Morioka Hachimangū Explained

Morioka Hachiman Shrine
盛岡八幡宮
Map Type:Japan
Coordinates:39.6953°N 141.1641°W
Religious Affiliation:Shinto
Type:Hachiman Shrine
Deity:Hachiman
Established:1062
Location:Yawata-cho 13-2, Morioka, Iwate
Architecture Style:Hachiman-zukuri
Festival:September 15

is a Shinto shrine in the city of Morioka, Iwate in northern Japan. The shrine is noted for its annual festival on the second Saturday in June, which is famous for the Chagu Chagu Umakko, a horse parade which was recognized in 1978 as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property.[1] In 1996 the sound of the bells of the Chagu Chagu Umakko was selected by the Ministry of the Environment as one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan.[2] The shrine is also noted for its displays of yabusame horse archery during its annual festival on September 15.

History

The Morioka Hachimangū was established in 1062 during the late Heian period when Minamoto no Yoriyoshi brought a bunrei of the Minamoto clan’s tutelary shrine, the Iwashimizu Hachimangū in Kyoto to pray for victory in his campaign against the Abe clan in the Former Nine Years War. It was originally called the . The shrine was rebuilt in 1593 by the Nanbu clan to be the protective shrine for Morioka Castle. Under the State Shinto system of shrine ranking from 1871 through 1946, the Morioka Hachimangū was officially designated as a "prefectural shrine". The Edo-period shrine structures burned down in 1884. The present main structure dates from 2006.

Shinto belief

The shrine is dedicated to the veneration of the Shinto kami Hachiman. Hachiman has been recognized as an amalgamation of the semi-legendary Emperor Ojin and his consort, Empress Jingū.[3]

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Database of National Cultural Properties . . 18 April 2011.
  2. Web site: 北海道・東北 - チャグチャグ馬コの鈴の音 . . 18 April 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120608002719/http://www.env.go.jp/air/life/oto/ . 8 June 2012 .
  3. Ponsbonby-Fane, Studies, pp. 78, 196.