Izumo-taisha
![]() | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (April 2009) |
Izumo-Taisha Izumo-Ōyashiro | |
---|---|
![]() Monjin-no-yashiro, Amasaki-no-yashiro, Mimukai-no-yashiro, and honden | |
Religion | |
Affiliation | Shinto |
Deity | Ōkuninushi, Kotoamatsukami |
Festival | Reisai (taisairei) (May 14-16th) |
Type | Chokusaisha Beppyo jinja, Shikinaisya Izumo no Kuni ichinomiya Kanpeitaisha |
Location | |
Location | 195 Kitsukihigashi, Taisha-machi, Izumo-shi, Shimane-ken 699-0701 |
Geographic coordinates | 35°24′07″N 132°41′08″E / 35.40194°N 132.68556°E |
Architecture | |
Style | Taisha-zukuri |
Website | |
www | |
![]() |
Izumo-taisha (
A style of architecture, taisha-zukuri, takes its name from the main hall of Izumo-taisha. That hall, and the attached buildings, were designated National Treasures of Japan in 1952. According to tradition, the hall was previously much taller than at present. The discovery in the year 2000 of the remains of enormous pillars has lent credence to this.
The shrine has been rebuilt every 60 to 70 years to maintain the power of the kami and maintain architectural techniques. This regular rebuilding process is called "Sengū" (
Several other buildings in the shrine compound are on the list of Important Cultural Properties of Japan.
Origins
[edit]According to the two oldest chronicles of Japan, the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki, when Ninigi-no-Mikoto, grandson of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, descended from the heavens, the god Ōkuninushi granted his country to Ninigi-no-Mikoto. Amaterasu was much pleased by this action and she presented Izumo-taisha to Ōkuninushi.
At one time, the Japanese islands were controlled from Izumo, according to Shinto myths. Izumo, known as the realm of gods or the land of myths, is Izumo-taisha's province. Its main structure was originally constructed to glorify the great achievement of Ōkuninushi, considered the creator of Japan. Ōkuninushi was devoted to the building of the nation, in which he shared many joys and sorrows with the ancestors of the land. In addition to being the savior, Ōkuninushi is considered the guardian god and god of happiness, as well as the god who establishes good relationships.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/Izumo-taisha_scale_model_121281969_6127ff6b17_o.jpg/250px-Izumo-taisha_scale_model_121281969_6127ff6b17_o.jpg)
According to the Nihon Shoki, the sun goddess Amaterasu said, "From now on, my descendants shall administer the affairs of state. You shall cast a spell of establishing good relationship over people to lead them a happy life. I will build your residence with colossal columns and thick and broad planks in the same architectural style as mine and name it Amenohisu-no-miya." The other gods were gathered and ordered by Amaterasu to build the grand palace at the foot of Mt. Uga.
There is no knowledge of exactly when Izumo-taisha was built, but a record compiled around 950 (Heian period) describes the shrine as the highest building, reaching approximately 48 meters, which exceeds in height the 45 meter-tall temple that enshrined the Great Image of Buddha, Tōdai-ji. This was due to early Shinto cosmology, when the people believed the gods (kami) were above the human world and belonged to the most extraordinary and majestic parts of nature. Therefore, Izumo-taisha could have been an attempt to create a place for the kami that would be above humans.
According to Kojiki, the legendary stories of old Japan, and Nihon Shoki, the chronicles of old Japan, Izumo-taisha was considered the largest wooden structure in Japan when it was originally constructed. Before being known as Izumo Ōyashiro or Izumo-taisha, the shrine was known as Okami-no-miya in Izumo, Itsukashinokami-no-miya, Kizuki-no-Oyashiro, Kizuki-no-miya, or Iwakumanoso-no-miya.
Evidence of the original Grand Shrine has been found. For example, part of one of the pillars for the structure was found: three cedar trees with a three-meter diameter at its base. It is on display at the shrine. Although there is not much early evidence one can see when visiting, there is a shop just before the main entrance that has a smaller scale model of the original main structure made by local college students.
History
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Izumotaisha_17feb1875.jpg/250px-Izumotaisha_17feb1875.jpg)
During the Kamakura period, around 1200, the main structure was reduced in size. Then in 1744, the shrine was reconstructed to the present size of 24 meters high and 11 meters square at its base.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, as travel became more common in Japan, the shrine became a central place of pilgrimage.
Since the shrine spirit was settled in the inner shrine in 1744, it has been relocated three times for renovation of the inner shrine, using a traditional ceremony. The relocations took place in 1809, 1881, and 1953.
From 1871 through 1946, the Izumo-taisha was officially designated one of the Kanpei-taisha (
In April 2008, the spirit was moved to temporary housing in the front shrine of Izumo-taisha in preparation for the Heisei-period renovations. Izumo-taisha's inner shrine was opened to the public for the first time in 60 years in the summer of 2008. On completion of the renovations, Ōkuninushi was returned to the inner shrine in a ceremony attended by over 8,000 people, held on May 11, 2013.[3]
Architecture
[edit]The main structure of Izumo Oyashiro was built in the Taisha style, the oldest style of building shrines. An impressive sized gable-entrance structure is built for the main structure, which gave the name of The Great Shrine or The Grand Shrine. The main hall (honden) bears an enormous chigi (scissor-shaped finials at the front and back ends of the roof). A Japanese architecture book states, "In plan, the present Main Shrine resembles that of the Daijoe Shoden, built for the accession of each new Emperor. The main shrine at Izumo is thought, therefore, to preserve a floor plan characteristic of ancient domestic architecture" (Nishi & Hozumi, 1985, p. 41). From the view of architectures, the original height of the main structure of Izumo Taisha makes it difficult to study the historical building styles and methods. However, what is known is that from the construction of a building as big as the main structure, major problems were presented. Because of this, structural and stylistic changes occurred each time the main structure was rebuilt, which caused the outer form to be less reflective of the original construction of the main structure. Although the outside of the structure changed with each reconstruction, the floor plan remained virtually unchanged. The layout consists of nine support pillars arranged so that the inside is divided into four sections and causes the entrance to be off-centered. A significant characteristic that is common among most shrines is the symmetrical design, making the main structure of Izumo-taisha peculiar for its asymmetrical floor plan. The main structure was built more like a home rather than a shrine which suggests that between the people and kami there was a less formal relationship than at other shrines.
Kagura-den
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Izumo-taisha01nt3200.jpg/250px-Izumo-taisha01nt3200.jpg)
Izumo-taisha's Kagura-den (
Traditional prayer by Izumo no Kuni no Miyatsuko, wedding ceremonies of believers, and the performances of sacred dance to ancient Japanese music involve the Oracle with 240 mats. Also worshipped with prayer is a frame with four dyed Kanji characters, meaning "the Oracle Filled with Aureole," by Prince Arisugawa above the altar.
The Kagura-den features the largest shimenawa (sacred straw rope) in Japan; it is 13.5 meters long and weighs around 5 tons. The rope is one of the most easily recognized and distinctive features of Izumo-taisha.
Shōkokan
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/27/Izumo-taisha10n4592.jpg/250px-Izumo-taisha10n4592.jpg)
The Shōkokan (
Some items in the museum are items designated as national treasure and important cultural assets, like jewelry, household articles, paintings, swords, and musical instruments.
Considered most important in Shōkokan are a set of Japan's oldest wooden pestle and an igniting board and a small boat that was hollowed out of a piece of wood. The small boat was believed to have come from the upper stream of the Yoshino River, through the Seto Inland Sea, and to the Inasa Beach near Izumo-taisha.
Festivals
[edit]Festivals or matsuri in Izumo are times when people gather around the god to fulfill their wish to live a happy life. One of the most important in Izumo-taisha is the Imperial Festival held on May 14. Following the Imperial Festival is the Grand Festival on May 14 and 15.
Some other major festivals are January 1, Omike Festival; January 3, Fukumukae Festival; January 5, Beginning Sermon Festival; February 17, Kikoku (prayer for abundant crops) Festival; April 1, Kyoso Festival; June 1, Suzumidono Festival; and August 6–9 is Izumo Oyashiro-kyo Religion Festival.
In the tenth month of the traditional lunar calendar, a festival is held to welcome all the gods to Izumo Grand Shrine. It is believed that the gods convene at Izumo Shrine in October to discuss the coming year's marriages, deaths, and births. For this reason, people around the Izumo area call October kamiarizuki ("the month with gods"), but the rest of Japan calls October Kannazuki ("the month without gods").
Administrator's family
[edit]The descendants of Amenohohi-no-mikoto (
After the separation those two families took the position of Izumo no Kuni no Miyatsuko by turns until the late 19th century. Shinto was reconstructed as modernized Japan's national religion in the late 19th century. In 1871, Izumo-taisha was designated as an Imperial-associated shrine and the government sent a new administrator so Izumo no Kuni no Miyatsuko families were no more the administrators of Izumo-taisha. Senge and Kitajima established their religious corporations respectively, Izumo-taisha-kyo (
Under the Allied occupation after World War II, Shinto was separated from the government control and Izumo-taisha was reformed into a private shrine, then Senge and its Izumo-taisha-kyo took back the position of the administrator of Izumo-taisha. Takatoshi Senge (
Currently, the position of the administrator of Izumo-taisha is succeeded by Senge lineage. Its Izumo-taisha-kyo is better known nationwide and has more followers in total, "
Gallery
[edit]-
Bronze torii gate
-
Nishi-jukusha
-
The haiden, or prayer hall
-
The inner sanctuary behind the haiden
-
Soga-no-Yashiro
-
The honden
-
Pillar inscription
-
Wooden Omikuji racks.
-
Replica of pillars of the ancient shrine
-
Reconstruction of part of Izumo shrine in ancient times
-
Reconstruction of part of Izumo shrine in the Kamakura period
-
Reconstruction of part of Izumo shrine in the Edo period to modern time.
See also
[edit]- List of National Treasures of Japan (crafts: others)
- List of National Treasures of Japan (shrines)
- Ōkuninushi
- Ko-Shintō
- Shinto shrine
- Tourism in Japan
- Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii
References
[edit]- ^
出雲 大社 平成 の大 遷宮 . Shimane Prefecture - ^ Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan, p. 125.
- ^ "Special ceremony held at Izumo Taisha for 1st time in 60 years-
毎日 jp(毎日新聞 )". Archived from the original on 2013-07-02. Retrieved 2013-05-29. - ^ "Japantimes - Princess Noriko to wed" [1], Tokyo, 27 May 2014. Retrieved on 4 October 2014
General references
[edit]- Ancient Izumo in the spotlight. (2007, February 26, p. 19). The Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo), 1. Retrieved July 12, 2008, from the LexisNexis Academic database.
- Guide to Izumo Oyashiro. (n.d.). (Pamphlet available to visitors at the shrine)
- Izumo Shrine Find Points to Huge Ancient Building. (2000, April, p. 29). The Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo), 1. Retrieved July 12, 2008, from the LexisNexis Academic database.
- Lucas, B. (2002, May 7). History and Symbolism in Shinto Shrine Architecture[permanent dead link]. Harvey Mudd College Web. Retrieved July 26, 2008
- Nishi, K., & Hozumi, K. (1985). What is Japanese Architecture?: A survey of traditional Japanese architecture, with a list of sites and a map. New York, NY: Harper & Row.
- Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan. Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. OCLC 194887
- Senge, chief priest of Izumo Shrine, dies at 89. (2002, April 18). Japan Economic Newswire. Retrieved July 28, 2008, from the LexisNexis Academic database.
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)