Iwashimizu Shrine
Encyclopedia
The is a Shinto shrine in the city of Yawata
in Kyoto Prefecture
, Japan
.
connections with the Kyoto and the Imperial family date from its founding in 859 (Jōgan
1) when construction on its earliest structures commenced. Shrine tradition explains that Emperor Seiwa
ordered the shrine to be built in obeisance to an oracle in which Hachiman expressed the desire to be near to Kyoto to watch over the city and the Imperial House of Japan
. This vision was reported by a Buddhist monk, Gyōkyō, who had a second vision which led to selecting the Otokoyama location where the shrine now stands. Like other Hachiman shrines, until 1868 Iwashimizu was actually a shrine-temple complex (jingū-ji
) called dedicated to Buddhism as much as to kami worship.
The shrine became the object of Imperial patronage during the early Heian period
. In 965, Emperor Murakami
ordered that Imperial messengers were sent to report important events to the guardian kami of Japan. These heihaku were initially presented to 16 shrines including the Ōharano Shrine.
The shrine's importance and influence grew in succeeding centuries; and its extensive landholdings led to modest conflicts with Minamoto no Yoritomo
during the years in which the Kamakura shogunate
was establishing itself. The shrine sought to maintain its traditional exemption from contributing to paying the costs of military forces. In time, the bakufu faded away; and the shrine endured.
Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū and Ise Shrine
were specified for in the Middle Ages.
From 1871 through 1946, Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu was officially designated one of the , meaning that it stood in the first rank of government supported shrines. Other similarly honored Hachiman shrines were Usa Shrine
of Usa
in Ōita Prefecture
and Hakozaki-gū of Fukuoka
in Fukuoka Prefecture
.
, when the sovereigns began to live more secluded lives.
In the Shōhei era (1346–1370), Emperor Murakami
visited Iwashimizu in person.
After the Ōnin war
(1467–1477), Imperial visits were held in abeyance for 200 years.
, the Shinto
kami
or spirit guardian of Imperial legitimacy. Since the time of its founding in 859, Hachiman has been recognized as Emperor Ojin
.
, a jeweled Indonesia
n dagger, which was exhibited at Kyoto National Museum
as part of an exhibit entitled "Famous Swords from Kyoto's Temples and Shrines."
: Important Cultural Assets, Iwashimizu-gū ( 重要文化財石清水八幡宮本殿・外殿他・京都府八幡市）
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....
, 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...
.
History
The shrine's Heian periodHeian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
connections with the Kyoto and the Imperial family date from its founding in 859 (Jōgan
Jogan
was a after Ten'an and before Gangyō. This period spanned the years from April 859 through April 877. The two reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:* February 7, 859 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events...
1) when construction on its earliest structures commenced. Shrine tradition explains that Emperor Seiwa
Emperor Seiwa
was the 56th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Seiwa's reign spanned the years from 858 through 876.-Traditional narrative:...
ordered the shrine to be built in obeisance to an oracle in which Hachiman expressed the desire to be near to Kyoto to watch over the city and the Imperial House of Japan
Imperial House of Japan
The , also referred to as the Imperial Family or the Yamato Dynasty, comprises those members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the present Constitution of Japan, the emperor is the symbol of the state and unity of the people...
. This vision was reported by a Buddhist monk, Gyōkyō, who had a second vision which led to selecting the Otokoyama location where the shrine now stands. Like other Hachiman shrines, until 1868 Iwashimizu was actually a shrine-temple complex (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...
) called dedicated to Buddhism as much as to kami worship.
The shrine became the object of Imperial patronage during the early Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
. In 965, Emperor Murakami
Emperor Murakami
was the 62nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Murakami's reign spanned the years from 946 to his death in 967.-Traditional narrative:...
ordered that Imperial messengers were sent to report important events to the guardian kami of Japan. These heihaku were initially presented to 16 shrines including the Ōharano Shrine.
The shrine's importance and influence grew in succeeding centuries; and its extensive landholdings led to modest conflicts with Minamoto no Yoritomo
Minamoto no Yoritomo
was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199.-Early life and exile :Yoritomo was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, heir of the Minamoto clan, and his official wife, a daughter of Fujiwara no Suenori, who was a member of the...
during the years in which the Kamakura shogunate
Kamakura shogunate
The Kamakura shogunate was a military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura. The Kamakura period draws its name from the capital of the shogunate...
was establishing itself. The shrine sought to maintain its traditional exemption from contributing to paying the costs of military forces. In time, the bakufu faded away; and the shrine endured.
Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū and 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 ....
were specified for in the Middle Ages.
- 1456 (Kōshō 2, 3rd month): Ashikaga YoshimasaAshikaga Yoshimasawas the 8th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1449 to 1473 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshimasa was the son of the sixth shogun Ashikaga Yoshinori....
visited Iwashimizu ShrineIwashimizu ShrineThe is a Shinto shrine in the city of Yawata in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. -History:The shrine's Heian period connections with the Kyoto and the Imperial family date from its founding in 859 when construction on its earliest structures commenced...
; and all the officials of the Daijō-kan joined him in going there.
From 1871 through 1946, Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu was officially designated one of the , meaning that it stood in the first rank of government supported shrines. Other similarly honored Hachiman shrines were Usa Shrine
Usa Shrine
, 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 , 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...
of Usa
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...
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....
.
Imperial progresses to the shrine
In 979 (Tengen 2), Emperor Enyū visited the shrine; and the shrine continued to be visited by nearly all the emperors until the reign of Emperor Go-DaigoEmperor Go-Daigo
Emperor Go-Daigo was the 96th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession....
, when the sovereigns began to live more secluded lives.
In the Shōhei era (1346–1370), Emperor Murakami
Emperor Murakami
was the 62nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Murakami's reign spanned the years from 946 to his death in 967.-Traditional narrative:...
visited Iwashimizu in person.
After the Ōnin war
Onin War
The ' was a civil war that lasted 10 years during the Muromachi period in Japan. A dispute between Hosokawa Katsumoto and Yamana Sōzen escalated into a nationwide war involving the Ashikaga shogunate and a number of daimyo in many regions of Japan....
(1467–1477), Imperial visits were held in abeyance for 200 years.
Shinto belief
The shrine is dedicated to the veneration of HachimanHachiman
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...
, the Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
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...
or spirit guardian of Imperial legitimacy. Since the time of its founding in 859, Hachiman has been recognized as 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....
.
Treasures
A 2005 survey of the treasures at Iwashimizu revealed, among other things, the existence of a krisKris
The kris or keris is an asymmetrical dagger or sword nowadays most strongly associated with the culture of Indonesia, but also indigenous to Malaysia, Southern Thailand and Brunei. It is known as kalis in the southern Philippines. The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade , but many have...
, a jeweled Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n dagger, which was exhibited at Kyoto National Museum
Kyoto National Museum
The is one of the three formerly imperially-mandated art museums in Japan. The museum is located in Higashiyama Ward in Kyoto. The collections of the Kyoto National Museum focus on pre-modern Japanese and Asian art....
as part of an exhibit entitled "Famous Swords from Kyoto's Temples and Shrines."
See also
- List of Shinto shrines
- Twenty-Two Shrines
- Modern system of ranked Shinto ShrinesModern system of ranked Shinto ShrinesThe The The (sometimes called simply , was an organizational aspect of the establishment of Japanese State Shinto. This system classified Shinto shrines as either official government shrines or "other" shrines...
External links
Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū web site (in Japanese) Agency for Cultural AffairsAgency for Cultural Affairs
The is a special body of the Japanese Ministry of Education . It was set up in 1968 to promote Japanese arts and culture. As of April 2007, it is led by the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs, Tamotsu Aoki....
: Important Cultural Assets, Iwashimizu-gū ( 重要文化財石清水八幡宮本殿・外殿他・京都府八幡市）