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 Kikuchi,

Kumamoto Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Kumamoto Prefecture has a population of 1,748,134 () and has a geographic area of . Kumamoto Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the north, Ōita Prefecture to ...

, in which

Kikuchi Taketoki The of Higo Province was a powerful daimyō family of Higo Province, Higo, Kyūshū. The lineage was renowned for valiant service in defense of the emperor and against foreign invaders. They initially distinguished themselves during the Jurchen ...

(菊池武時, 1292 – April 27, 1333), Kikuchi Takeshige (菊池武重, 1307?-1338?) and

Kikuchi Takemitsu was a general in the Nanboku-chō period of Japanese history. Takemitsu was the 9th son of Kikuchi Taketoki, and fought on the side of Emperor Go-Daigo as his father had done, a strong and dependable ally to Prince Kaneyoshi (懐良親王, also k ...

(菊池武光, – 1373) are enshrined. It is one of the

Fifteen Shrines of the Kenmu Restoration Minatogawa Shrine The Fifteen Shrines of the Kenmu Restoration (建武中興十五社, ''Kenmu chūko jūgosha'') are a group of Shinto shrines dedicated to individuals and events of the Kenmu Restoration The was a three-year period of Impe ...

Another Kikuchi Shrine (Fukuoka)

is also enshrined in a Kikuchi shrine at 7-10-1, Nanakuma, Johnan-ku,

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...

where he died at war.

History of the shrine

*With the suggestion of Nagaoka Masami,

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 ...

ordered in 1868, the enshrinement of

, who worked for the emperors, and a shrine was built on the site of the old Kikuchi castle in Kikuchi City. Kikuchi Taketoki was enshrined on April 28, 1870. The shrine is classified as a Bekkaku Kanpeisha (shrines for those with distinguished services to the state). In March 1923, Kikuchi Takeshige and

were also enshrined at the same location. In September 1952, the shrine was made a

Religious corporation A religious corporation is a type of religious non-profit organization, which has been incorporated under the law. Often these types of corporations are recognized under the law on a subnational level, for instance by a state or province governme ...

. In 1970, a Kumonoe-guu building and a historical museum were also built on shrine grounds. On April 28, 2000, the shrine celebrated its 130th anniversary.

Kikuchi clan and Kikuchi Taketoki

*The

Kikuchi clan The of Higo Province was a powerful daimyō family of Higo, Kyūshū. The lineage was renowned for valiant service in defense of the emperor and against foreign invaders. They initially distinguished themselves during the Jürchen invasion of ...

(菊池氏, Kikuchi-shi) of Higo Province was a powerful ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and n ...

'' family of Higo,

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

. The Kikuchi lineage was renowned for its valiant service in defense of the emperor and against foreign invaders. *

was the 11th head of the Kikuchi clan. In 1333,

Emperor Go-Daigo Emperor Go-Daigo (後醍醐天皇 ''Go-Daigo-tennō'') (26 November 1288 – 19 September 1339) was the 96th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')後醍醐天皇 (96) retrieved 2013-8-28. according to the traditional order ...

asked Taketoki to help him overthrow the shogunate and restore imperial rule. He was Go-Daigo's right-hand man and was awarded greatly for his loyalty. Taketoki gathered many people in Kyushu and was planning to attack the Defense Commissioner of the West Hojo Hidetoki (Akahashi Hidetoki) but their plan was leaked. Taketoki and his son Yoritaka died in the attack, but they were the forerunners of the

Kenmu Restoration The was a three-year period of Imperial rule in Japanese history between the Kamakura period and the Muromachi period from 1333 to 1336. The Kenmu Restoration was an effort made by Emperor Go-Daigo to overthrow the ruling Kamakura Shogunate a ...

(1333–1336). Taketoki was buried in

city where he died.

Kikuchi Takeshige

*The 12th head of the

, and the eldest son of

. He invented the Kikuchi 1000 spears or shortened spears on long bamboo poles, a new weapon. He strengthened the bond of the Kikuchi clan by introducing the Kikuchi constitution.

Kikuchi Takemitsu

*He finally unified

by attacking Dazaifu. He was a staunch supporter of the Southern Court set up by Emperor Go-Daigo after the Kenmu Restoration failed.

References

*Pamphlet of Kikuchi Shrine on November 21, 2010.

External links

Kikuchi Shrine菊池神社
��玄松子）