Samukawa Shrine
Encyclopedia
is a Shinto shrine in the town of Samukawa
in Kanagawa Prefecture
, Japan
. The shrine is located on the bank of the Sagami River
, about eight kilometers from the river’s mouth.
(418-479). The main kami of Samukawa Jinja is the Samukawa Daimyojin, an amalgamation of the male and the female . Both were local kami.
The earliest written records indicate that the shrine was rebuilt in the year 727, and its name also appears in the Shoku Nihon Kōki
entry for the year 846.
Samukawa was designated as the chief Shinto shrine (ichinomiya) for the former Sagami province
.
From 1871 through 1946, Sumakawa was officially designated one of the , meaning that it stood in the mid-range of ranked, nationally significant shrines
.
performances. During the Setsubun
festival in February, illuminated paper figures are hung from the main gate in a style similar to that of the Nebuta in Aomori Prefecture
.
Samukawa, Kanagawa
is a town located in Kōza District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 47,739 and a density of 3,560 persons per km². The total area was 13.42 km².-Geography:...
in Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
, 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 shrine is located on the bank of the Sagami River
Sagami River
The is a river in Kanagawa and Yamanashi Prefectures on the island of Honshū, Japan.The upper reaches of the river in Yamanashi prefecture are also sometimes known as the , and the portion near the river mouth as the...
, about eight kilometers from the river’s mouth.
History
The origins of Samukawa Jinja are unknown. Unverifiable shrine legend states that it was founded during the reign of Emperor YūryakuEmperor Yuryaku
was the 21st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Yūryaku is remembered as a patron of sericulture.No firm dates can be assigned to this emperor's life or reign, but he is conventionally considered to have reigned from 456–479....
(418-479). The main kami of Samukawa Jinja is the Samukawa Daimyojin, an amalgamation of the male and the female . Both were local kami.
The earliest written records indicate that the shrine was rebuilt in the year 727, and its name also appears in the Shoku Nihon Kōki
Shoku Nihon Koki
is an officially commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 869, it is the fourth volume in the Six National Histories. It covers the years 833-850.-Background:...
entry for the year 846.
Samukawa was designated as the chief Shinto shrine (ichinomiya) for the former Sagami province
Sagami Province
was an old province in the area that is today the central and western Kanagawa prefecture. It was sometimes called . Sagami bordered on Izu, Musashi, Suruga provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Sagami Bay...
.
From 1871 through 1946, Sumakawa was officially designated one of the , meaning that it stood in the mid-range of ranked, nationally significant shrines
Modern system of ranked Shinto Shrines
The 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...
.
Festivals
The main festival of the shrine is held annually on September 20, and features yabusameYabusame
is a type of mounted archery in traditional Japanese archery. An archer on a running horse shoots three special "turnip-headed" arrows successively at three wooden targets....
performances. During the Setsubun
Setsubun
is the day before the beginning of spring in Japan. The name literally means "seasonal division", but usually the term refers to the spring Setsubun, properly called Risshun celebrated yearly on February 3 as part of the...
festival in February, illuminated paper figures are hung from the main gate in a style similar to that of the Nebuta in Aomori Prefecture
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
.