The is a
Shinto shrine
A is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more ''kami'', the deities of the Shinto religion.
Overview
Structurally, a Shinto shrine typically comprises several buildings.
The '' honden''Also called (本殿, meani ...
in
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
. This shrine is known and popular for its gardens and many trees.
History
The shrine was established in the year 794 by
Emperor Kammu
, or Kammu, was the 50th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 桓武天皇 (50) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Kanmu reigned from 781 to 806, and it was during his reign that the scop ...
when the capital was transferred to
Heian-kyō
Heian-kyō was one of several former names for the city now known as Kyoto. It was the official capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from 794 to 1868 with an interruption in 1180.
Emperor Kanmu established it as the capital in 794, mov ...
from
Nagaoka-kyō. From the earliest years, the shrine has been often visited by members of the Imperial family. In earlier centuries, the shrine also enjoyed a special relationship with both the
Genji and the
Heike.
The shrine became the object of Imperial patronage during the early
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...
. In 965,
Emperor Murakami
was the 62nd emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 村上天皇 (62)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.
Murakami's reign spanned the years from 946 to his death in 967.
Biography
Before he ascended to ...
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 Hirano Shrine.
The shrine has been the site of a cherry blossom festival annually since 985. The long history of festivals at the Shrine began during the reign of
Emperor Kazan
was the 65th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 花山天皇 (65)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.
Kazan's reign spanned the years from 984 through 986.
Biography
Before his ascension to the Chry ...
, and it has become the oldest regularly held festival in Kyoto. Each year, the festival begins in the morning with a ceremony at the mausoleum of former Emperor Kazan. In the afternoon, a procession travels from the shrine into the neighboring area and back.
Om 26th August 2018, the shrine suffered extensive damage from
Typhoon Jebi, which it has struggled to recover from. The haiden was destroyed, as well as a few trees around the shrine.
The enshrined ''
kami
are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the sp ...
'' includes:
*
*
*
*
From 1871 through 1946, the Hirano Shrine was officially designated one of the , meaning that it stood in the first rank of government supported shrines.
[Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan,'' pp. 124.]
See also
*
List of Shinto shrines
For lists of Shinto shrines, see:
*List of Shinto shrines in Japan
**List of Shinto shrines in Kyoto
*List of Shinto shrines outside Japan
**List of Shinto shrines in Taiwan
**List of Shinto shrines in the United States
See also
*List of Jingū ...
*
Twenty-Two Shrines
The of Japan is one ranking system for Shinto shrines. The system was established during the Heian period and formed part of the government's systematization of Shinto during the emergence of a general anti-Chinese sentiment and the suppression o ...
*
Modern system of ranked Shinto Shrines
The was an organizational aspect of the establishment of Japanese State Shinto. This system classified Shinto shrines as either official government shrines or "other" shrines. The official shrines were divided into
#Imperial shrines (''kampeisha ...
Notes
References
*
Breen, John and
Mark Teeuwen Mark J. Teeuwen (Marcus Jacobus Teeuwen, born 9 February 1966, Eindhoven) is a Dutch academic and Japanologist. He is an expert in Japanese religious practices, and he is a professor at the University of Oslo.University of Oslo faculty CV/ref> In ...
. (2000)
''Shinto in History: Ways of the Kami.''Honolulu:
University of Hawaii Press
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
.
*
Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1962).
''Studies in Shinto and Shrines.''Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society
OCLC 399449* ____________. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan.''Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society
OCLC 194887
External links
Official website
Beppyo shrines
Kanpei-taisha
8th-century Shinto shrines
Shinto shrines in Kyoto
Important Cultural Properties of Japan
Religious buildings and structures completed in 794
{{Shinto-stub