineage of the Mononobe clan, Dōkyō was also known as . He was the brother of Yuge no Kiyoto.-Background:...
. An oracle was said to have proclaimed that the monk should be made emperor; and the kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
Hachiman
Hachiman
In Japanese mythology, is the Japanese syncretic god of archery and war, incorporating elements from both Shinto and Buddhism. Although often called the god of war, he is more correctly defined as the tutelary god of warriors. He is also divine protector of Japan and the Japanese people...
at Usa was consulted for verification. The empress died before anything further could develop.
Usa jingū was designated as the chief Shinto shrine (ichinomiya) for the former Buzen province
Buzen Province
was an old province of Japan in northern Kyūshū in the area of Fukuoka Prefecture and Ōita Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Bungo Province. Buzen bordered on Bungo and Chikuzen Provinces....
.
From 1871 through 1946, Usa was officially designated one of the , meaning that it stood in the first rank of government supported shrines. Other similarly honored Hachiman shrines were Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu of Yawata
Yawata, Kyoto
is a city located in Kyoto, Japan.As of May 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 74,150, with 31,120 households and the density of 3,042.68 persons per km². The total area is 24.37 km²....
in 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....
and Hakozaki-gū of Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
in Fukuoka Prefecture
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
.
Mikoshi
The earliest recorded use of a mikoshiMikoshi
A is a divine palanquin . Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle to transport a deity in Japan while moving between main shrine and temporary shrine during a festival or when moving to a new shrine...
was in the 8th century. In 749, the shrine's mikoshi was used to carry the spirit of Hachiman from Kyushu to Nara
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...
, where the deity was to guard construction of the great Daibutsu
Daibutsu
or 'giant Buddha' is the Japanese term, often used informally, for large statues of Buddha. The oldest is that at Asuka-dera and the best-known those of Tōdai-ji in Nara and Kōtoku-in in Kamakura , both National Treasures.- Examples :...
at Tōdai-ji
Todai-ji
, is a Buddhist temple complex located in the city of Nara, Japan. Its Great Buddha Hall , the largest wooden building in the world, houses the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese simply as Daibutsu . The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the ...
. By the 10th century, carrying mikoshi into the community during shrine festivals had become a conventional practice.
Branch shrines
Over the course of centuries, a vast number of Hachiman shrineHachiman Shrine
A is a Shinto shrine dedicated to kami Hachiman. It is the second most numerous type of Shinto shrine after those dedicated to Inari.Originally the name was read Yawata or Yahata, a reading still used in some occasions.-Famous Hachiman shrines:...
s have extended the reach of the kami at Usa:
In 859, a branch offshoot was established to spread Hachiman's protective influence over 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:...
; and this Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū still draws worshipers and tourists today.
In 923, the Hakozaki-gū was established at Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
as a branch of the Usa Shrine.
In 1063, Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū was established by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi
Minamoto no Yoriyoshi
was a head of Japan's Minamoto clan who is perhaps most notable for having led, along with his son Minamoto no Yoshiie, the Imperial forces against rebellious forces in the north...
to extend Hachiman's protective influence over Kamakura
Kamakura, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
; and today this branch shrine attracts more visitors than any other shrine in Japan.
Hōjō-e festival
Because of its mixed religious ancestry, one of the important festivals at the shrine is the , originally a Buddhist ceremony in which captive birds and fish are released. The ceremony is accompanied by sacred kaguraKagura
- Fictional characters :*Kagura Tsuchimiya, the protagonist of Ga-rei*Kagura, an InuYasha character*Kagura Sohma , a Fruits Basket character*Kagura, an Azumanga Daioh character*Ten'nōzu Kagura, a Speed Grapher character...
dances meant to commemorate the souls of fish killed by fishermen during the previous year. This syncretic rite fusing Buddhism and Shinto, now performed in many shrines all over the country, took first place here.
Architecture
The main hall and the Kujaku Monkei are designated amongst Japan's National TreasuresNational treasures of Japan
National Treasures are the most precious of Japan's Tangible Cultural Properties, as determined and designated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs...
.
The structures which comprise the current shrine complex were built in the middle of the 19th century. Their characteristic configuration, called Hachiman-zukuri
Hachiman-zukuri
The is a traditional Japanese architectural style used at Hachiman shrines in which two parallel structures with gabled roofs are interconnected on the non-gabled side, forming one building which, when seen from the side, gives the impression of two. The front structure is called , the rear one ,...
, consists of two parallel structures with gabled roofs interconnected on the non-gabled side to form what internally is a single building. Seen from the outside, however, the complex still gives the impression of being two separate buildings. 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.
See also
- List of Jingū
- List of National Treasures of Japan (crafts-others)
- List of National Treasures of Japan (shrines)
External links
- 180o-panorama
- 180o-panorama
- Smith CollegeSmith CollegeSmith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
Museum of Art: digitized Hachiman no honji handscrolls