Nangū Taisha Explained

Nangū Taisha 南宮大社
Map Type:	Japan Gifu Prefecture#Japan
Coordinates:	35.361°N 136.5253°W
Map Relief:	1
Religious Affiliation:	Shinto
Deity:	Kanayama-hiko (金山彦命)
Established:	c. Emperor Sujin (97 BC – 30 BC)
Location:	1734-1 Miyashiromine, Tarui-cho, Gifu-ken Japan
Festival:	May 5

is a Shinto shrine located in the town of Tarui in Fuwa District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It is the ichinomiya of former Mino Province. The main festival of the shrine is held annually on May 25.^[1] The shrine precincts contain 18 structures from the Edo period, which are designated national Important Cultural Properties. The main building of the shrine is rebuilt every 51 years.

Enshrined kami

The kami enshrined at Nangū Taisha is:

• , the kami of mining and the metals industry.

History

Nangū Taisha is located in the southwestern corner of Gifu Prefecture, at the foot of Mount Nangū. The name "Nangū" derives from its location to the south of the ancient Mino Provincial Capital. Nangū Taisha claims to have been first built during the reign of the legendary Emperor Sujin (97 BC – 30 BC), although there are no historical records prior to its mention in the 836 Shoku Nihon Kōki and in the 859 Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku. The mid-Heian period Engishiki confirmed its status as a . The shrine was destroyed by a fire in 1501, which destroyed all its records. It was rebuilt by Toki Masafusa, the shugo of Mino Province in 1511.^[2]

During the nearby Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, the shrine was again completely burnt to the ground and was not rebuilt until 1642, when Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu sponsored the construction efforts.^[3] The shrine retains a document which details the cost of the reconstruction. In 1867, as a result of shinbutsu bunri, the Buddhist temple located on the shrine grounds was moved to a different location and named Shinzen-in (真禅院). In 1871, the shrine was designated as a under the Modern system of ranked Shinto shrines of State Shinto. It was promoted to a in 1925, and its name was changed from "Jinja" to "Taisha" to reflect its more important status.^[2]

The shrine is located approximately one kilometer southwest of Tarui Station on the JR Tokai Tōkaidō Main Line.^[4]

Nangū Otabi Shrine

is the Soja Shrine of Mino Province. It enshrines all fhe deities of the province

Whenever a new kokushi was appointed by the central government to govern a province, it was necessary for him to visit all of the sanctuaries of his province in order to complete the rites necessary for ceremonial inauguration. Grouping the kami into one location near the capital of the province greatly facilitated this duty,^[5]

Cultural Properties

Important Cultural Properties

• Honden (Main shrine), built in 1642. ^[6]
• Heiden, built in 1642.^[7]
• Haiden, built in 1642.^[8]
• Cloister, built in 1642. ^{[9] [10]}
• Chokushi-den, built in 1642.^[11]
• Kobu-den, built in 1642.^[12]
• , built in 1642.^[13]
• , built in 1642.^[14]
• , built in 1642.^[15]
• Sub-shrine Juge Jinja Honden^[16]
• Sub-shrine Takayama Jinja Honden^[17]
• Sub-shrine Hayato Jinja Honden ^[18]
• Sub-shrine Nandai Jinja Honden^[19]
• Sub-shrine Shichi-ōji Jinja Honden ^[20]
• Stone Torii, built in 1642 and located in Tarui-juku, built in 1642.^[21]
• , built in 1642.^[22]
• , built in 1642.^[23]
• Tachi, signed Yasumitsu, donated by Toki Yoriyoshi in 1398^[24]
• Tachi, Heian period, signed by Munechika Sanjo^[25]
• Halberd (2 pcs), Nara period^[26]
• Historical documents of Nangū Taisha (623 volumes)

See also

• List of Shinto shrines
• Ichinomiya

External links

• Official home page

Notes and References

1. Book: Shibuya . Nobuhiro . Shokoku jinja Ichinomiya Ninomiya San'nomiya . 2015 . Yamakawa shuppansha . 978-4634150867 . Japanese.
2. Book: Yoshiki . Emi . Zenkoku 'Ichinomiya' tettei gaido . 2007 . PHP Institute . 978-4569669304 . Japanese.
3. http://www.kaiun-goriyaku.com/21j-019.htm Nangū Taisha
4. Book: Okada . Shoji . Taiyō no chizuchō 24 zenkoku 'Ichinomiya' meguri . 2014 . Heibonsha . 978-4582945614 . Japanese.
5. Book: Bocking . Brian . A Popular Dictionary of Shinto . 2016 . Routledge . 978-1138979079.
6. Web site: 南宮神社 本殿. Nangū Taisha Honden. Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
7. Web site: 南宮神社 幣殿. Nangū Taisha Heiden. Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
8. Web site: 南宮神社 拝殿. Nangū Taisha Haiden. Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
9. Web site: 南宮神社 回廊. Nangū Taisha Kairō. Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
10. Web site: 南宮神社 回廊. Nangū Taisha Kairō. Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
11. Web site: 南宮神社 勅使殿. Nangū Taisha Chokushi-den. Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
12. Web site: 南宮神社 高舞殿. Nangū Taisha Kobuden. Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
13. Web site: 南宮神社 楼門. Nangū Taisha Rōmon. Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
14. Web site: 南宮神社 神輿舎. Nangū Taisha Shinyosha. Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
15. Web site: 南宮神社 神官廊. Nangū Taisha Shinkanro. Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
16. Web site: 南宮神社 摂社樹下神社本殿. Nangū Taisha Sessha Juge Jinja Honden. Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
17. Web site: 南宮神社 摂社高山神社本殿. Nangū Taisha Sessha Takayama Jinja Honden. Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
18. Web site: 南宮神社 摂社隼人神社本殿. Nangū Taisha Sessha Hayato Jinja Honden. Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
19. Web site: 南宮神社 摂社南大神神社本殿. Nangū Taisha Sessha Sandai Jinja Honden. Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
20. Web site: 南宮神社 摂社七王子神社本殿. Nangū Taisha Sessha Sandai Jinja Honden. Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
21. Web site: 南宮神社 鳥居. Nangū Taisha Torii. Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
22. Web site: 南宮神社 輪橋. Nangū Taisha Rinkyō. Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
23. Web site: 南宮神社 下向橋. Nangū Taisha Gekōkyō . Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
24. Web site: 太刀〈銘康光／〉. Tachi . Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
25. Web site: 太刀〈銘三条／〉. Tachi . Japanese . . August 20, 2020.
26. Web site: 鉾〈無銘／〉. Tachi . Japanese . . August 20, 2020.