Association of Shinto Shrines
Encyclopedia
The is a religious administrative organization that oversees about 80,000 Shinto shrines in Japan
. These shrines take the Ise Shrine
as the foundation of their belief.
The Association has five major activities:http://www.jinjahoncho.or.jp/en/about/
It also performs other related activities.
The Association was established following the end of World War II
. On December 15, 1945, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
(SCAP) issued the Shinto Directive
ordering the separation of Shinto from the State. On February 2, 1946, to comply with the SCAP order, three organizations, the , , and , established the nongovernmental Association, assuming the functions of the Jingi-in
, a branch of the Home Ministry
.
The Association of Shinto Shrines has an administrative structure including a main office and branches. Its headquarters in Yoyogi
, Shibuya, Tokyo
, adjacent to the Meiji Shrine
. Its leadership includes the , the head priestess of the Ise Shrine, presently Atsuko Ikeda
. The is Kuniaki Kuni, and the post of is currently held by Masami Yatabe, the chief priest of the Mishima Shrine. The Association maintains regional offices in every prefecture
. They handle financial and personnel matters for member shrines.
Additional sources include the following:
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...
. These shrines take the Ise Shrine
Ise Shrine
is a Shinto shrine dedicated to goddess Amaterasu-ōmikami, located in the city of Ise in Mie prefecture, Japan. Officially known simply as , Ise Jingū is in fact a shrine complex composed of a large number of Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, and ....
as the foundation of their belief.
The Association has five major activities:http://www.jinjahoncho.or.jp/en/about/
- Publication and dissemination of information on shrine Shinto
- Performance of rituals
- Education of adherents of Shinto
- Reverence of the Ise Shrine and distribution of its amulets
- Preparation for the Shinto priesthood
It also performs other related activities.
The Association was established following the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. On December 15, 1945, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the Occupation of Japan following World War II...
(SCAP) issued the Shinto Directive
Shinto Directive
After the Second World War during the Occupation of Japan by the United States Military it was generally understood by allied students of Japanese culture and religion that Shinto in the form it took leading up to and during the war was social propaganda and was being used as a tool of...
ordering the separation of Shinto from the State. On February 2, 1946, to comply with the SCAP order, three organizations, the , , and , established the nongovernmental Association, assuming the functions of the Jingi-in
Jingi-kan
, also known as the Department of Shinto Affairs, was a Japanese Imperial bureaucracy established in the 8th century, as part of the ritsuryō reforms.-History:...
, a branch of the Home Ministry
Home Ministry (Japan)
The ' was a Cabinet-level ministry established under the Meiji Constitution that managed the internal affairs of Empire of Japan from 1873-1947...
.
The Association of Shinto Shrines has an administrative structure including a main office and branches. Its headquarters in Yoyogi
Yoyogi
is a neighborhood in the northern part of Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.-Geography:The area encompassed by Yoyogi is typically defined two ways:* Only the five Yoyogi ....
, Shibuya, Tokyo
Shibuya, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....
, adjacent to the Meiji Shrine
Meiji Shrine
', located in Shibuya, Tokyo, is the Shinto shrine that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken.-History:...
. Its leadership includes the , the head priestess of the Ise Shrine, presently Atsuko Ikeda
Atsuko Ikeda
, is the wife of Marquis Takamasa Ikeda and fourth daughter of Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun. As such, she is the older sister to the present Emperor of Japan, Emperor Akihito.- Biography :...
. The is Kuniaki Kuni, and the post of is currently held by Masami Yatabe, the chief priest of the Mishima Shrine. The Association maintains regional offices in every prefecture
Prefectures of Japan
The prefectures of Japan are the country's 47 subnational jurisdictions: one "metropolis" , Tokyo; one "circuit" , Hokkaidō; two urban prefectures , Osaka and Kyoto; and 43 other prefectures . In Japanese, they are commonly referred to as...
. They handle financial and personnel matters for member shrines.
Source
This article incorporates material in 神社本庁 (Jinja Honchō) in the Japanese Wikipedia, retrieved on January 27, 2008.Additional sources include the following: