Taga taisha
Encyclopedia
is a Shinto
shrine
located in Taga
, Shiga Prefecture
, Japan
dedicated to Izanagi
and Izanami
. It is associated with long life, successful marriage and good fortune. The shrine is frequently referred to as by local residents.
. According to that text it dates from 620
, having been built during a time when Buddhism
and Shinto were both doing very well. It contains both a Buddhist temple and Shinto shrine. The shrine has beautiful garden and a stone bridge, which were constructed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi
as an offering for his mother's long life. It is next to the study attached to the Shrine offices.
) from the reign of Empress Genshō
. Allegedly the origin of the Japanese word otamajakushi
.: A Japanese sweet
made of mochi
rice sold at souvenir shops around the shrine. Itokiri-mochi was first made to celebrate the Japanese victory over the Mongols
.
on the Ohmi Railway
Taga Line
, or about 10 minutes by bus from Minami-Hikone Station
on the JR West
Biwako Line.
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
Jinja (Shinto)
A Shinto shrine is a structure whose main purpose is to house one or more Shinto kami....
located in Taga
Taga, Shiga
is a town located in Inukami District, Shiga, Japan. It has developed as a shrine town of Taga-taisha, one of the most famous shrines in Shiga.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 8,322 and a density of 61.22 persons per km². The total area is 135.93 km².-External links:* *...
, Shiga Prefecture
Shiga Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...
, 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...
dedicated to Izanagi
Izanagi
is a deity born of the seven divine generations in Japanese mythology and Shinto, and is also referred to in the roughly translated Kojiki as "male-who-invites" or Izanagi-no-mikoto. It is also pronounced Izanaki-no-Okami....
and Izanami
Izanami
In Japanese mythology, is a goddess of both creation and death, as well as the former wife of the god Izanagi-no-Mikoto. She is also referred to as Izanami-no-kami.-Goddess of Creation:...
. It is associated with long life, successful marriage and good fortune. The shrine is frequently referred to as by local residents.
History
This ancient shrine is old to have been mentioned in the KojikiKojiki
is the oldest extant chronicle in Japan, dating from the early 8th century and composed by Ō no Yasumaro at the request of Empress Gemmei. The Kojiki is a collection of myths concerning the origin of the four home islands of Japan, and the Kami...
. According to that text it dates from 620
620
Year 620 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 620 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- India :* Pulakesi II defeats the Harsha army on the...
, having been built during a time when Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and Shinto were both doing very well. It contains both a Buddhist temple and Shinto shrine. The shrine has beautiful garden and a stone bridge, which were constructed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
as an offering for his mother's long life. It is next to the study attached to the Shrine offices.
Festivals
: Most important festival held on April 23. Also known as .: A festival of planting rice with traditional rites held on June 7.: A lantern festival held on the night of August 3-5.Specialty goods
: A talisman shakushi (Japanese ladleLadle (spoon)
A ladle is a type of spoon used to scoop up and serve soup, stew, or other foods. Although designs vary, a typical ladle has a long handle terminating in a deep bowl, frequently with the bowl oriented at an angle to the handle to facilitate lifting liquid out of a pot or other vessel and conveying...
) from the reign of Empress Genshō
Empress Gensho
was the 44th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Genshō's reign spanned the years 715 through 724.In the history of Japan, Genshō was the fifth of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The four female monarchs before Genshō were: Suiko, Kōgyoku/Saimei,...
. Allegedly the origin of the Japanese word otamajakushi
Tadpole
A tadpole or polliwog is the wholly aquatic larval stage in the life cycle of an amphibian, particularly that of a frog or toad.- Appellation :...
.: A Japanese sweet
Wagashi
is a traditional Japanese confectionery which is often served with tea, especially the types made of mochi, azuki bean paste, and fruits.Wagashi is typically made from natural ingredients...
made of mochi
Mochi
Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made of glutinous rice pounded into paste and molded into shape. In Japan it is traditionally made in a ceremony called mochitsuki. While also eaten year-round, mochi is a traditional food for the Japanese New Year and is commonly sold and eaten during that time...
rice sold at souvenir shops around the shrine. Itokiri-mochi was first made to celebrate the Japanese victory over the Mongols
Mongol invasions of Japan
The ' of 1274 and 1281 were major military efforts undertaken by Kublai Khan to conquer the Japanese islands after the submission of Goryeo to vassaldom. Despite their ultimate failure, the invasion attempts are of macrohistorical importance, because they set a limit on Mongol expansion, and rank...
.
Access
About 20 minutes walk from Taga Taisha-mae StationTaga Taisha-mae Station
is a train station in Taga, Shiga, Japan. A nearby station of Taga Taisha, one of the most famous shrine in Shiga.-History:*1914 The line opened to this station*1925 The track was electrified*1998 Taga Station had its name changed to Taga Taisha-mae Station...
on the Ohmi Railway
Ohmi Railway
is a Japanese private railway company which operates in Shiga Prefecture, and a member of the Seibu group since 1943. The company is named after the Ōmi Province, the former name of the present-day Shiga. The railway is nicknamed by local users because of its noisy sound.- History :Ohmi Railway is...
Taga Line
Ohmi Railway Taga Line
The is a regional railway line in Shiga Prefecture operated by Ohmi Railway. It connects Hikone city and Taga town.The single-track line is long, connecting Takamiya on the Main Line in Hikone to Taga Taisha-mae in Taga...
, or about 10 minutes by bus from Minami-Hikone Station
Minami-Hikone Station
is a train station in Hikone, Shiga, Japan.-Stations next to Minami-Hikone:...
on the JR West
West Japan Railway Company
, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group companies and operates in western Honshū. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka.-History:...
Biwako Line.
See also
- Takamiya-jukuTakamiya-jukuwas the sixty-fourth of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō. It is located in the present-day city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Japan on the right bank of the Inukami River. It stretches from the center of the city out towards the east. It became a post town shortly after its original founding...
, a nearby station69 Stations of the NakasendoThe are the rest areas along the Nakasendō, which ran from Nihonbashi in Edo to Sanjō Ōhashi in Kyoto. The route stretched approximately and was an alternate trade route to the Tōkaidō.-Stations of the Nakasendō:...
on the NakasendōNakasendoThe , also called the , was one of the five routes of the Edo period, and one of the two that connected Edo to Kyoto in Japan. There were 69 stations between Edo and Kyoto, crossing through Musashi, Kōzuke, Shinano, Mino and Ōmi provinces...
.