Oasahiko Shrine
Encyclopedia
is a Shinto
shrine located at the base of Mt. Ōasa in Naruto
, Tokushima
, Japan
. The kami
enshrined there are Ōasahiko-no-Okami and Sarutahiko-no-Okami.
, Ame-no-Tomi-no-Mikoto came to the Awa region
(an ancient region that encompassed most of present-day Tokushima Prefecture
) seeking fertilized land to sow hemp seeds. The planted seeds were then cultivated by the area's population so they could produce linen called asa
, which formed the base of the area's industry. Because of the impact he had on furthering the welfare of Japan, Ōasahiko Shrine was dedicated in the area to worship him as a kami
named Oasahiko-no-Okami.
The secondary kami enshrined at Ōasahiko is Sarutahiko-no-Okami. He is depicted as standing at the junction of heaven and earth to guide the grandchildren of Amaterasu
, the Imperial Family and the founders of the human race to earth. He is primarily known for greeting and guiding Ninigi-no-Mikoto
, grandson of Amaterasu, to earth. After his various achievements, he was enshrined at Ōasahiko Shrine along with Oasahiko-no-Okami.
, written in 927. The book, a compendium of governmental rules and procedures, lists the shrine in its list of 2,861 shrines that received offerings from the court at the annual spring festival, Kinensai.
Since the shrine's listing in the Engishiki, it became a principal area for worship for both the Tokushima area and Awaji Island
. Ōasahiko continued to improve its shrine rating until it was awarded the 1st grade in 1719. In 1873, it achieved the ranked of Kokuhei Chūsha, a mid-sized shrine supported by the provincial government. As such, in 1890 all of the shrine's facilities were rebuilt and others were added, all paid for by the local government. Later, the current honden
, haiden
and the gaihaiden were rebuilt from the donations of worshipers. Since then, Ōasahiko Shrine has lost most of its national importance, but remains today as an important place of worship in the Tokushima area.
and haiden—located on the shrine premises, there are also a variety of other distinguishing featured located around the shrine.
Marking the start of an 800-meter-long (2,625 ft) road leading directly to the shrine's haiden is a large, orange torii
. By using reinforced concrete
and steel
, this torii was first constructed in 1958 and had a height of 15.6 metres (51 ft) and a width of 11 metres (36 ft). Because of its deteriorated state, it was reconstructed in 2002 using metal tubing. The access road which follows is lined with dozens of stone tōrō donated by shrine parishioners in 2004-05.
In the center of the shrine grounds is a 1000-year-old camphor tree known as . This revered tree's main trunk has a circumference of 8.3 metres (27 ft) and a maximum height of 22 metres (72 ft).
Behind the main portion of the shrine grounds to the northeast is the . From April 1917 to December 1919, about 953 German and Austro-Hungarian soldiers were imprisoned at the nearby Bandō Prisoner of War camp
. This stone bridge was built by these POWs who were held captive at the camp during World War I
.
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...
shrine located at the base of Mt. Ōasa in Naruto
Naruto, Tokushima
is a city in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan.In the quinquennial census of 2010, the city had a population of 61,522 . With a total area of the population density is 454 persons per km².The city was founded on March 15, 1947....
, Tokushima
Tokushima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is the city of Tokushima.- Tokushima Prefecture and Myodo Prefecture :Long ago, Tokushima City belonged to a region known as Myōdō-gun...
, 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...
. The 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...
enshrined there are Ōasahiko-no-Okami and Sarutahiko-no-Okami.
Enshrined kami
It is believed that in the era of Emperor JimmuEmperor Jimmu
was the first Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He is also known as Kamuyamato Iwarebiko and personally as Wakamikenu no Mikoto or Sano no Mikoto....
, Ame-no-Tomi-no-Mikoto came to the Awa region
Awa Province (Tokushima)
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today a part of Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku. Awa was bordered by Tosa, Sanuki, and Iyo Provinces. It was sometimes called .-References:...
(an ancient region that encompassed most of present-day Tokushima Prefecture
Tokushima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is the city of Tokushima.- Tokushima Prefecture and Myodo Prefecture :Long ago, Tokushima City belonged to a region known as Myōdō-gun...
) seeking fertilized land to sow hemp seeds. The planted seeds were then cultivated by the area's population so they could produce linen called asa
Apocynum cannabinum
Apocynum cannabinum is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows throughout much of North America - in the southern half of Canada and throughout the United States. It is a poisonous plant: Apocynum means "poisonous to dogs"...
, which formed the base of the area's industry. Because of the impact he had on furthering the welfare of Japan, Ōasahiko Shrine was dedicated in the area to worship him as a 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...
named Oasahiko-no-Okami.
The secondary kami enshrined at Ōasahiko is Sarutahiko-no-Okami. He is depicted as standing at the junction of heaven and earth to guide the grandchildren of Amaterasu
Amaterasu
, or is apart of the Japanese myth cycle and also a major deity of the Shinto religion. She is the goddess of the sun, but also of the universe. the name Amaterasu derived from Amateru meaning "shining in heaven." The meaning of her whole name, Amaterasu-ōmikami, is "the great August kami who...
, the Imperial Family and the founders of the human race to earth. He is primarily known for greeting and guiding Ninigi-no-Mikoto
Ninigi-no-Mikoto
is in Japanese mythology the son of Ame no Oshihomimi no Mikoto, and grandson of Amaterasu, who sent him down to earth to plant rice there. He was the great-grandfather of Emperor Jimmu. His name also appears as .Amaterasu sent him to pacify Japan by bringing the three celestial gifts used by the...
, grandson of Amaterasu, to earth. After his various achievements, he was enshrined at Ōasahiko Shrine along with Oasahiko-no-Okami.
History
The exact year of the foundation of Ōasahiko Shrine is unknown. The earliest documentation of the shrine, however, is found in the EngishikiEngishiki
-History:In 905 Emperor Daigo ordered the compilation of a new set of laws. Fujiwara no Tokihira began the task, but work stalled when he died four years later in 909. His brother Fujiwara no Tadahira continued the work in 912 eventually completing it in 927...
, written in 927. The book, a compendium of governmental rules and procedures, lists the shrine in its list of 2,861 shrines that received offerings from the court at the annual spring festival, Kinensai.
Since the shrine's listing in the Engishiki, it became a principal area for worship for both the Tokushima area and Awaji Island
Awaji Island
is an island in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, in the eastern part of the Seto Inland Sea between the islands of Honshū and Shikoku. The island has an area of 592.17 km²...
. Ōasahiko continued to improve its shrine rating until it was awarded the 1st grade in 1719. In 1873, it achieved the ranked of Kokuhei Chūsha, a mid-sized shrine supported by the provincial government. As such, in 1890 all of the shrine's facilities were rebuilt and others were added, all paid for by the local government. Later, the current honden
Honden
The , is the most sacred building at a Shinto shrine, intended purely for the use of the enshrined kami, usually symbolized by a mirror or sometimes by a statue. The building is normally in the rear of the shrine and closed to the general public. In front of its usually stands the haiden, or...
, haiden
Haiden (Shinto)
In Shinto shrine architecture, the is the hall of worship or oratory. It is generally placed in front of the shrine's main sanctuary and often built on a larger scale than the latter. The haiden is often connected to the honden by a heiden, or hall of offerings...
and the gaihaiden were rebuilt from the donations of worshipers. Since then, Ōasahiko Shrine has lost most of its national importance, but remains today as an important place of worship in the Tokushima area.
Features
In addition to the traditional Shinto shrine structures—-such as the hondenHonden
The , is the most sacred building at a Shinto shrine, intended purely for the use of the enshrined kami, usually symbolized by a mirror or sometimes by a statue. The building is normally in the rear of the shrine and closed to the general public. In front of its usually stands the haiden, or...
and haiden—located on the shrine premises, there are also a variety of other distinguishing featured located around the shrine.
Torii
A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred...
. By using reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
and steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
, this torii was first constructed in 1958 and had a height of 15.6 metres (51 ft) and a width of 11 metres (36 ft). Because of its deteriorated state, it was reconstructed in 2002 using metal tubing. The access road which follows is lined with dozens of stone tōrō donated by shrine parishioners in 2004-05.
In the center of the shrine grounds is a 1000-year-old camphor tree known as . This revered tree's main trunk has a circumference of 8.3 metres (27 ft) and a maximum height of 22 metres (72 ft).
Behind the main portion of the shrine grounds to the northeast is the . From April 1917 to December 1919, about 953 German and Austro-Hungarian soldiers were imprisoned at the nearby Bandō Prisoner of War camp
Bando Prisoner of War camp
The was a prisoner-of-war camp during World War I in what is now Naruto, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. From April 1917 to January 1920, just under a thousand of the three thousand nine hundred German soldiers captured at Tsingtao in November 1914 were imprisoned at the camp...
. This stone bridge was built by these POWs who were held captive at the camp during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.