The , named the until 1964, is a
Shinto shrine located in
Sapporo,
Hokkaido,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. Sited in
Maruyama Park,
Chūō-ku,
Sapporo,
Hokkaido, the Hokkaido Shrine enshrines four ''
kami'' including the soul of the
Emperor Meiji
, also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figur ...
. A number of early explorers of Hokkaidō such as
Mamiya Rinzō are also enshrined.
History
In 1869, by an order of the Emperor Meiji, a ceremony to enshrine three kami (Shinto deities); Ōkunitama,
Ōkuninushi, and Sukunahikona, was held in
Tokyo. They were enshrined as the , and they were later moved to Sapporo by officers in the Kaitakushi, the previous government of Hokkaidō prefecture.
[Hokkaido Jinga, History of the Hokkaido Jingu and kami]
An interim building of the shrine for three kami was constructed in 1870 in Sapporo, although its location was different from the current point where the Hokkaidō Shrine stands. In 1871, the shrine was erected in its current place and named "Sapporo Shrine" (Sapporo Jinja),
[ and on September 14 an inaugural ceremony was held. In 1946, ''Sapporo-jinja'' was renamed the "Hokkaidō Shrine" (Hokkaidō Jingū) and officially upgraded to one of the , meaning that it stood in the first rank of government supported shrines. The soul of Emperor Meiji was also newly enshrined there in 1964.][ The building was destroyed by a fire in 1974, but was later restored in 1978.
]
Overview
The area of the Hokkaido Shrine is 180,000 m2,[ and is adjacent to Maruyama Park. During the season which ]cherry blossom
A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of genus ''Prunus'' or ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especially in Japan. They generally ...
s in the area bloom, the shrine is crowded with people enjoying Hanami. Many people also visit the shrine during Japanese New Year to go Hatsumōde.
From June 14 to 16 in every year, the Main festival of Hokkaido Shrine, also called "Sapporo Festival" (Sapporo Matsuri), is held, and the line of people bearing Mikoshi parades down the street which leads to the shrine. It also manages Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...
activities.1st Boyscouting in Sapporo
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
Notes
References
* Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1962)
''Studies in Shinto and Shrines.''
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society
OCLC 399449
* _______________. (1963)
''The Viciissitudes of Shinto.''
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society.
OCLC 186605327
External links
Hokkaido Jingu (Hokkaido Shrine) Web Site
Hokkaido Jingu
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hokkaido Shrine
Kanpei-taisha
Jingū
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1871
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1978
Chūō-ku, Sapporo
Shinto shrines in Hokkaido
1869 establishments in Japan
Religious organizations established in 1869
Buildings and structures in Sapporo
Tourist attractions in Sapporo
Beppyo shrines