On June 17, 1895 ( Meiji 28),

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

came under the rule of the

Empire of Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent fo ...

. In the following year on December 3, 1896, the first

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 ...

was created in Taiwan. This was actually an already existing located in

Tainan Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" ...

but renamed . Since then, Shinto shrines were built in the major cities between the Meiji and Taishō period, while the majority of Shinto shrines in Taiwan were built from the late 1930s until Japan's defeat in World War II. In total, 204 shrines were built in Taiwan–66 of which were officially sanctioned by the Japanese Empire. Although many shrines in the such as

Hokkaidō is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

had such as the which consisted of , and ; the Sun Goddess

Amaterasu Amaterasu, also known as Amaterasu Ōmikami () or Ōhirume no Muchi no Kami (), is the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology. One of the major deities (''kami'') of Shinto, she is also portrayed in Japan's earliest literary texts, the ''Kojik ...

;

Meiji Emperor , 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 figure ...

etc., in Taiwan, most shrines had

Prince Yoshihisa of Japan, was the second head of a collateral branch of the Japanese imperial family. He was formerly enshrined in Tainan-Jinja, Taiwan, under the name ''Kitashirakawa no Miya Yoshihisa-shinnō no Mikoto'' as the main and only deity. Biogra ...

as a ''Saijin''. Prince Yoshihisa was sent to Taiwan to subjugate the anti-Japanese rebellion but fell ill and died from

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

in Tainan in 1895. This fate was so similar to that of the legendary Prince

Yamato Takeru , originally , was a Japanese semi-legendary prince of the Yamato dynasty, son of Emperor Keikō, who is traditionally counted as the 12th Emperor of Japan. His name written in kanji can vary, in the '' Nihon Shoki'' it is spelled 日本武尊 a ...

that Prince Yoshihisa was made a of Taiwan. In 1901 (Meiji 34), the Taiwan Shrine (later

Taiwan Grand Shrine The Taiwan Grand Shrine () was the highest ranking Japanese Shinto shrine in Taiwan during Japanese colonial rule. It was located in Taihoku, Taiwan (now Zhongshan District, Taipei). Among the officially sanctioned Shinto shrines in Taiwan, Ta ...

) was built and Prince Yoshihisa along with the Three Kami Deities of Cultivation were enshrined. Amaterasu was later included in the shrine. The shrines in Taiwan followed in its lead and Prince Yoshihisa became a ''Saijin'' in most shrines throughout Taiwan. Furthermore, in

, the place of Prince Yoshihisa's demise, the

Tainan Shrine Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" ...

was built. After Japan's defeat in World War II, the shrines were either abandoned, destroyed or converted into Chinese Martyr Shrines. In 2015,

Gaoshi Shrine Gaoshi Shrine ( zh, t=高士神社, p=Gāoshì Shénshè), formerly known as , is a Shinto shrine located in Gaoshi, a Paiwan village in Mudan, Pingtung, Taiwan. With the original shrine destroyed by typhoon in 1946, a new shrine was rebuilt ...

was reconstructed and became the first

built in

after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

List of shrines

Below is a list of Shinto shrines which were built during Japanese colonial rule. The shrines were ranked according to their importance such as Grand Shrine (官幣大社 ''kokuhei taisha''), Small Shrine (国幣小社 ''kokuhei shōsha'') and Martyr Shrine (護国神社 ''gokoku jinja''), the last of which was designated by the

Governor-General of Taiwan The governor-general of Taiwan ( ja, 臺灣總督, Taiwan Sōtoku) was the head of the Government-General of Taiwan in the Japanese era (including Formosa and the Pescadores) when they were part of the Empire of Japan, from 1895 to 1945. The Jap ...

Taihoku Prefecture Taihoku Prefecture (台北州; ''Taihoku-shū'') was an administrative division of Taiwan created in 1920, during Japanese rule. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Keelung, New Taipei City, Taipei and Yilan County. Its government office, ...

Shinchiku Prefecture was one of the administrative divisions of Taiwan during the Japanese era. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County, Taoyuan City, and Miaoli County. Population 1941 ( Showa 16) census *Total population: 838,011 ** ...

Taichū Prefecture was one of the administrative divisions of Japanese Taiwan. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Taichung City, Changhua County and Nantou County. It is also the origin of the name of modern-day Taichung. The Taichū Prefecture was the scene ...

Tainan Prefecture was one of the administrative divisions of Taiwan during the Taiwan under Japanese rule, Japanese rule. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Tainan City, Chiayi City, Chiayi County and Yunlin County. Population Administrative divisions ...

Takao Prefecture was one of the administrative divisions of Taiwan during the Japanese rule. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Kaohsiung City and Pingtung County. Population Administrative divisions Cities and districts In 1945 ( Shōwa 20), the ...

Hōko Prefecture was one of the administrative divisions of Taiwan during the Japanese ruling period from 1895 until 1945. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Penghu County. Population Administrative divisions Subprefectures In 1945 ( Shōwa 20), there ...

Taitō Prefecture was one of the administrative divisions of Taiwan during the Japanese rule. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Taitung County. Population Administrative divisions Cities and Districts In 1945 ( Shōwa 20), there were 3 districts. Towns ...

Karenkō Prefecture was one of the administrative divisions of Taiwan during the Japanese rule. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Hualien County. Population Administrative divisions Cities and Districts In 1945 ( Shōwa 20), there were 1 city and 3 dist ...

Enshrined deities

*大国主神/大国主命/大己貴命 Ōkuninushi no Kami/Mikoto, Ōnamuchi no Mikoto *大物主命 Ōmononushi no Mikoto *倉稲魂神/倉稲魂命 Ukanomitama no Kami/Mikoto *弥都波能売神 Mizuhanome no Kami *金山彦命 Kanayamahiko no Mikoto *猿田彦命 Sarutahiko no Mikoto *大国魂命 Ōkunimitama no Mikoto *大綿津見神 Ōwatatsumi no Kami *事代主命 Kotoshironushi no Mikoto *大山祇神/大山祇命 Ōyamazumi no Kami/Mikoto *火具津智命 Kagutsuchi no Mikoto *科津彦命 Shinatsuhiko no Mikoto

References

{{reflist

Shinto shrines 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 ...